I.R.S. Spent $4.1 Million on a Single Conference, Audit Finds

IRS conference in Anaheim featured gifts, other excesses approved by top officials, report says

Tea Party Groups Give Emotional Testimony On IRS Targeting

Steve Benen: What scandal-mania overreach looks like

Top Republicans Let Darrell Issa Off the Leash

Ted Cruz: 'Abolish the IRS'

Dana Milbank: The GOP's M.O. - Accuse first and ask questions later

Lindsey Graham: 'No Evidence' White House Directed IRS To Target Conservatives

House Republicans have broken into fighting factions

Partisan views of IRS scandal: Political hijinks, mismanaged scrutiny

Just the facts: IRS employee conferences cost taxpayers $49 million

Greg Sargent: Behind jubilation about scandals, GOP is rudderless and adrift

Chris Christie Announces Special Election To Be Held In October For Democrat Frank Lautenberg's U.S. Senate Seat

Christie Criticized for Cost and Timing of Senate Election

How Chris Christie's Plan To Replace Senator Lautenberg Will Waste Millions In Taxpayer Dollars

Nate Silver: Special Election Timing in New Jersey Points to a Weak G.O.P. Field

Harry Enten: Cory Booker is the big winner from Christie's call on New Jersey elections

Nichols: Supremely Cynical Chris Christie Plays Gilded Age Politics

Yesterday, we focused on the fact that whatever Republicans claim the problem is, their biggest problem is themselves - and that hasn't somehow miraculously changed in the last 24 hours. Republicans are still giving unprecendented levels of obstruction, as Greg Sargent accurately points out.

That said, just because the extremists in the Republican Party are the second biggest political obstacle to progress for our nation right now - second only to the nearly unregulated money in our political system - doesn't mean that organizations like the IRS are without fault. It's just not the kind of fault Republican extremists are desperately wishing for.

In fact, when Republicans began spinning the hype about the IRS scandals three weeks ago, as Steve Benen noted back then, many in both media and politics thought this IRS mess would likely end with a massive GOP overreach - in part because nobody likes the IRS, so who's going to defend them? Between the frustration of audits, and the possible penalties most Americans needlessly fear - everything from wage garnishment to jail - it's not exactly like Americans are predisposed to love our federal tax collection agency.

Sure enough, as Benen reiterated yesterday, this is exactly what scandalmania overreach looks like...  

(Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon)

(Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon)