My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...

No one denies the necessity for national security, and the prevention of terrorist acts is far more preferable than the after the fact prosecution of said acts. The delicate balance that law enforcement and intelligence agencies have to maintain is one between gathering of data on suspected terrorists and the reasonable right to privacy that law abiding citizens should expect. It was revealed this week that our expectation and right to privacy are virtually non-existent. In a supposed effort to gather intelligence on suspected or potential terrorists, the National Security Agency (NSA) has been collecting the telephone records of millions of Verizon customers under a top secret court order. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court granted the NSA a warrant the required Verizon to give the agency information on all phone calls made in its system both within the U.S. and between the U.S. and foreign countries. What is unusual about this court order is that Verizon has approximately 121 million customers and the court order requires the company to indiscriminately turn over records for ALL of its customers, whether or not that individual is considered a potential terrorist threat. The information that was turned over included the phone numbers of both parties on the call, location, call duration and other identifiers. While the basis of this court order is the "business records" section of the Patriot Act that was enacted under President George Bush, the scope of this court order is both unprecedented and disturbing. And how effective had the NSA been at identifying and monitoring potential or suspected terrorists? The breakdown in the Boston Marathon bombing case shows that efficacy of monitoring potential terrorist threats was low. So why the need to monitor what the average American is doing with their electronic communications? The act of surveilling a broad swath of the American populace for no good reason is a direct contradiction of the 4th amendment's guarantee of privacy and against unreasonable search and seizure. Just another indicator of the audacity of the federal government and the lack of respect for our rights.

I overheard my wife tell one of her friends I was a real treasure. I was feeling pretty good about that until I heard her say that like most treasures, I should be taken out and buried.

Have you heard of PRISM? PRISM is a top secret program that is being used by the aforementioned NSA and the FBI to tap directly into the servers of internet providers and extract e-mails, chat room conversations, photos, Skype conversations and other documents. PRISM was authorized by Congress in 2007 as part of President George Bush's Protect America Act and modified in 2008 with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Congressional and Court approved program was to be focused on foreign communication traffic, but the scope of the program broadened dramatically. PRISM is a tool of the federal intelligence community that is reaching deep inside American companies and has the capability of accessing the personal and private data of all Americans. PRISM can actually let the NSA or the FBI watch the actual keystrokes as a target types a message or to listen in on internet voice or video messaging. It is not unreasonable to think that the communications of innocent people have been searched in the process of trying to locate another person. PRISM searches of an individuals electronic communication do not require a warrant, and the internet service provider does not have to be informed of the search. In fact, some internet service providers were unaware of the PRISM program. For instance, a spokesman for Apple said they had never heard of PRISM. Currently, PRISM is one of the most used tools by the intelligence community to generate leads on potential terrorist activity. It is also one of the most invasive surveillance tools in the government arsenal. The line between individual rights and national security is moving, and this is a line that cannot move too far toward abridging our individual rights. It is critical that we become informed and pay attention to what is happening in this arena. Oh, and don't e-mail anything that would embarrass you.

You know, if the world were really a logical place, men would ride horses sidesaddle.

$83,894. What is that number? I am glad you asked. That is the amount per household of the unfunded liability of the Social Security program. That unfunded liability is the amount that has been promised in benefits to people that will not be funded by the current social security tax that is paying for those benefits. This is according to the 2013 Annual Report from the Trustees of the Social Security Fund. How much would it take to get the fund back to solvency? $9.6 trillion, or $83,894 per household. Ouch! The Trustees estimate to get the fund back to balance there must be either a payroll tax hike of 2.66%; a benefit cut of 16.5%; or some combination of the two. And they must happen immediately. There is no political will for any of these options in Washington, so it will be business as usual as Congress kicks the can down the road. But know that the next time someone from Washington or an economist like Paul Krugman tells you that Social Security is solvent, they are idiots, lying, or lying idiots.

My wife got this new shampoo that promises new body. It works! So far, I have gained 5 pounds.

And that, my friends, is my view.

My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...

