Partisan IRS: Independent prosecutor or more hearings?

Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal plumps for the prosecutor:

“…down the road an independent counsel is going to be needed because the House does not have all the prosecutorial powers an independent counsel would—the powers to empanel a grand jury, grant immunity to potential witnesses, find evidence of criminal wrongdoing, indict.”

The Journal itself is opposed:

“This scandal is best handled in Congressional hearings that educate the public in the next year rather than wait two or three years for potential indictments.”

Mollie Hemingway at Riccochet agrees. And she also has none of Noonan’s taint as a onetime (2008) Wormtongue apologist:

“There’s definitely an argument that public accountability is key here, particularly given how devastating this incident has been to the public trust.”

I’d like both, actually, a special prosecutor to indict the partisan bastards and congressional hearings to shame them. But if I have to choose, and it seems I do, because a prosecutor would tuck everything out of sight for years, I’ll place my bet on the hearings.

And meanwhile pay equal attention to the Benghazi takedown of Lady Macbeth and her thankfully dwindling political future.

0 responses to “Partisan IRS: Independent prosecutor or more hearings?

  1. I wouldn’t bet on her political future being harmed. 3 years to run yet, and there is no more forgetful person than Joe the Public. Seen it too frequently, unfortunately.

  2. Dick Stanley's avatar Dick Stanley

    We’ll see, if we live. Getting a bit long in the tooth here to be making predictions of longevity. I have to admit that, so far, the Reps have dropped the ball on Benghazi.

  3. The Republicans are too busy running after whatever comes their way, & are too willing to run down political dead-ends that the Democrats frame.

    They should stick to Benghazi & the IRS scandal first & foremost.

  4. Dick Stanley's avatar Dick Stanley

    Agreed. The Democrats have always been good at “changing the subject,” because they have the snooze media in their pockets. And the Reps are either stupid (which is tempting to believe) or else just can’t resist seeing their names in the paper or getting their faces on the rube tube, so they latch on to every passing train.