Benghazi and the IRS--Two Monsters Unleashed on the Administration

I want to continue criticism of the Obamacare program, but let’s take a second to consider recent events—Benghazi and the IRS. Both suggest the adoration poured out upon Obama may have been misplaced.

Remember how he was the Second Coming? Remember how he was going to run the most transparent administration in American history? Remember how he was going to heal the planet? Well, these and other fantasies may have to be put on hold while he has to deal with the realities of Benghazi and the IRS.

We are starting to know much about the attack on our embassy in Benghazi. The official talking points are far different from what really happened.  We now discover Hillary Clinton’s chief assistant had scrubbed talking points about the attack expressly to deny Republicans the opportunity to criticize the administration. Wow, so much for Obama’s claim that his administration was being forthcoming. We are left with a key question: Were Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton willfully misinformed or willfully spreading misinformation? Not a good answer either way.

While this disaster involving the deaths of four Americans is being revealed, new discoveries of IRS malfeasance have come forth, like a monster out of the crypt.  We now know the IRS has deliberately targeted conservative groups. Shades of Nixon! At first, it looked like the agency was trying to honestly report on its own shortcomings by going public late last week. But their revelation took place just ahead of congressional investigators released their findings. So, the officials there weren’t coming clean out of guilty consciences; they were trying to lessen the impact of damning congressional discoveries.

So, what do we have here? A terrible mix of two news items. A government agency going after groups that oppose the president’s agenda and, worst of all, undermine constitutional principles, would never be a good thing for an administration. But add to that the Benghazi disaster--the Obama administration has taken a huge hit on its credibility for misleading the public here.

So, what’s ahead for Obama? It depends. Many presidents have tried to slip and slide past problems rather than confront them head-on. This current occupant of the White House doesn’t seem like the type who can admit wrongdoings or incompetence. That doesn’t bode well for him, his administration, or, more importantly, the American people.