The Latest OUTRAGE!

From this Sunday's Sunday Pops:

Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., says he wants to know why IRS agents are training with semiautomatic AR-15 rifles. The chairman of the House Homeland Security oversight subcommittee says he saw the training firsthand at a federal firing range last month. The IRS defends such training. But asks Mr. Duncan, “Are Americans that much of a target that you need that kind of capability?” Look for a new run on AR-15s by their “targets.”[Bolding in original.]

Funny thing: THIS wingnut conspiracy theory grew out of ANOTHER wingnut conspiracy theory.

Take a look:

South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District representative wants to know why he saw IRS agents training with powerful, semi-automatic rifles.

Republican Jeff Duncan said he made the discovery at a Maryland Federal Law Enforcement Training Center on May 23.

The congressman was touring the facility with Homeland Security officials as part of his investigation into the amount of ammunition purchases the agency conducts.

Duncan told News 4’s Sean Muserallo he saw about eight or nine shooters identified to him as IRS agents practicing at an indoor 100-yard range.

“While we were sitting there,” said Duncan, “the gentleman told them to sling their weapons and load a 30-round magazine into the AR-15s they were training with.”

Duncan said he was concerned about what he saw.

Ah, yes.  The guv'ment is stockpiling ammunition wingnut conspiracy.  Representative Duncan poses the question:

Why do IRS law enforcement agents need standoff capability that you would have with a long rifle or with a weapon similar to an AR-15? They’re generally investigating tax evasion, fraud and money laundering. We think of the IRS as an audit agency more than doing the type of law enforcement where they have to use an AR-15.

Yes...who does he think commits tax evasion, fraud and money laundering?

For those investigations the IRS has a Criminal Enforcement Division.  Where they investigate:

• Narcotics related tax evasion 
• Counterterrorism related tax evasion

So, yea, I'd say they probably need the firepower.  And considering the anti-tax, anti-guv'ment climate in this country, such firepower seems, sadly, necessary:

The federal agency charged with ensuring the safety of IRS employees said it has seen an uptick in the past several years in threats against agency personnel.

In the past four years, there appears to have been a "steady, upward trend" in the number of threats against IRS employees, said an official with the Treasury Department's Inspector General for Tax Administration. That assessment, offered in response to an inquiry from Dow Jones Newswires, is based on preliminary data, the official cautioned.

Wingnut conspiracies breed more wingnut conspiracies.  Especially in the fact-emptied reality of the Rightwing press.