SALON

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 3:07 PM UTC

Aloof, shifty Obama: Nixon times ten thousand!

Our evil president managed to both mastermind the IRS flap and be such a bad boss that no one told him about it

By

Topics: Opening Shot, Barack Obama, IRS, Richard Nixon, Veep, Maureen Dowd, Media Criticism, Denis McDonough, Jay Carney, Conservatives, Republicans, Editor's Picks,

Aloof, shifty Obama: Nixon times ten thousand!President Barack Obama walks off of Marine One on the South Lawn after returning to the White House in Washington, Sunday, May 19, 2013. (Credit: AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

According to Jay Carney, everyone in the White House knew about the big IRS scandal for a few weeks before it went public. Everyone except the president because this whole month has been a season-long plot arc on HBO’s “Veep.” (Speaking of, where’s Joe Biden been lately?) Everyone was afraid to tell their boss about this dumb thing the IRS did, and then he learned about it on the news, and now he is probably super pissed.

Clearly Obama is a horrible boss, and the White House is a toxic work environment, probably, where people are afraid to report bad news to their superiors. Just like Nixon, times ten thousand.

There is a small problem, though, with the “Obama didn’t know” story, and that is it ruins the great “Obama did this himself” story. The right has compensated essentially by saying that the president is indirectly responsible for the IRS applying extra scrutiny to conservative groups because the president encouraged a culture of liberalism. (Again we are obviously dealing with Nixon reborn and even worse than before.) Among conservatives, the notion that the president caused this to happen by loudly disagreeing with Citizens United is now essentially gospel. The Corner yesterday was full of amazing illustrations of the right’s unrecognizable interpretation of Obama’s psyche. (John O’Sullivan compares — at great length — the Tea Party to St. Thomas Becket and Obama to Henry II.)

It still looks to me that the scandal is still primarily the result of overworked, ill-motivated bureaucrats carrying out a poorly conceived assignment from their apparently incompetent bosses. But, you know, I am also of the opinion that most “Tea Party” groups shouldn’t be tax-exempt “social welfare” groups because they’re dedicated almost solely to electoral politics. I really don’t think lifelong Cincinnati-based civil servants actually intended to crush the conservative movement. The IRS just doesn’t know how to interpret and police a horrifically vague statute. That view of events is obviously less fun than spending the entire summer screaming “Watergate.”

Still, while the White House initially seemed to be handling this well, with the president in full “We’ll get to the bottom of this and fire everyone responsible mode” (maybe he was so mad because everyone knew about it but him!), it is now sort of ridiculous how flat-footed they seem.

For one thing, it turned out not to be true that there was a flood of new 501(c)4 applications in 2010, as poor Lois Lerner initially said. (The flood mainly came in 2011–2012.)

And it also turns out that White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was apparently ill-informed about who knew what when. Last week, it was just the White House counsel. Now it turns out (and I may have mentioned this) that apparently the counsel told Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and “other members of the senior staff” weeks before the rest of the country (and the president) learned about it and the Treasury Department released the inspector general’s report.

So why didn’t Obama know? Carney says the White House counsel said he shouldn’t know about the investigation as it was ongoing. That makes sense, mostly. We don’t want the president to be deeply involved in the IRS and investigations into the agency – as I thought this scandal was supposed to be in the process of showing us — because we don’t want partisan meddling in the IRS’s important work! It seems like once the report is right about to be released, and once the chief of staff knows about it, someone should brief the president, maybe. But on the other hand, I guess the argument against doing so is that an unscrupulous president would then … spike the report and not allowed it to be released.

No matter the reason Obama was kept out of the loop, the fact that he was will definitely help Maureen Dowd write her next column about how “aloof” and “disconnected” the president is. “He is an aloof, disconnected, rudderless, shockingly weak President Bambi, something-something-something Michelle’s arms,” she will say. And important people across the Eastern Seaboard will nod, sagely.

Alex Pareene

Alex Pareene writes about politics for Salon and is the author of "The Rude Guide to Mitt." Email him at apareene@salon.com and follow him on Twitter @pareene More Alex Pareene.

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

7 motorist-friendly camping sites

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Sponsored Post

  • White River National Forest via Lower Crystal Lake, Colorado
    For those OK with the mainstream, White River Forest welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year, making it the most-visited recreation forest in the nation. But don’t hate it for being beautiful; it’s got substance, too. The forest boasts 8 wilderness areas, 2,500 miles of trail, 1,900 miles of winding service system roads, and 12 ski resorts (should your snow shredders fit the trunk space). If ice isn’t your thing: take the tire-friendly Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway — 82 miles connecting the towns of Meeker and Yampa, half of which is unpaved for you road rebels.
    fs.usda.gov/whiteriveryou


