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RUSH: Now, I mentioned at the last segment right before the top of the hour that the IRS was asking religious groups for the content of their prayers prior to granting them tax-exempt status — and, in some cases, not granting it. It came out during the Ways and Means Committee hearing on the IRS scandal. The acting IRS commissioner, Steven Miller, who’s leaving, was testifying. Congressman Aaron Schock, a Republican from Illinois, had a question for him.

SCHOCK: Let me ask you about another letter that was received by a pro-life group, this one in Iowa. Their question specifically asked from the IRS to the Coalition for Life of Iowa, quote, “Please detail the content of the members of your organizations’ prayers.” Would that be an appropriate question to a 501(c)(3) applicant, the content of one’s prayers?

MILLER: It pains me to say I can’t speak to that one either but that’s —

SCHOCK: You don’t know whether or not that would be an appropriate question to ask an applicant?

MILLER: Speaking outside of this case, which I don’t know anything about, um, i-i-it would surprise me that that question was asked.

RUSH: (snorts) That’s it? The guy is reluctant — the IRS commissioner, the acting commissioner is afraid — to comment ’cause he can’t know the details of the case. Well, let me ask you a question. What details could possibly justify such a question of the Coalition for Life of Iowa? (New Castrati impression) “Well, Mr. Limbaugh, what if they were praying to the lemur?” So what? There’s religious freedom. “But you think it’s okay to pray to animals?” I’m using an extreme example.

Of course they weren’t praying to lemurs.

The point is, the IRS commissioner could not condemn the actions of his agency. He held that in reserve. “Well, speaking outside the case, which I don’t know anything about, it would surprise me that question was asked.” It would? Folks, there’s no sense of outrage on this guy’s part at all. Oh, gosh. Jeez. I’m gonna tell you something that many of you aren’t going to want to believe it and you’re gonna reject it. That question is probably, in his mind, entirely legit.

These people — these uber-radical leftists — one of the characteristics people have that they are most afraid of and distrustful of and threatened by is a deeply devout religious life devoted to God. They don’t understand it. That’s kooky. That’s really weird to them, and in their world it is entirely understandable that we need to know what you’re praying to. “I mean, you’re gonna get tax-exempt status? Who knows, you could be subversive!”

To them, that’s an entirely legit question. This guy would not condemn it. You think it’s hard to believe this is happening in America? I don’t. Not with this current regime. Not with this bunch. I know who they are. I know why they’re in power. They don’t like the way this country was founded. They don’t like the Constitution the way it was written. They don’t like it because it limits them.

They think this country’s rooted in racism, slavery, prejudice, bias, discrimination, sexism, bigotry, homophobia, you name it. They think this country is immersed and founded in all of that. To them all of that’s corruption, and at the center of it is a belief in God. “Ick!” So, this guy, you heard him. “It pains me to say I can’t speak to that one, either.” You can’t? You can’t tell us that you find that question illegitimate, in deciding whether or not a group gets its tax-exempt status?

It’s amazing.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Get this. At the hearing this morning, the IRS commissioner, Steven Miller, the guy who’s been “canned.” He was leaving anyway, so he really hasn’t been canned. He’s moving up his departure. (paraphrased exchange) He was asked, “Okay, what do you need? What does the IRS need to keep this from happening again?” Do you know what he said? “We need more money! We need a bigger budget.” When asked how to limit the targeting of certain groups, he said, “Well, we need a bigger budget. We need more agents.”

No, no, no, no.

See, that’s why the Tea Party came into existence, because you guys are growing out of control. The federal government’s getting out of control. The federal government is in charge of every aspect of modern life now! The federal government is saying yes or no to way too many things. Yeah, with more money you can screw twice as many people! With more agents you can screw twice as many tax-exempt organization applications. So the guy said, “No, there’s nothing illegal about what happened.

“It might not have been right but there was nothing illegal about what we did! It’s perfectly fine to ask a pro-life group what their prayers are. We gotta know that kind of stuff — and, by the way, we need more money. Give us more money! That’s how we deal with it.” Look, I’m not trying to throw cold water on things. I just can’t tell you the number of people who’ve said, “Rush, is this it? Is this where we’re gonna convince the media?”

No, this isn’t it. This isn’t it. Folks, we’re in the midst of an ongoing educational effort and project. So when you say, “Is this it?” nothing’s gonna happen to Obama, folks. You just have to accept the fact that this country isn’t going to remove a sitting African-American president. It just isn’t. It’s not gonna really severely punish such a president. It isn’t gonna happen, and the press isn’t gonna turn on the guy.

