Bombshell: An overwhelming surprise or disappointment: "the news came as a bombshell".WSJ columnist Peggy Noonan calls the linking of the Tea-Party-targeting scandal to the IRS chief counsel a "bombshell" revelation. That's a misuse of the term, because it's not a surprise at all: how could these actions not have been directed from Washington?
IRS agents, if they want to keep their well-paid jobs with good health and retirement benefits, must follow rules that have been laid out for just about every situation. Delaying applications and singling out a class of taxpayers for extra scrutiny without a tax-related reason are counter to their ethics and procedures; such actions could well result in suspension, termination, and even criminal prosecution.
However, like other members of a bureaucracy, public or private, they'll do what bosses want as long as it's not obviously illegal. If the actions are outside the rule book, they need to get written authorization or may even "kick [cases] upstairs" for the higher-ups to handle. Ms. Noonan is correct in her conclusion, though: "Republicans need to find out how high the scandal went and why, exactly, it went there." © 2013 Stephen Yuen
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