Is the White House Creating A New Watergate to Protect Lois Lerner and the IRS

Lois Lerner, the IRS managar who led the unit that decided to harass conservative groups, is still the target of congressional investigators and a contempt charge. And today the investigators released more of her emails, which show, according to the investigators, why they want all of Lois Lerner's emails. The just released emails show the former IRS official referring to some right-wing Republicans as "crazies" and "***holes," a revelation that has added to GOP claims that there was a political conspiracy at the tax agency to target conservative groups. Lerner, now retired, headed the IRS division that handles applications for tax-exempt status. In a series of emails with an associate in November 2012, Lerner made two disparaging remarks about some members of the GOP, including one remark that was vulgar. Representative Dave Camp, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, released the emails Wednesday as part of his committee's investigation. The Michigan Republican says the emails show Lerner's "disgust with conservatives." In one email, Lerner called some conservatives crazies. In the other, she called them "assholes." The committee redacted the wording to "_holes" in the material it released publicly, but a committee spokeswoman confirmed to the Associated Press that the email said "assholes." Lerner's lawyer, William W. Taylor III, did not respond to a request for comment. His office said he was traveling. ~~~~~ Congress and the Justice Department are investigating the IRS unit headed by Lerner that improperly scrutinized applications for tax-exempt status from conservative groups during the 2010 and 2012 elections. A very large number of Lerner's emails were lost when her computer hard drive crashed in 2011, and when the IRS Commissioner revealed that to the congressional committee, it set off a new round of hearings on Capitol Hill, as well as a new call by Republicans for a special prosecutor to investigate, which the Obama administration is resisting, noting the numerous ongoing investigations. Both the Justice Department and the IRS inspector general are investigating the lost emails as part of wider probes. Despite the lost emails, the IRS says it is providing congressional investigators with 67,000 emails to and from Lerner. ~~~~~ Lerner was apparently in the UK in November 2012 when she used her Blackberry to send a series of emails to a personal associate who did not work at the IRS. Camp said Lerner was using her government email account. Lerner told the person that she overheard some women say America was bankrupt and "going down the tubes." The woman, whose name was blacked out by Camp's office, replied, "Well, you should hear what the whacko wing of the GOP are saying : 'The US is through; too many foreigners sucking the teat; time to hunker down, buy ammo and food, and prepare for the end. The right wing radio shows are scary to listen to.'" Lerner replies: "Great. Maybe we are through if there are that many assholes." The woman replies, "I'm talking about the talk show hosts. The callers are rabid." Lerner: "So we don't need to worry about alien teRrorists (sic). It's our own crazies that will take us down." Representative Camp wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder, saying : "This email shows that Ms. Lerner's mistreatment of conservative groups was driven by her personal hostility toward conservatives. This new evidence clearly demonstrates why Ms. Lerner not only targeted conservatives, but denied such groups their rights to due process and equal protection under the law. While the Committee has not seen any evidence of a serious investigation by your Department, it is my sincere hope that in light of this new, strong evidence that you immediately begin aggressively investigating this matter or appoint a special counsel," he added. Lerner has emerged as a central figure in several congressional investigations into the tax agency's handling of applications for tax-exempt status by tea party and other conservative groups. Twice Lerner refused to answer questions at congressional hearings, invoking her constitutional right against self-incrimination. In May, the House voted to hold Lerner in contempt of Congress. ~~~~~ Dear readers, this IRS scandal is sounding and feeling more and more like Watergate. Lois Lerner can be equated to the "plumbers" who broke into the Democrat offices during the 1972 presidential campaign -- without authorization from anyone in the Nixon White House or campaign committee. They thought they were "helping" the President be re-elected. Instead, their stupidly unhelpful action got President Nixon tossed out of the White House. If we read the latest Lerner emails, we get the picture of a virulently anti-conservative person. She may have thought that by harassing conservative organizations that had to pass through her IRS clearance process, she was "helping" President Obama be re-elected. President Nixon and his White House staff and the Attorney General made the grave error of not condemning the rogue plumbers' actions and firing them instantly. Instead, they began a long and convoluted cover-up that was both unnecessary -- Nixon had nothing to do with the Watergate break-in -- and in the end unsustainable. Are President Obama, his White House staff and the Attorney General making the same grave error -- trying to cover up the actions of a rogue manager? Democrats are right when they say that thus far no smoking gun has been found leading to the Obama White House. But if a cover-up is underway, the smoking gun will be found. And it will make no difference what Obama knew while Lerner was carrying out her anti-conservative witchhunt. Nor will it matter when he finally knew what she was doing. IF there is a cover-up, what will matter is that he engaged in a cover-up of illegal activities that led to his downfall. There is still time for President Obama to separate himself from those who are trying to protect Lois Lerner for partisan political reasons. There is still time for the President to rise above the fray and save himself and at least some of his staff. But the window of opportunity is fast closing. Will Obama - a man aloof and detached from political Washington in a way strangely reminiscent of Nixon - be able to defeat his own devils and save himself? America should be urging him to come clean while they still have the time and the inclination and the means to forgive him.