From the past is prologue department... Lois Lerner, the embattled IRS executive in charge of the division that approved non-profit applications for tax exempt status, was the Director of the Federal Election Commission  Enforcement Division in the late 90's. Lerner exhibited her animosity toward conservative groups in this role, a trait that carried over to her tenure at the IRS. Lerner's division at the FEC sued the Christian Coalition (the government lost) and was involved in numerous harassing activities against conservative groups and political candidates. In 1996, her division of the FEC sued Al Salvi, a Republican candidate for Congress from Illinois. Salvi was running against Richard Durbin,  a Democrat who currently holds the seat. Salvi loaned his campaign  over a million dollars in the last weeks of the contest to buy ads in the Chicago media market. Although a legal action, the Democrats filed suit with the FEC and Salvi had a meeting with Lerner. Salvi recounts to the Illinois Review the following: after several minutes into their meeting had elapsed, Lerner made this offer, "Promise me you  will never run for office again and we will drop this case."  The audacity of this statement by a supposedly unbiased FEC official is breathtaking. Lerner, as a tool of the Democrats, has taken these same tactics to the IRS and expanded them. Over 500 conservative groups were illegally targeted by her Division at the behest of the current administration. The necessity to clean up the IRS and the bloated federal bureaucracy  has never been more pressing, and the current brouhaha with the IRS should be a clarion call to all of us to demand this begin now.

My favorite camping store had a sale on boat paddles. It was quite an oar deal!

In 2011, the FBI raided Gibson Guitar Company in Nashville with a warrant to seize the company's inventory of wood used to make guitars. The premise for the warrant was a supposed violation of the 100 year old Lacey Act, in which Gibson was accused of improperly procuring wood from foreign sources, sources that harvested endangered species of wood. Gibson was never shown to have violated the Lacey Act; they did not illegally source their raw materials; and the final disposition of this matter (after a costly settlement to avoid a lengthy trial) from the government was that Gibson was warned that there was some "risk" in their supply chain as to suppliers potentially obtaining illegal materials. Here is the interesting fact: Henry Juszkiewicz is an active supporter of conservative causes and Republican politicians. Gibson's biggest competitor, C. F. Martin Company, the manufacturer of Martin Guitars, uses the same sources and suppliers for wood for their guitars. Guess what? Chris Martin, the owner, is a major supporter of liberal causes and Democrat candidates for office. Wanna guess if Martin Guitars was raided by the FBI? If you said "no" then you have been paying attention to the scandalous manipulation of the various departments of the federal government by the Obama administration to attack perceived "enemies". Pay attention to these scandals that are unfolding with this administration. The mindset that Washington should have all power and punish those who disagree with that view is exceedingly dangerous.

I asked my wife what a woman really want out the man in her life. She said "attentive lover", or maybe it was "a tent of lovers". I wasn't really paying attention.

You should get to know the name Judy Faulkner. Faulkner is a billionaire, a top Obama donor, and subsequently very well connected to the President. But that isn't why you should know her. She is the founder and CEO of Epic Systems, a taxpayer subsidized electronic medical records (EMR) company that will soon store nearly half of Americans medical records. On the surface, EMR should make the healthcare system more efficient by eliminating paper and streamlining the record keeping process. That's on the surface. The potential for dysfunction arises when one EMR system has a lack of interoperability with other systems. If a patient moves from one provider who uses one EMR system to another that uses a different system, those systems have to "talk" to each other to seamlessly transfer information. You know what I am about to say- EPIC Systems has zero operability with other EMR systems. It is a closed end system that cannot communicate with other systems and provide that efficient transfer of medical information. Now this might be something that you can work through if you are changing healthcare providers, but imagine if you require immediate emergency care. And your ER and hospital where you need that care doesn't use Epic Systems. There will be no access to your medical records. See the problem? The Obama administration has already spent $4 billion to move to an EMR system, and has committed another $6 billion. You don't need to be told where the lion's share of that money has gone.  We are spending an enormous amount of money on systems that will not improve patient outcomes and will actually create significant problems. So why are we spending our tax dollars to subsidize them? I think you know the answer to that one.

With all the scary news about problems with different foods, I practice safe eating. I always use a condiment.

And that, my friends, is my view.

Second Round Review and Conference Championship Predictions

We are now down to the final four teams competing for the right to play for Lord Stanley's Cup. Let's take a look at the View's second round predictions as well as a look ahead. at the Conference championship round.