What’s happening now is an educational opportunity for the future. What’s happening now is an opportunity for a bunch of people to say, “This is what happens when people like this end up running the show. Don’t let it happen again.” This is Washington versus the people. That’s what this is here. That’s, I think, a sensible way to approach it and a sensible way to harbor expectations.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: We’ve been playing these sound bites of the IRS people all morning, and we’ve been talking about it, and we just heard the IRS guy, Steven Miller, say, “No, there’s nothing wrong with targeting these groups,” and, “No, there’s nothing wrong with that.” So would somebody tell me why in the world the guy is being fired? The guy didn’t do anything wrong!

Obama calls a press conference and says (paraphrased), “This is unacceptable! We’re not gonna put up with this! This is beyond the pale. Nobody’s supposed to use these agencies like this. These agencies are supposed to be aboveboard, full integrity, and I’m not putting up with it. I called my people and I said, ‘Get rid of him!’ The Treasury guy called the guy, and he’s gone, he’s fired, he’s leaving.” So the guy goes up and testifies today, and he doesn’t admit that anything that happened was wrong.

So why is he being fired?

He’s not being fired!

The bottom line is, he was leaving anyway. He’s just getting a little early dispatch, but he’s not being fired — and the babe who was in charge of all of this, going after these conservative groups? She was bonus’d to the tune of, I think over two or three bonus periods, $103,000. I have since learned that you don’t get bonused to that degree without a presidential approval. The president has to sign off on bonuses of the size that she got, this Sarah Hall Ingram or whatever her name is. Her last name is Ingram.

So Obama can’t sit there and say he didn’t know. He had to know. He at least knew that she was doing work sufficiently good enough to warrant bonuses of, I think, $103,000 total. Over three different bonus periods, they added up to 103 grand, and again: The president has to sign off on that. So I’m really confused by all this. Actually, I’m not confused at all. The president doesn’t think that anything is wrong. He just knows that you do, so he’s telling you he thinks there’s something wrong with it.

He knows you’re outraged so he had to call a press conference to stop the bleeding. Well, not a press conference. A press availability. He shows up in the East Room and acts outraged. “This is unacceptable! I’m not gonna put up with this. The guy in charge is gone, and we’re gonna make sure it doesn’t happen again.” The guy was leaving anyway. No fine. No penalty. The babe in charge is being promoted. The same woman that ran the IRS during all of this is now gonna be running the health care division of the IRS.

There’s nothing that’s happening.

These people are being rewarded, folks.

The people involved in targeting conservative groups are being rewarded, the IRS people, and the guy claimed to have been “fired” is not being fired. He’s just supposed to leave in early June; he’s leaving now, which is a couple of weeks early. Big whoop. And he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong. So you’re being played. We’re all being played. Obama doesn’t think anything was wrong. The IRS guy, Miller, doesn’t think anything was wrong. Obama is just giving you what he thinks you want.

Hopefully you’ll realize that the heavy hand of the authority came down, and these people have been read the riot act, and this isn’t gonna happen again! We’re off now to covering up Benghazi. Actually, Obama’s in Baltimore on the campaign trail, folks. Here. Grab sound bite 26. This is Barack Obama this afternoon in Baltimore at the Ellicott Dredges company. He’s out campaigning. Remember the Limbaugh Theorem. It’s a quick bite. It goes by in 11 seconds.

OBAMA: Our deficits are shrinking at the fastest rate in decades.

FOLLOWERS: Woo! (one person clapping)

OBAMA: That’s the truth. That’s worth applause, sure.

FOLLOWERS: (applause)

RUSH: Nobody applauded. (laughing) One person applauded. So the president — after all this, in the middle of Benghazi and the IRS scandals — is now in Baltimore (impression), “Our deficit’s shrinking at the fastest rate in decades.” (clap…clap…clap) “Uh, that’s true! Uh, that’s worth applause! Go ahead, let’s hear the applause,” and they all started applauding, but nobody applauded on their own. Sound bite 27. Here’s the exchange. This is who they are. Here’s Tom Price, member of Congress (Republican-Georgia). This is the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the IRS scandal. They’re talking about the outgoing commissioner, Steve Miller.

Question: “Do you believe that it is illegal for employees of the IRS to create lists to target individual groups and citizens in this country?”

MILLER: I think the Treasury inspector general indicated that it might not be, but others will be able to tell that.

PRICE: What do you believe?

MILLER: I don’t believe it is. I don’t believe it should happen.

PRICE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

MILLER: Please don’t get me wrong. It should not happen.

RUSH: “It shouldn’t happen. Don’t get me wrong. It shouldn’t happen!” It’s not illegal though, but it shouldn’t happen. “Don’t get me wrong! It’s not illegal, and I think that the inspector general will find out. It’s not illegal, but it shouldn’t happen.” Thank you for that. It shouldn’t happen. Well, it did happen — and they’ll get your medical records next, folks, and then all kinds of exciting things will then happen.

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