Deadwood on the Potomac

Under the current administration, Washington, DC has become, in its own way, as lawless as any 19th century frontier town. Unfortunately, however, whereas the deficiencies in the upholding of justice in towns like Deadwood and Tombstone affected only the denizens of those specific municipalities, Washington’s - or, to be precise, Obama’s – dismissive attitude toward laws and regulations touches, or will eventually touch, practically everyone in the United States.

I see, for example, that the IRS, apparently unchastened by the recent publicity surrounding its targeting of conservative groups, continues in its role as one of the Obama administration’s ideologically-motivated enforcement arms. Now it’s subjecting a conservative Hollywood group, The Friends of Abe, to “the treatment”.

On a not totally unrelated matter, I pose the following admittedly provocative question: Are Darrell Issa’s numerous investigations intended to actually accomplish anything in the way of bringing this government to heel, or are they intended merely to provide subject matter for his election brochures? Mark Levin pointed out some time ago that what is needed are select committees to handle the investigation of some of these high-profile matters (Fast and Furious, Benghazi, IRS stalking, etc.), not a single standing committee that lacks sufficient personnel and real investigatory competence to do the job properly. And one can’t ask the question without roping the increasingly useless John Boehner into the discussion: why has the House majority leader steadfastly refused to name any select committees? Is he too busy conspiring to launch his amnesty coup? There are times when I would gladly trade a nominal political majority consisting of an inordinate number of time-serving invertebrates for a minority made up of principled fighters who relentlessly pushed an agenda of liberty - for in the end, the latter might eventually become a majority that genuinely makes a difference, whereas the former will inevitably dwindle to a rump faction possessing hardly less influence than now.