Western Conference

LA Kings vs San Jose Sharks

Prediction: Kings in 7

Reality:       Kings in 7

It would be easy to say that home ice was the deciding factor in this series, and it certainly helped the Kings. For me, though, the play of Jonathan Quick, the Kings stellar netminder, was the difference. Quick just got stronger as the series went along and was able to give the Kings the edge on home ice in game 7. This entire series was an absolute war, as both teams took the physical approach to every game. Antii Niemi was very good for the Sharks, but the Kings had just enough firepower to get past the challenge the Sharks presented.

Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings

Prediction: Chicago in 7

Reality:       Chicago in 7

Although I called the series and number of games correctly, I certainly didn't see the series unfolding the way it did. After capturing the first game, the Blackhawks were throttled over the next 3 as the Wings had a stranglehold on the series. Jimmy Howard played exceptionally well and stymied the explosive Hawks scoring machine. The Hawks, facing an embarrassing elimination, clawed their way back into the series, and after their win in Detroit to knot the series at 3 one had to feel that all the momentum was on their side heading back to the United Center for the decisive game 7. The Hawks, behind solid goaltending from Corey Crawford and the energy of their home crowd, prevailed in OT to capture the series, and the collective sigh of relief from the Blackhawk faithful  was of near tornadic proportions.

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators

Prediction: Penguins in 6

Reality:       Penguins in 5

The offensive horsepower of the Penguins overwhelmed Senators netminder Craig Anderson, who got very little help up front. While the Penguins are formidable offensively, their defense managed to shut down the Ottawa forwards and give Tomas Vokoun lots of help out front. Vokoun, a former Nashville Predator, has turned in to a feel good story since supplanting Marc-Andre Fleury in the first round of the playoffs. This is Vokoun's chance to get his name on the Stanley Cup, and he is playing excellent, confident hockey in goal. Couple that with the talent of the Penguins skaters, and the Senators were completely overmatched in this series.

Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers

Prediction: Bruins in 7

Reality:       Bruins in 5

The Bruins completely overwhelmed the Rangers, building a 3-0 series lead before prevailing in 5 games. The Bruins are relentless, playing a punishing physical game that takes their opponent off theirs. The fact that the B's can play that style of hockey and have a deft scoring touch is a deadly combination, and it was too much for the Rangers to handle. To me, the Rangers looked like an emotionally spent team that could not match the intensity of the Bruins. That is evidenced by their quick dispatch in 5 games.

So the view was a perfect 100% in his second round predictions, which only proves that blind hogs occasionally do find acorns.

Now on to the Conference finals and my fearless predictions...

Western Conference

Chicago Blackhawks vs Los Angeles Kings

The Red Wings demonstrated effectively that if you can get physical with the Hawks, you can take them off their game. In the form of the Kings, the Hawks are going to find a team that loves a physical, grind it out series. The Kings will bring more offensive prowess to this series than the hawks faced in the second round, so the Chicago D, especially the second and third pairs, are going to be tested. The Kings will face an opponent that will, as did San Jose in the second round, bring a lot of speed and the ability to forecheck effectively. Unlike the Sharks, the Hawks have much more offensive talent and will test the Kings D and netminder Jonathan Quick. This series could come down to the play of the goalies, and if that is the case, the edge goes to the Kings. While the Hawks have just gotten off a tougher than expected series with Detroit, the intensity and physicality of this series is going to several magnitudes greater. Because of that, I give the edge to L.A.

Prediction: Los Angeles in 7

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins

After each team had a bit of a tussle in the first round, they cruised through the second round to set up what should be a very interesting matchup. The Penguins noted offense will be tested by the Bruins D and their physical play. The Bruins are going to have to keep the Penguins forwards from gaining the zone with speed and they will have to give Tuuka Rask help out front. Fail to do this and this series will be over quickly. The Penguins, by contrast, are going to have to be ready to play a physical series and not let the physical play throw them off their game. The Bruins will need to continue to get timely scoring from all their lines, while the Penguins will look to have their big guns up front of Crosby, Malkin, Neal, et al, heat up early and force the B's to play from behind. There is big pressure on Rask to show he can win the high pressure series. I think he handles the pressure, but that the Penguins have too much offense for the B's to overcome.

