American public: IRS guilty as sin, but protected by @barackobama.

A fish rots from the head down.

If I was a Democratic operative, I’d be worrying like the blazes about these numbers:

A new Rasmussen Reports poll found 53 percent of likely U.S. voters believe the IRS broke the law when it targeted tea party and other conservative groups, while only 24 percent disagree.

But only 17 percent believe it is even somewhat likely that criminal charges will be brought against any government employees for IRS’s targeting of these groups. Seventy-four percent consider criminal charges unlikely. This number includes 27 percent who say charges are not at all likely.

It’d be bad if the populace thought that a Democratic Presidential administration broke the law, or that people thought that a Democratic Presidential administration would not punish crimes committed by the government under the administration’s watch.  But to have the American voting public believe that the IRS is guilty, AND that the Obama administration won’t punish them for it? …That is corrosive.  Particularly to hopes of the Democrats not losing seats in 2014.

Via Instapundit.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: I know that it is fashionable in some circles to assume that, because the President managed to grind out a re-election win against a… suboptimal… opponent in 2012, it then follows that Barack Obama will win every election, every time, everywhere.  Certainly that is the opinion that Democrats would like you to have.  I know that it is also fashionable in some circles to assume that the Republicans will never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever win anything resembling a close election, never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever again.  See previous observation; also, and forgive me for saying this, but after a certain point that can stop being an assumption, and become something that rather perilously looks like an excuse.

PPS: