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Full statement transcript

…I’d like to remind everyone what we are talking about here. None of your organizations were kept from organizing or silenced. We are talking about whether or not the American taxpayers would subsidize your work. We are talking about a tax break.

“I get the feeling that many of you and my Republican colleagues don’t just believe you should be free from political targeting, but that you should be free from scrutiny of any kind.

The mistake here was that the staff organizing the applications used the names of the groups rather than the work they do – and asked improper questions to figure that out. It was wrong.

“But let’s not get lost. During the Bush administration liberal groups were targeted without any concern by Mr. Issa or anyone else in this committee. The Republicans are looking for a conspiracy where there isn’t one.

Which is more likely: that midlevel employees took stupid, irresponsible shortcuts or that there’s an administration-wide plot to take down community organizers? Let’s not forget that this all happened under Republican IRS Commissioners and was investigated by a Republican Inspector General.

And my personal favorite napalm-burn of the day:

Without oversight, a status meant for charities becomes a machine for political money laundering. And if you think that’s farfetched, you can talk to Speaker Gingrich. He was fined $300,000 by the Ethics Committee for funneling money from a C3 to his Political Action Committee.

the circus happening at the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is political theatre.

McDermott then proceeded to bite the head off a live bat and spit the blood on Darrell Issa’s suit, before swan diving into the stunned audience and crowd-surfing to the exit.