    Image credit: Getty

  • Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest via Noontootla Creek, Georgia
    Boasting 10 wildernesses, 430 miles of trail and 1,367 miles of trout-filled stream, this Georgia forest is hailed as a camper’s paradise. Try driving the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway, which saw Civil War battles fought. If the tall peaks make your engine tremble, opt for the relatively flat Oconee National Forest, which offers smaller hills and an easy trail to the ghost town of Scull Shoals. Scaredy-cats can opt for John’s Mountain Overlook, which leads to twin waterfalls for the sensitive sightseer in you.
    fs.usda.gov/conf


    Image credit: flickr/chattoconeenf

  • Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area via Green Road, Michigan
    The only national forest in Lower Michigan, the Huron-Mainstee spans nearly 1 million acres of public land. Outside the requisite lush habitat for fish and wildlife on display, the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is among the biggest hooks for visitors: offering beach camping with shores pounded by big, cerulean surf. Splash in some rum and you just might think you were in the Caribbean.
    fs.usda.gov/hmnf


    Image credit: umich.edu

  • Canaan Mountain via Backcountry Canaan Loop Road, West Virginia
    A favorite hailed by outdoorsman and author Johnny Molloy as some of the best high-country car camping sites anywhere in the country, you don’t have to go far to get away. Travel 20 miles west of Dolly Sods (among the busiest in the East) to find the Canaan Backcountry (for more quiet and peace). Those willing to leave the car for a bit and foot it would be remiss to neglect day-hiking the White Rim Rocks, Table Rock Overlook, or the rim at Blackwater River Gorge.
    fs.usda.gov/mnf


    Image credit: Getty

  • Mt. Rogers NRA via Hurricane Creek Road, North Carolina
    Most know it as the highest country they’ll see from North Carolina to New Hampshire. What they may not know? Car campers can get the same grand experience for less hassle. Drop the 50-pound backpacks and take the highway to the high country by stopping anywhere on the twisting (hence the name) Hurricane Road for access to a 15-mile loop that boasts the best of the grassy balds. It’s the road less travelled, and the high one, at that.
    fs.usda.gov/gwj


    Image credit: wikipedia.org

  • Long Key State Park via the Overseas Highway, Florida
    Hiking can get old; sometimes you’d rather paddle. For a weekend getaway of the coastal variety and quieter version of the Florida Keys that’s no less luxe, stick your head in the sand (and ocean, if snorkeling’s your thing) at any of Long Key’s 60 sites. Canoes and kayaks are aplenty, as are the hot showers and electric power source amenities. Think of it as the getaway from the typical getaway.
    floridastateparks.org/longkey/default.cfm


    Image credit: floridastateparks.org

  • Grand Canyon National Park via Crazy Jug Point, Arizona
    You didn’t think we’d neglect one of the world’s most famous national parks, did you? Nor would we dare lead you astray with one of the busiest parts of the park. With the Colorado River still within view of this cliff-edge site, Crazy Jug is a carside camper’s refuge from the troops of tourists. Find easy access to the Bill Hall Trail less than a mile from camp, and descend to get a peek at the volcanic Mt. Trumbull. (Fear not: It’s about as active as your typical lazy Sunday in front of the tube, if not more peaceful.)
    fs.usda.gov/kaibab


    Image credit: flickr/Irish Typepad

  • As the go-to (weekend) getaway car for fiscally conscious field trips with friends, the 2013 MINI Convertible is your campground racer of choice, allowing you and up to three of your co-pilots to take in all the beauty of nature high and low. And with a fuel efficiency that won’t leave you in the latter, you won’t have to worry about being left stranded (or awkwardly asking to go halfsies on gas expenses).


    Image credit: miniusa.com

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Related Videos

Comments

 44 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

Alex Pareene surveys the burgeoning and bloated world of political news and opinion and explains the day's most essential story in Opening Shot, posted by 8:30 a.m. each weekday. Bookmark this page; follow @pareene on Twitter.

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

vote
Let's Stop Screwing Around and Impeach James Clapper: After lying to Congress about all the different ways the NSA's spying on us, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies about how he lied. Call the White House at 202 456-1111 and Tell Obama to Get Rid of Clapper
374 points375 points | 19 comments
vote
Let's Stop Screwing Around and Impeach James Clapper: After lying to Congress about all the different ways the NSA's spying on us, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies about how he lied. Call the White House at 202 456-1111 and Tell Obama to Get Rid of Clapper
238 points239 points | 27 comments
vote
Machiavelli doesn’t belong to the 1 percent | "The Prince" is oft-quoted on Wall Street, but its author was a hero of the working class who despised elites
91 points92 points | 33 comments
vote
Let's Stop Screwing Around and Impeach James Clapper: After lying to Congress about all the different ways the NSA's spying on us, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies about how he lied. Call the White House at 202 456-1111 and Tell Obama to Get Rid of Clapper
63 points64 points | 8 comments
vote
Yes, there is a better search engine (1998)
62 points63 points | 16 comments

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "The Joker": Laughing at life's deepest sorrows