GOP aide blamed for tax return provision

[Pepper32]

By Alan Fram
Associated Press
Published December 5, 2004

WASHINGTON -- A Republican House aide was the prime mover behind a provision letting more lawmakers look at Americans' income tax returns, according to a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee.

That aide is Rich Efford, who heads the GOP staff of the panel's subcommittee that controls the Internal Revenue Service's budget, committee spokesman John Scofield said Friday.
<snip>

The IRS requires the letter for entry to areas where tax returns might be seen. Congressional aides visit IRS offices as part of their oversight responsibility and say returns are examined only in rare instances, such as criminal investigations.
MORE...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0412050186dec05,1,6513287.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

[acmavm]

1. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's always amazing how these low-level

cretins are always getting this stuff 'snuck' into bills. And their poor, duped bosses never know about it.

Sure.

[NewJeffCT]

2. I know, that poor Congressman

His staff just took advantage of his good heart.

[AmerDem]

7. yea really

such power these underlings wield.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Who told the aide to put it in??

[StClone]

4. See the trend here, again?

Low level aide puts in a Fascist provision that the higher ups want and the aide becomes the fall guy.

How about a voice vote on whether Tom Delay stays regardless indictment so no record is made on who voted to keep an indited criminal.

Or how about George Bush sees fit to say he is elected because he is "unaware" of all the different low level efforts to steal the vote. This is a multi-layered crime operation!

[mbperrin]

5. If this SOB isn't taken out and caned,

well.

The least he should be is CANNED!

[mazzarro]

6. Isn't amazing how long it took them to settle on who to take the fall

for this debacle? And to find an appropriate storyline that ropes in democrats into the whole picture:

The IRS denied Efford's request to enter an IRS office in Albuquerque last summer because he did not have a letter from Ways and Means, Scofield said. A Democratic aide on House Appropriations had a similar problem.

"It was a frustration that was bipartisan," Scofield said.

Well, I don't doubt that people will buy this sham story since they always bought all reThuglican explanations of things lately.

[Moderator]

8. Duplicate

From Dec 2nd

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1040851