To understand the moral context of the IRS’ admission that it improperly targeted conservative Tea Party and Patriot nonprofits during the 2012 presidential campaign, it helps to know that Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have something in common besides twice being elected to the Oval Office: All three appear to have been quite willing to use the most intrusive powers of the federal government against their political opposition.
Nixon was especially craven about it. He made clear to aides that they were to use the IRS against Democratic nominee George McGovern, senior members of McGovern’s campaign staff and major Democratic National Committee donors in the 1972 campaign: “What in the name of God are we doing on this one? What are we doing about the financial contributors? … Are we looking over the financial contributors to the Democratic National Committee? Are we running their income tax returns?” Nixon ordered Treasury Secretary George Schultz to “just do it” and the returns of McGovern and many of his key supporters were delivered to the Nixon campaign. From such ethically challenged operators came Watergate.
