Gangster Government, Rampant

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It was Michael Barone who, early in President Obama’s first term, described the Obama administration as “gangster government.” With Obama now re-elected, his administration’s gangsterism has shifted into high gear. Consider the following news stories from just the last 24 hours:

* Dinesh D’Souza, who made a popular documentary film critical of Obama, has been indicted on felony charges by a U.S. Attorney in New York for using straw contributors to donate $20,000 to a friend’s Senate campaign in 2012. I have no idea whether the allegations are truthful or not. But in both 2008 and 2012, the Obama campaign deliberately solicited and received illegal campaign contributions online. By disabling standard security measures, the Obama campaign invited, and undoubtedly received, contributions from foreign citizens, contributors who had already donated the maximum permissible amounts, felons, and others. Where is the criminal investigation of the Obama campaign, or, for that matter, of any Obama donor? There hasn’t been one. Selective enforcement of the laws is a hallmark of gangster governments.

* For the last two years, Obama’s IRS has been investigating the Friends of Abe, Hollywood’s only conservative group, and has held up approval of the organization’s 501(c)(3) status. The IRS has asked for information that would include the Friends’ membership list, which would then allow it to harass individual conservatives. As far as I can tell from news accounts, the Friends of Abe have done nothing that isn’t universal among 501(c)(3) organizations that relate to current events or political philosophy. And, as far as has been reported, the IRS isn’t investigating any of Hollywood’s many liberal groups.

* The U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey has subpoenaed records from Chris Christie’s reelection campaign and the state’s Republican Party, seeking to keep the George Washington Bridge controversy alive. Bear in mind that U.S. Attorneys are political appointees of the president. Barack Obama and Eric Holder have politicized the Department of Justice to an extent never before seen.

* Obama’s DOJ has sued Standard & Poor’s. S&P’s CEO says the lawsuit is retaliation for S&P’s downgrade of U.S. bonds, and that Tim Geithner threatened him with such legal action as payback for S&P’s failure to toe the Obama administration line. There is considerable circumstantial evidence, as well as sworn testimony, supporting that claim.

* I know from personal experience that the IRS harasses Republican campaign contributors and Holder’s Department of Justice has groundlessly threatened Republican donors with criminal prosecution. These cases don’t make headlines because DOJ backs off when they can’t come up with even a “ham sandwich” indictment. But imagine how chilling it must be to be summoned before a grand jury, for absolutely no reason other than political retaliation, as the subject of a criminal investigation.

Then, of course, we have whole additional categories of lawlessness, such as Obama’s illegal, extra-constitutional decrees altering the Affordable Care Act in a desperate effort to delay some of its more baleful effects until after the midterm elections. Taken together, the gangsterism currently on display in Washington should be of deep concern to all Americans of either party.

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