Wednesday, May 15, 2013   Published Weekday Mornings   To see the full version of today's cartoon, click on the preview graphic of the cartoon (below the Commentary) to be taken to the full version in your favorite web browser. Scandalmania Josh Marshall: Understanding the Politics of the IRS Scandal Alan Abramowitz: It's ridiculous to call these scandals 'game changers' House will grill Eric Holder on AP and IRS Wednesday Peter Weber: Will Republicans overplay the Obama scandals? Bet on it. Greg Sargent: Why Washington scandal-mania may save Medicare and Social Security The IRS Mess Pres. Obama: IRS report's findings 'intolerable and inexcusable' Inspector General's report: 'Inappropriate criteria' stalled IRS approvals of conservative groups Report on I.R.S. Audits Cites Ineffective Management READ: The Inspector General report on the IRS targeting conservative groups IRS Tea Party Scandal: White House Did Not Drive Investigation, Inspector General Says Clueless as ever: McConnell tells Obama 'no more stonewalling' in IRS scandal The IRS report: Insubordination and incompetence, but not much of a conspiracy Everything you need to know about the IRS scandal in one FAQ Two IRS scandals hit Washington: One you've heard of, one you haven't David Cay Johnston: The other IRS scandal How is the IRS supposed to vet 501(c)(4) groups, anyway? IRS also had it's eye on several Democratic-leaning organizations seeking nonprofit status Joy-Ann Reid: Republican outrage over IRS targeting tea party didn't extend to NAACP in 2004 Chris Hayes: Why Citizens United is the real scandal behind the IRS scandal The IRS tea party scandal: The lesson is better campaign finance disclosure laws. Associated Problems Holder Defends Justice Department in AP Records Seizure Holder recused himself from DOJ decision to seize AP records Media coalition letter of protest to Attorney General Eric Holder over AP records seizure Eric Holder says leak to AP was 'very serious' Republicans Are Mad That DOJ Carried Out Probe Of Media That They Demanded Last Year In AP surveillance case, the real scandal is what's legal Immigration: Reform Coming A Focus on Border Security and Temporary Visas as Senators Return to Focus on Immigration Two controversial GOP immigration amendments rejected by Senate panel Obama's Troubles Won't Harm Immigration Bill GOP's problems with Latinos could get much, much worse Health Care Checkup Sarah Kliff: Most women probably shouldn't get the cancer screening Angelina Jolie did Irin Carmon: How one company controls your breast cancer choices Energy, Climate & Environment U.S. shale oil supply shock shifts global power balance Ex-BP Engineer Says U.S. Withheld Evidence in Gulf Disaster Spill Case For Insurers, No Doubts on Climate Change Nations In Turmoil U.N. General Assembly to vote on Syrian resolution; Russia still opposed Syrian rebels and army clash around Aleppo prison International News Greek workers walk out to protest ban on teachers' strike Bangladesh orders evacuation as Cyclone Mahasen threatens Western sanctions appear to be working to delay North Korea's nuclear aims Midwest Roundup Nebraska could see another spike in gas prices Neb.legislature overrides governor's veto of teacher pension bill Filibuster kills anti-death penalty bill in Neb. Legislature Jean Stothert defeats Jim Suttle, elected Omaha's first female mayor Iowa Department of Transportation officials present five year plan to improve Iowa roads NTSB recommends Iowa and other states drop drunk driving limit to .05 The Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight It's good to be right, and we're more than happy today to cram our right-ness down the throats of those who told us the IRS "scandal" just couldn't possibly be incompetence, as we noted it to be early Tuesday morning. While we can't take full credit for the idea that the IRS kerfuffle was just incompetence and not malice, as of publication time today, it appears that our analysis of that non-scandal was fairly spot on. Of course, no matter what the obvious facts and official investigations find, we can almost guarantee the tea bagger extremists won't accept the results - or the fact that the tea party's own extremism appears to be what made them the target of the IRS in the first place. CNN's Jake Tapper added further insult to the already wounded pride of the tea partiers on Tuesday afternoon, when he effectively shot down whatever tatters of the Benghazi "scandal" remained, and most of the media moved on. There are, in fact, real, true, and very serious scandals going on in both the IRS case and the AP case - though both point nowhere near the White House or President Obama, which is making the tea party extremists bitter, to say the least. In the IRS case, the Inspector General's report came out last night, and it proves the White House did not drive that investigation. The report further stated that the behavior of the IRS staffers responsible for the categorizing of 501c4 applicants was "not politically biased." The real scandal in the IRS case is... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for May 15, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Unbecoming Conduct Coordinator of Army sexual assault prevention office accused of 'abusive sexual contact' Last Week: Air Force's sex-abuse prevention honcho charged with sexual battery | Pentagon Reports 35 Percent Increase in Military Sexual Assaults Over Last Year Air Force General Mark Welsh Blames Increase in Military Rape on "Hookup Culture" Benghazi Baloney Jake Tapper, CNN: White House email contradicts Benghazi leaks, GOP's Cover-Up Claims CNN Blows Huge Hole In GOP Efforts To Prosecute Benghazi Scandal Steve Benen: Story on Benghazi leaks starts to unravel | Ambassador Stevens twice said no to military offers of more security, U.S. officials say GOP extremists defy Boehner on creating special Benghazi panel Kevin Drum: What We Now Know About the CIA's Benghazi Turf War Jobs & The Economy Rpt: Half Of The Jobs Created During The Recovery Were Low-Paying Josh Eidelson: Fast Food Strikes Hitting Fifth U.S. City In Six Weeks Derek Thompson: Why DC Saved the Economy, Then Permanently Destroyed the Labor Market David Frum: DC Decides That Unemployment is so 2009 Cuts, Effects, & Deficits Sequester Effects: Defense Dept. expected to reduce furloughs to 11 days beginning in June CBO: Rising revenues to shrink deficit rapidly through 2015 CBO says deficit problem is solved for the next 10 years Josh Barro: Don't Get Too Excited About the New, Smaller Deficit Wall Street Watch Elizabeth Warren Pushes Feds For Answer On Big Bank Enforcement Warren asks regulators to justify not taking Wall Street to trial The Euro Zone Germany can't stop euro zone from sinking into longest recession Euro Zone Economy Shrinks, Also Returning France to Recession Ethics & The Media John Nichols: On Press Freedom: Both Parties Must Check and Balance Justice Department Introducing Strongbox, The New Yorker's New Tool for Anonymous Document-Sharing Media Matters Matthew Yglesias: Sen. John McCain's � la carte cable bill is bad deal for consumers Comedian Bill Hader to Leave 'Saturday Night Live' Here It Is! Your HuskerNutz Preview for May 15, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Droning On Navy launches jet-sized drone from aircraft carrier for first time  Money in Politics Campaign finance expert: 'Crossroads GPS & Priorities USA were created for the purpose of hiding donors.' States Of Confusion Minnesota Gov Mark Dayton signs same-sex marriage bill, making it the 12th to allow same-sex marriage California cops defend seizing video depicting fatal beating case News From Capitol Hill Holder to face Capitol Hill grilling today in both Senate & House Congressional Republicans preparing bill that would deny funds for IRS to implement ObamaCare On The Left Sirota: The media needs to stop holding Dems to a different standard Democrats to launch robocall effort against House members who support Obamacare repeal On The Right The Republican Lawmakers Who Want To Impeach Obama Steve Benen: Getting the old, failed Bush/Cheney gang of thugs back together We hope you enjoy "The Daily Felltoon" every business day. Thanks for continuing to be a member! Paul Fell Shawn "Smith" Peirce Paul Fell Cartoons, Inc.