Prediction:  Penguins in 7

So there you have it. Settle in for some exciting and intense playoff hockey.

My View: Memorial Day

 

 

"Time heals all wounds..."

 

 



 

We are all familiar with this adage. Time heals all wounds. Sorrows fade, hurts are diminished, painful emotions dissipate.

 

That is the power of time.

 

And as much as we need time to heal, we cannot let time diminish what is important, those things or people that should never be forgotten. Important memories should never fade.

 

Memorial Day is a day of honor and remembrance. The significance of Memorial Day should not be diminished by the passing of time. It is a day out of our hectic schedule that calls us to remember. Those recollections draw us as a free society to remember the cost of that freedom and the sacrifice of those men and women that have secured and preserved our liberties.

 

For some, even though time has passed, these recollections are painful. To remember means to recall loved ones that paid the ultimate price for our freedom. For some, time brings no solace.

 

Yet we remember. We have to do so. We have to know that our freedom has been won at a terrible cost to some.

 

And in remembering, we honor those that have willingly sacrificed all so that we can be free. We honor the lives that were taken too soon. We honor the families that have been left behind to deal with unimaginable loss. We honor those that returned with scarred bodies and psyches that will never be whole.

 

So we that are whole, that are free, and enjoy the liberties won by blood take time. We take this time to honor those that have sacrificed and are sacrificing for our freedom. We pause to say "thank you" for your sacrifice. We give you our time to honor your service.

 

Time may very well heal all wounds, but it does not diminish the magnitude of the sacrifice that has been made for our freedom.

 

This Memorial Day, the beneficiaries of the sacrifice of those that have served take time to offer our gratitude.

 

 



Housley Named Assistant Coach; Horachek Fired As Predators Shuffle Staff

Coming off a miserable season, the Nashville Predators have shuffled their coaching staff, terminating Assistant Head Coach Peter Horachek and naming Phil Housley as Assistant Coach.

Here is the press release from the Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that Phil Housley has been named assistant coach of the team. Housley coached the United States to a gold medal at the 2013 World Junior Championships and ranks fourth all-time among NHL defensemen in points (338g-894a-1,232pts).  

            “Phil brings a unique skill set to our coaching staff,” Poile said. “He was one of the most talented offensive defensemen to play in the NHL, and he has worked extensively with young players during his coaching career. He will continue to focus his efforts on our young defensemen and assisting on the power play.”

 

            Housley, 49 (3/9/64), has spent the last nine seasons in the coaching ranks, most recently serving as an assistant for Team USA at the 2013 World Championships that took home the bronze medal, the nation’s first medal at the tournament in nine years. He was also behind the bench for the U.S. National Team at the 2011 World Championships. In addition to leading the United States’ to its second world junior title in four years in January, Housley was an assistant coach at the tournament in both 2007 and 2011, helping each team claim the bronze medal. He was also one of two head coaches for the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game in September 2012. 

            “A coach with history as a defenseman who was offensively gifted and excelled on the power play is something we have never had on our coaching staff,” Predators Head Coach Barry Trotz said. “His insight and viewpoint will bring a fresh perspective to our team.”  

            A native of South St. Paul, Minn., Housley was a seven-time NHL All-Star in a career that spanned 21 seasons (1982-2003) with eight teams (Buffalo, Winnipeg, St. Louis, Calgary, New Jersey, Washington, Chicago and Toronto). In addition to having posted the most points by an American defenseman in NHL history, he played the sixth-most games among all League blueliners (1,495). A first-round pick (sixth overall) by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, he was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. 

            A seven-time member of the U.S. National Team (1982, 1986, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003), Housley earned a silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and helped Team USA capture the 1996 World Cup of Hockey title. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in May 2012, and received USA Hockey’s Bob Johnson Award in 2000 for excellence in international competition.

 

Phil Housley at a glance: 

• Head coach of the gold-medal winning U.S. team at the 2013 World Junior Championships. Also helped Team USA to bronze medals at the tournament in 2007 and 2011. 

• An assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2013 World Championships, helping the team claim the bronze medal, the nation’s first medal at the tournament since 2004. Also served as an assistant at the 2011 World Championships. 

