With Voters Like This, Who Needs Nincumpoops?

It seems some outspoken politico folk don't understand the difference between nonprofit charities and nonprofit advocacy groups.
 
Take for example "progressive" defenders of the IRS' recent abuse of its power against 501(c)4 advocacy (e.g. educational, civic, or "social welfare promotion") groups critical of the Obama regime. They seem confused about the somewhat distinct ways Federal tax law is supposed to apply to each, and even how the Constitution is supposed to protect them from the Feds.

Or perhaps they just don’t care.

Consider, for example, this Facebook meme posted by "Too Informed to Vote Republican:"

Of course, by "attack...." this person really means "criticize or disagree with the views of some Muslims, etc."

Such advocacy groups, Too Informed by Half apparently believes, should be refused the same legal rights all 501(c)4 advocacy groups (MoveOn.org, the NAACP, and NARAL, for example) are entitled to under current Federal tax law, up to and including advocacy groups speaking out or educating the public in favor of balanced budgets, tax reform, and –yes-- even abolishing the IRS (not exactly an "institution" established by the Founders during the Constitutional Convention).

Moreover, contra the claims of ignorami in the Looney Left and the Low Information Lamestream Media, a 501(c)4 nonprofit is by its very nature either an advocacy or educational group (often both), not a social services organization or charity of the 501(c)3 variety (for example, a church, synagogue, free clinic, homeless shelter, or private emergency relief agency). 

By the IRS' own rules and guidelines, and as established in the United States Code and defined by Federal courts, conservative advocacy groups are just as entitled to tax exempt status as MoveOn.org and hundreds of other "progressive" advocacy groups whose equally outspoken political opinion-making against previous administrations didn't seem to negate their tax exempt status.

Therefore, no one at the IRS had any business “investigating” or auditing any such groups without clear evidence of illegal activity --such as funding candidates--  much less harassing or stonewalling them to hampering or punish the exercise of their Constitutional rights, often at the "suggestion" of liberal politicians and "progressive" watchdog groups (according to the IRS Inspector General's report last week).

More information on  501(c)3 and (c)4 nonprofits and how the IRS is required to treat them can be found at the FindLaw Free Enterprise Blog  and at The Alliance for Justice