White House controversy grows as another president faces second term scandal
Posted: 10:05 PM, May 14, 2013
By: Jeremy Tanner , Mario Diaz
(NEW YORK CITY) – The emergence of new controversies in the past few days involving the Treasury and Justice Departments places President Obama in a historically common situation.
The last five two-term Presidents have experienced controversies, and, in most cases, infractions. Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barrack Obama all have been scrutinized for what has taken place under their watch.
However, a controversy revolving around ethics and transparency less than 150 days into President Obama's second term is raising eyebrows since the administration championed both during his first term. In January of 2010 President Obama defiantly said, "We have put in place the toughest ethics and toughest transparency rules of any administration in history."
Three years later it all seems forgotten in the wake of what has taken place in the past few days involving the IRS and the Associated Press.
"This is going to be a tough week for the President. It may not be the worst, but it's certainly going to be one of the worst," said Basil Smikle a Democratic strategist.
Keep in mind it's only Tuesday.
The reported scrutiny on the part of two separate departments, Treasury and Justice, is creating storm clouds over the administration. Using the IRS for the possible political targeting of groups forced Attorney General Holder to call for a probe Monday afternoon.
As for the monitoring of phone calls of reportedly more than 100 Associated Press journalists, which were not illegally conducted, has the White House communications shop crafting defensive talking points.
Controversies involving the IRS and the media are quite Nixonian. The 37th President dealt with scandals involving both.
However, the 44th be in the same position as Nixon? Unfathomable to a majority of the nation.
The question remains, why did President Obama, who embraced the media like no other during two campaigns, suddenly have those under his watch spying on the AP?
Although it appears to not have been illegal, Democratic strategist Basil Smikle say it's volcanic, "The monitoring of ap reporters opens up a huge can of worms."
One that other media corporations will be asking about as they examine whether or not they were targeted.
As explosive as the spying of the AP may become, Smikle along with another national political strategist that PIX 11 News spoke with on Tuesday both agreed that the IRS probe has much greater potential to be more detrimental.
Again, it's only Tuesday.