• Ranks fourth all-time among NHL defensemen in points (338g-894a-1,232pts), and sixth in games played (1,495). He ranks first among American-born blueliners in points, and second in games played.

• Inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004 and the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2012. Also the recipient of USA Hockey’s Bob Johnson Award in 2000 for excellence in international competition. 

• A seven-time NHL All-Star Game selection (1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2000). 

• Broke into the NHL as an 18-year-old, posting 66 points (19g-47a) in 77 games, finishing second 1983 Calder Trophy voting while being named to the 1983 NHL All-Rookie Team. Two seasons later, he became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to score 30 goals. 

• A seven-time member of the U.S. National Team (1982, 1986, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003)

 

• A silver medalist at the 2002 Olympics and 1996 World Cup of Hockey champion.

At the end of the season, General manager David Poile had said that the coaching staff would be back. That obviously changed with the termination of Horachek, who was informed by phone yesterday that he would be relieved of his coaching duties.

 

Horachek had been behind the Predators bench since the 2003 season and had taken responsibility for the defense after Brent Peterson stepped out of his coaching role because of medical reasons in 2011. With the loss of Ryan Suter to free agency, the blue line was shuffled extensively this past season and Horachek had a number of young players that he had to work into the line up quickly.

 

Housley brings a wealth of experience and a quality pedigree to the Predators, and his ability to work with and develop young players should serve the team well.  His experience in this area should greatly benefit the young defensemen on the Predators roster and advance their game at a rapid pace.

 

The addition of Housley indicates that Poile- and perhaps the owners- felt that the team needed a new voice and a fresh approach to improving the blue line and developing the young defenseman in the system.

 

He will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact, and if he has the same kind of success that he has had in previous stints, the Predators will be a much better team.

The Predators Continue to Make a Positive Impact

Once again, the Nashville Predators organization has made a positive impact upon the quality of life in Middle Tennessee through grants distributed by the Predators Foundation. On Monday, the Predators Foundation distributed a record $405,000 to various charitable organizations. Here is the press release from the team:

The Nashville Predators Foundation distributed 113 grants, totaling $405,000 to Nashville and Middle Tennessee-based community service and charitable organizations, during a ceremony at Bridgestone Arena. The day was also highlighted by a fun-filled afternoon of on-ice activities and tours and appearances by Goaltender Pekka Rinne and mascot Gnash.  

This announcement marks the 15th grant distribution by the Predators Foundation. Since its 1998 inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $3.5 million in financial grants to Nashville and Middle Tennessee community service and charitable organizations. Between the grants and other charitable donations, such as player ticket programs and fund-raising efforts, the Foundation put more than $1 million back into the community during the 2012-13 season. 

            “To raise a record $405,000 for local charities in a shortened season is a true testament to our fans, players and staff,” Nashville Predators President and Chief Operating Officer Sean Henry said. “Without their dedication and loyalty to our annual events, this largest donation in franchise history would not be possible. Thanks to the support and generosity of Smashville, youth from Middle Tennessee and across the state will continue to benefit from the funding that the Nashville Predators put back into the community each and every season.”           

Upon reviewing nearly 250 grant applications, and keeping consistent with the Foundation’s mission, the grant committee selected programs that will primarily benefit youth and families. Of 113 total charities, 36 were outside of the Nashville area. 

Each year the Predators choose four organizations to serve as featured charities for the season. In addition to financial grants, the Predators Foundation provides these featured charities with organizational visits by players and Preds personalities as well as added exposure, awareness and visibility for the charity. The featured charities for the 2013-14 season are Bridges, formerly League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; GraceWorks; Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County; and Nurses for Newborns. The grant money will benefit local youth in many ways, such as:  

 

• Cumberland Valley Arc, Inc – Funding will benefit Project 22, a program that will enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing, training and social activities and by promoting volunteer work in the community.
• The Land Trust for Tennessee – Funding will grow its program of Harvest and History Field Trips, targeting Nashville area elementary classes through 2013.
• Nashville Youth Hockey League – Funding will purchase up to 100 sets of One Goal Starter Equipment and related hockey items, such as sticks and jerseys, to offer either free or nearly free Learn To Play program as a transition from the G.O.A.L. program
• STARS – Funding will provide educational character development puppet presentations to all elementary schools located on post at Fort Campbell.

