"agency designed to be apolitical but that is increasingly charged with implementing policies tied to political agendas"

Should the IRS be more political? Is that what we want, and would we want it if this was a conservative administration?



Article:

"Former IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman was cleared to go to the White House nearly 150 times during his tenure, often meeting with high-ranking administration officials.
Republicans have seized on the visits — which, according to visitor logs, totaled at least 147 between 2010 and 2012 — to cast doubt on assertions by Shulman that he never told White House officials about the IRS practice of targeting conservative groups seeking a tax exemption.

But rather than evidence of an unusually close relationship with White House officials, the visitor logs and questions surrounding Shulman's visits reflect the challenge of running an agency designed to be apolitical but that is increasingly charged with implementing policies tied to political agendas on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
(PHOTOS: 8 key players in IRS scandal)
During Shulman's time in office, the IRS was tasked with playing an instrumental role in some of the administration's top policy initiatives, including the economic stimulus and President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, dragging it even more into the political spotlight."


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/doug-shulman-irs-white-house-visits-92087.html#ixzz2VAWq4S4c