This week, the White House admitted that senior aides insulated President Obama from the IRS audit, deciding it was best to keep him “out of the loop.”  While, the president has insisted numerous times that, ultimately, the buck stops with him, Jay Carney said that the president agreed with the decision of senior staff to keep him in the dark.  With top IRS officials pleading ignorance (and the fifth) and given the evolving story ...

Praying for Oklahoma

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families in Oklahoma impacted by yesterday’s devastating tornado, and especially for those who lost loved ones.  As first responders and volunteers continue to search for survivors, Bankrupting America will be using our social media outlets to direct people to donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. In addition, NBC News is informing readers of a number of national and local charities ...

With the IRS admitting to inappropriately targeting conservative groups – beginning back in 2011 – it’s worth taking another look at how the culture in Washington has been driven by politics even before this latest scandal.  Just a few weeks ago, serious questions were being raised about how federal agencies were implementing the sequester.  The White House repeatedly warned of the dire consequences of a 3 percent spending cut, and some have suggested ...

“Obama’s Dangerous New Narrative”

Alexander Burns and John F. Harris write in POLITICO, “No contemporary American politician has benefited more from the power of good storytelling than Barack Obama. He vaulted from obscurity to the presidency on the power of narrative — invoking his biography and personal values to make a larger point about how he would lead the nation. So presumably no one understands more vividly than Obama and his close ...

IRS Commissioner: No “political or partisan motivation” in Targeting of Groups

Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller editorializes in USA Today, “The Internal Revenue Service recognizes that we should have done a better job of handling the influx of applications by advocacy organizations. Mistakes were made, but they were in no way due to any political or partisan motivation. We are — and will continue to be — dedicated to reviewing all applications ...

“On Jobs Tour In Texas, Obama Offers Little New Hope For Jobs Progress In Washington”

TIME reports, “President Barack Obama’s campaign-style, jobs-focused swing through the Texas technology core on Thursday was notable mainly for what it left out—any plan for putting his proposals into law. … Ostensibly Obama flew to a Democratic enclave in the deep-red state to pitch his previously announced plan for 15 nationwide manufacturing innovation institutes and to highlight ...

No More Tax-Free Online Shopping?

The Associated Press reports, “Attention online shoppers: The days of tax-free shopping on the Internet may soon end for many of you. The Senate is scheduled to vote Monday on a bill that would empower states to collect sales taxes for purchases made over the Internet. The measure is expected to pass because it has already survived three procedural votes. But it faces opposition in the House, ...

US Economy Adds 165,000 jobs in April

Market Watch reports, “The U.S. created a net 165,000 jobs in April, the Labor Department said Friday. The increase surpassed the 135,000 forecast of economists polled by MarketWatch. What’s more, the economy created an additional 124,000 jobs in March and February than previously reported. The number of new jobs created in March was revised up to 138,000 from 88,000, the Labor Department said, while February’s figure ...