 

Established in September 1998, the Predators Foundation strives to meet the educational, social, health and cultural needs of the community by offering unique resources and financial support to local youth-oriented organizations. All 501(c)3 organizations in Middle Tennessee are eligible to receive grants, which are distributed once a year. Annual grant applications were received by mid-February for consideration. Additionally, the Nashville Predators have donated more than $400,000 to the Nashville Predators Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt over the past three years, with another donation slated for this summer. 

 

Breakdown of grant amounts by year are as follows:

 

1999 - $145,927

2000 - $250,850

2001 - $226,048

2002 - $211,729

2003 - $154,980

2004 - $146,040

2005 - $54,152

2006 - $149,348

2007 - $240,110

2008 - $250,524

            2009 - $260,000

            2010 - $305,000

            2011 - $325,059

            2012 - $350,269

            2013 - $405,000

 

Kudos the to the Predators for their continued involvement and commitment to our community, and to the Predator fans who support the team and help make these gifts possible.

My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...

Last week, I mentioned how the IRS was going to be the enforcement arm of Obamacare. After the revelations of this past week, that should make each and every one of us very nervous. The IRS targeted conservative groups, delaying the approval of their application as a tax exempt organization. Oh, the IRS went far beyond delaying the applications. The government agency wanted to know who every donor was; wanted to know those donor's occupations and addresses; even going so far as asking some groups for copies of their Facebook posts or tweets that had been posted to Twitter. The funny thing about this tactic used against conservative groups was that groups that leaned to left breezed through the application process. Yet the IRS wants us to believe there was no bias, no deliberate delay. And I have a bridge that I need to sell to you.We all know that the enforcement powers of the IRS can make life miserable for anyone that gets afoul of that agency. The IRS tried to use its power to discourage the applications of groups that have a political orientation that is contrary to the current regime. And the claim that low level functionaries in the Cincinnati IRS office were responsible for this? Complete and utter bulls**t. This was orchestrated from the highest levels in Washington. Seeing this kind of action by this powerful agency should give everyone pause when you consider how involved this entity will be in our individual health care system.

In times past, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today, it is called golf.

Sarah Hall Ingram. Does that name sound familiar? It should. She is the IRS official that was over the division that approved or denied the applications for tax exempt status by civic and charitable organizations. Hall served in this capacity from 2009 to 2012, the time frame when the IRS went into its delay and discover mode with the applications of conservative groups. Hall has been, up to now, insulated from this controversy as her successor, James Grant, is taking the fall for the actions of IRS agents. Grant was, however, the deputy commissioner of this department while Hall helmed this division. Why is this important? Hall now heads the IRS Division responsible for implementing Obamacare. Feeling a bit uneasy yet? Imagine the potential for interference and undue involvement from the IRS in the healthcare arena. I for one do not want the government any more involved in my health decisions than they currently are. And to have the IRS Division responsible for enforcing Obamacare led by Hall, who was on watch when her division went on a witch hunt, is deeply troubling.

Changing my lifestyle is difficult. I cannot find a decaffeinated coffee table anywhere.

Lest you think that I exaggerate about the involvement of Hall and others out of the Washington office of the IRS, inquiries to conservative groups about their donors originated from the Washington office of the IRS as well as Cincinnati, El Monte, CA, and Laguna Niguel, CA. While Hall has not been directly implicated (yet), I find it very hard to believe that these3 actions did not occur without her knowledge as the Commissioner of this division. Douglas Shulman, who was Commissioner of the agency and retired in November, 2012, received a briefing about the reviews initiated by the Cincinnati office from the Treasury Inspector General. The current acting Chairman of the IRS, Steven Miller, was also briefed in November 2012. The problem this whole situation presents is that a powerful agency charged with impartially enforcing the tax law has been dramatically politicized, and that politicization has been used to hammer opponents of the current administration. This should make all of as citizens very afraid, and we should push our elected leaders to scrutinize this agency and its actions thoroughly.

"I am" is the shortest sentence. "I do" is the longest.

And that, my friends, is my view.