‘Leading from behind’ abroad and at home as Benghazi, IRS and media targeting show

Snip: IRS home pageHow many times have media used the phrase, ‘leading from behind,’ to describe President Barack Obama’s foreign policy approach? A prime example is the Libya war.

For those of us who believe true leadership is at the front rather than the rear, leading from behind seems foolish. For those on the opposite side of the aisle, it is a strategy that could protect the U.S. from undue criticism even though we may use our standing to influence the outcome of a conflict.

What most haven’t considered is the impact of the lead-from-behind technique on domestic issues.

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The ObamaCare Tax Bill: Beehive of Stings You Weren’t Expecting

By guest contributor Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D.

Photo: Africanized honeybees by Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.orgMany promises were made to different groups to sell the new healthcare law to a skeptical public. Having watched the medical insurance games–government and private–for my whole career, I thought these promises were too good to be true.

What is coming to light now is like “The Big Con” that Robert Redford’s character skillfully pulled off in the classic movie The Sting. Only the Pelosi-Reid-Obama trio forced through an even bigger “Sting” on the entire country, especially the very constituencies they promised their healthcare law would help.

One by one, the political promises fall like dominoes. The very groups that strongly supported government control of healthcare are now some of the ones getting stung badly. The effects are like a swarm of killer bees suddenly descending on the unsuspecting, stinging everyone in sight.

Our personal New Year’s sting was a 22.5% jump in my husband’s Medicare supplemental premium for the 2013 renewal. Reason: Obamacare regulations and mandates.

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Someone should stage a public reading of the U.S. tax code

“There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.”—Robert A. Heinlein

The instruction package online at IRS for form 1040 runs 100 pages. (Screen snip from IRS website)Every April, it’s the same. I spend hours gathering information, trying to interpret often obscure instructions on the IRS website. Before we can even file our return, I have to make sure all the pieces and documentation are there. Our return is complicated by my small (incredibly struggling) business and by the occasional sale of small amounts of stock.

I’ll never forget the year we sold some stock to cover our older daughter’s wedding. Taxed already on the company’s end, the amount we netted was taxed again.

Really, America, is this the best we can do?

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Did IRS leak donor information about Gov. Romney?

It may seem small, but an accusation made by the National Organization for Marriage has explosive implications. The big question is did IRS leak donor information about former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney?

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Legacy media finally reports 'undocumented worker' tax refunds

Legacy media has finally done a story about a matter The US Report surfaced in December, 2010. In the story Democrat Congress ignored warnings on payout of billions to illegals, TUSR also quoted a US Treasury report.

Eight months ago, Treasury said, “Actions are needed to ensure proper use of Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers and to verify or limit refundable credit claims.”

TUSR worked hard to make Republican members of Congress aware of this matter.

Now The Washington Post said, "Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, On Friday announced plans to examine the refunds."

WaPo decided on the headline, Undocumented workers got billions from IRS in tax credits, audit finds.

It's about time.

Maybe soon legacy media (and Congress) will realize that if you hang an entitlement magnet out, it will attract those who come here expressly for entitlements.

So much for straw men.

IRS employee fraud on tax credits smaller than foreign national fraud

Making the rounds in the blogosphere on Tuesday is a story about IRS employees who allegedly defrauded the government by misusing the first-time homebuyer credit. The Washington Times said the US Treasury Dept.’s Inspector General identified 128 employees who “claimed the credit” although they were ineligible for it. These total fraudulent claims were valued at approximately $513 million.

Those claims are actually less, however, than fraud committed by foreign nationals on the child tax credit.

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Boehner says American people can 'beat this bill'

GOP House Leader John Boehner of Ohio spoke directly to Main Street in the Party's weekly address, saying, "It's not too late to make your voice heard."Rep. John Boehner, Republican leader in the House of Representatives, delivered the GOP weekly address, sending a message to both Democrats and Main Street.

“I’m speaking to you from the Capitol, where in a matter of hours, the House of Representatives will vote on health care legislation sure to have a drastic effect on our economy and our lives.

“It was here fourteen months ago that President Obama took the oath of office with a promise to govern from the center.  Republicans stood ready to work with our new president and find common ground to address the issues Americans care about. 

“Unfortunately, President Obama and Democrats in Washington chose a partisan path and a costly, big-government agenda. 

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