I mean, sure, regulatory agencies and government bodies are always sensitive to politics. And, of course, they always tweak policy and timing of stuff around elections. That’s just common sense.
You just don’t ordinarily expect them to admit it on the record.
The commissioner of internal revenue has ordered his agency to delay collecting back taxes from Hurricane Katrina victims until after the Nov. 7 elections and the holiday season, saying he did so in part to avoid negative publicity.
The commissioner, Mark W. Everson, who has close ties to the White House, said in an interview that postponing collections until after the midterm elections, along with postponing notices to people who failed to file tax returns, was a routine effort to avoid casting the Internal Revenue Service in a bad light.
“We are very sensitive to political perceptions,” Mr. Everson said Wednesday, adding that he regularly discussed with his senior staff members when to take actions and make announcements in light of whether they would annoy a powerful member of Congress or get lost in the flow of news.
Well, as long as they’re being even-handed about it, right?
In an interview, Mr. Everson acknowledged that he had “probably” mentioned the elections to Ms. Tucker in their conversation. He said that in his mind the elections were part of a continuum that ran through the holidays, adding that it was a long-standing practice not to begin enforcement actions near Christmas because it often resulted in negative news and commentary about the I.R.S.
“We talk about the elections here every day,” Mr. Everson said. “We deal with the Congress — is there going to be a new Finance Committee chairman, a new Ways and Means Committee chairman?”
He added: “Of course, we think about whether our actions will play in the public space; we have to be seen as legitimate and independent, doing our job, and of course we would not institute a major enforcement action days before an election because it would be misinterpreted.”
Or, of course, misinterpreted the other direction.
Which reminds me of an exchange I watched last night between Jon Stewart of The Daily Show and James Baker, about the timing of the release of Baker’s committee recommendations about Iraq. Baker was pleasantly adamant that it was being done after the elections so as not to politicize it. Stewart pointed out, rightly, that such an action politicizes it in the opposite way. And, yes, there’s a damned-if-you-do and damned-if-you-don’t aspect to such a thing.
Still …
(via Margie)