Well, I’m still mad. For three weeks my worst suspicions about the
Clinton White House have been confirmed.
WorldNetDaily broke a political scandal bigger than Watergate, and
the American press establishment offered up a collective yawn.
I’ve called some of the top reporters and editors in the country to
explain what we have here. When I tell them who I am (a guy who has run
major metropolitan daily newspapers for years) and what my story is
(that we have documentation that the White House initiated an Internal
Revenue Service audit against us for political reasons), they seem
genuinely interested. Then they never call back.
You tell me what I should think about this. All my professional life
I have actively debunked the idea that there is a press conspiracy out
there actively suppressing the truth. Instead, I explain as an insider,
that the real problem with the press is that everyone just thinks alike
— which leads to a lot of bad decisions and poor news judgment.
But this! I can’t explain this kind of tunnel vision, this kind of
self-censorship, this kind of news negligence with my usual rap about
the sorry state of the newsroom culture.
Remember, when this story first broke in October 1996, it was
basically my accusation alone that the White House was abusing the IRS
for political purposes. Now we have the proof — the smoking gun. Yet,
in 1996, this story got considerably more press coverage and attention
than it is receiving now. There’s a virtual news blackout on this story.
What are the implications of this?
Some say: “Oh, Farah, don’t sweat it. Clinton will be gone in less
than two years. You can’t touch him now. There’s just no will in
Congress. They’ve been down the impeachment road and Clinton whooped
them.”
But I say this story is much bigger than Bill Clinton. Yes, I’d like
to see him brought to justice and his presidency ended. It should have
been done a long time ago. But that’s not my biggest concern today.
What worries me are the implications for Clinton skating away on such
a serious accusation — and not just skating away, mind you, but really
not even questioned on an abuse which is clearly an impeachable offense.
Is the president in the future going to be permitted to use the IRS to
pursue political enemies? Is that a new perk of the office? Will the
next political huckster at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — be it Al Gore,
George W. Bush or Bill Bradley — be allowed the same privileges? In
other words, are the political rights of dissenting Americans a thing of
the past?
That’s pretty much the basic issue at stake here. Clinton supporters
may be quietly cheering today that their boy has gotten away with using
the most feared federal agency to attack critics. But how will they feel
about such practices when their guy is gone and a Republican is sitting
in the White House committing such abuses?
Ironically, the press establishment is in such a sad state today that
I doubt any of them really fear falling victim to such tactics. They are
not at risk because they don’t investigative government corruption,
fraud, waste and abuse — at least not in any probing and meaningful
way. In fact, the most likely future victim of such attacks, no matter
which party is in power is — you guessed it — me.
That’s one reason I’m so determined to raise the public’s
consciousness on this story. It is imperative that Clinton be held
accountable for the political abuse of the IRS. There is no more serious
offense for a president, nor for a free republic. If Clinton walks away
unscathed from such a serious charge, our nation is in serious trouble.
Help me spread the word. I appreciate all your cards and letters and
emails to members of Congress. No one should be permitted the luxury of
an excuse that they didn’t know about this case. Make every member of
Congress accountable for their inaction, their silence, their
collaboration with evil.
Don’t let Clinton get away with the murder of our cherished
constitutional system and our civic values of personal freedom and free
expression.
Earlier
stories:
White House mum on audit of reporters
IRS abuse worse than Nixon?
buries file in political audit
eyed tax records of critical journalist
tie Clinton to audit of journalists
fight IRS in new FOIA suit
backs off IRS probe
background articles
