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1.) Giving the silent treatment — Congress will hold another hearing on the IRS scandal Wednesday and, as in other hearings, it looks like few answers will be forthcoming. TheDC’s Alexis Levinson reports:
“In response to an announcement that the head of the Internal Revenue Service’s tax-exempt organizations division will invoke the 5th Amendment and refuse to testify at Wednesday’s hearing before the House Oversight Committee, a spokesman for the committee noted that, whether or not she plans to speak, she is still required to attend. An attorney for Exempt Organizations Director Lois G. Lerner informed the committee by letter Monday that Lerner would claim her constitutional right against self-incrimination, thus depriving the committee of potentially valuable testimony in the rapidly widening scandal over the tax collector’s targeting of conservative and tea party groups for extra audits and delays of their requests for tax exemption.”
So Lerner will invoke the 5th Amendment and not speak, as opposed to acting like her colleague Steven Miller, who has spoken, but not said anything.
2.) The parent trap — The Justice Department isn’t just spying on journalists. The agency is also spying on their parents. TheDC’s Jeff Poor reports:
“On Tuesday’s ‘Special Report’ on the Fox News Channel, host Bret Baier revealed that the intrusions into James Rosen’s privacy went beyond Rosen himself and also involved his parents. ‘Baier laid out the specifics of Rosen’s situation during the panel segment, first reported by The Washington Post earlier this week. ‘The U.S. attorney’s office in D.C. said because of this case — it’s an open case — active prosecution, they’re limited in what they can share,’ Baier said. ‘The government exhausted, they said, ‘All reasonable non-media alternatives for collecting this evidence before seeking court approval for a search warrant based on the investigation and all the facts known to date. No other individuals, including the reporter, have been charged since Mr. Kim was indicted nearly three years ago.’ We can report that James Rosen, to his knowledge, was never contacted by anyone in the administration.'”
3.) Bugging Sharyl — CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson has been a nuisance for the Obama administration — but so much of a nuisance that she was bugged? TheDC’s Jeff Poor reports:
“In an appearance on 1210 AM WPHT in Philadelphia on Tuesday, CBS investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson, whose investigative work on the Obama White House has frequently provoked hot reactions, revealed the she had discovered evidence that her computer system may have been tampered with. Attkisson explained her situation to host Chris Stigall and indicated more details would be forthcoming. ‘I’m not ready to fully speak publicly about some things that have affected me because I’m trying to be methodical and careful about what I say,’ Attkisson said. ‘But there has been an issue in my house and there has been an issue with my computer that’s gone on for quite a long time that we’re looking into.'”
If true, the fault surely lies with a low level bureaucrat who made a non-political mistake.
4.) Daily Caller wins big award! — On Monday, The Daily Caller won a big award. Kate Grise reports for TheDC:
“The Secular Coalition for America announced Monday that they had named The Daily Caller the ‘most unethical news publication’ after receiving what they described as ‘numerous discriminatory and unethical emails’ from Christopher Bedford, an associate editor at the publication. …In a press release, the coalition quotes Bedford as saying in an email sent May 3: ‘I’m not sure what y’all believe in beyond annoying America, but if it’s what most atheists believe, I hope it comes true: I hope you live a long, happy life surrounded by friends and family, and when, in many years time, it is your turn to rejoin your earth mommy, you become one with her, growing into a majestic and beautiful tree that some hardworking American fells, turns into paper and prints a Bible on.’ ‘Bedford has responded to at least five SCA press releases with escalating rhetoric over the course of the last year. The majority of responses espoused negative sentiments toward the nontheistic viewpoint, but one, sent [to] the Secular Coalition’s female communications manager, read ‘Here’s a Dick pic.’ Only after scrolling to the bottom of the email was a picture of Dick Cheney visible,’ said the press release.”
It is a little known fact in the journalism world that this prize is actually more cherished than the Pulitzer.
5.) Tweet of Yesterday — David Burge: I’m planning to take the fifth. Of Jack Daniels.
6.) Today in North Korean News –BREAKING: “German Lawmaker Here”