Atlantic Monthly Contributors's Blog, page 1042

There Are No Happy Endings for 'Happy Endings'

In another life, good shows are rewarded with long and fruitful lives on television with lots and lots of viewers. This is not that life. In this life, a good show like Happy Endings, previously on ABC, will, in all likelihood, not get picked up by the USA network.

Vulture's Josef Adalian reports the deal between USA and Sony/ABC-Studios (the show's producer) to pick up Happy Endings for another season "appeared to be dead." Which means it's dead, but he hasn't poked it with a stick to find out yet. This shouldn't come as a complete shock: Buzzfeed's Kate Arthur reported that a deal to save the show was "a longshot" in the middle of May, and a big part of that was financials. Adalian says they agreed money eventually, but for some reason USA got cold feet in the end. 

Sorry to break it to you, Happy Endings fans. You were a passionate, vocal minority pulling for your favorite show during upfront week when it was not-abruptly cancelled by ABC. And that was sad! The show did a raved about could-be could-not-be series finale and gave it a proper send-off, at least. Most shows don't get that opportunity. But there was always a silver lining in play, the hope a white knight like USA might swing in and rescue you from the trash heap. 

There may be hope for life on another network yet. Adalian reports other networks are mulling acquiring the show. The two suspects he names: NBC and TBS. NBC would be an especially interesting choice. Their upfront schedule was not well-received, not one bit. Adding Happy Endings might be the critically-positive jolt in the arm the network needs. But this, too, seems like a longshot. We'll wait until we hear more, but we're not holding our breath. 

       

Judge: FBI Doesn't Need a Warrant to Access Google Customer Data

In what looks very much like a blow to that whole Constitutional thing about due process, a federal judge has ordered Google to release customer data to the FBI, despite the fact that the FBI has no warrant for the information. 

The FBI made its request via 19 "National Security Letters." Here's CNET with a short explainer on what National Security Letters are:

NSLs are controversial because they allow FBI officials to send secret requests to Web and telecommunications companies requesting "name, address, length of service," and other account information about users as long as it's relevant to a national security investigation. No court approval is required, and disclosing the existence of the FBI's secret requests is not permitted.

At least, it wasn't permitted -- as the AP points out, the same federal judge who ruled against Google on May 20 ruled back in March that the gag order demand was unconstitutional. That was in response to a petition from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has long opposed NSLs.  The government filed an appeal to the decision on May 6. 

We don't get to see what evidence the FBI provided in the May 10 hearing, but Judge Susan Illston said that it was good enough for her to rule that 17 of the 19 letters were in accordance with the law. She said she needed more information before she could rule on the other two. Exactly what the FBI was looking for in its request or to which customers' accounts it wanted access is still unknown.

The FBI has been eager to ramp up its surveillance on social media networks, and up until now, companies like Facebook and Google went with it. According to EFF's attorney Matt Zimmerman, of the roughly 300,000 NSLs the government has issued since 2000, only "four or five" recipients have tried to challenge them.

       

Weather Channel's Tornado Hunt 2013 Vehicle Hit by Tornado

The Weather Channel's Mike Bettes was tracking Oklahoma tornadoes tonight in his specially-equipped "Tornado Hunt 2013" car when one tornado found him, throwing the car about 200 yards:

BREAKING: TWC's Mike Bettes says his #TornadoHunt vehicle was thrown 200 yards by the tornado W of OKC. Airbags deployed. All are safe.

— TWC Breaking (@TWCBreaking) May 31, 2013

TVNweather's Sean Schofer happened upon the remains:

The @weatherchannel vehicle just got thrown by tornado. We stopped to help & they are OK. @jimcantore twitter.com/SeanSchoferTVN…

— Sean Schofer (@SeanSchoferTVN) June 1, 2013

No word yet on whether or not anyone was actually in the car when the tornado struck, but thankfully everyone seems to be okay. Unlike, obviously, the car.

There are several tornado warnings currently in effect in the Oklahoma City area, including Moore, where a massive tornado hit a few weeks ago, killing 24. Follow along using this Twitter list compiled by Nina L. Diamond or KFOR's livestream.

       

Prep Blog Intrigue in the North Carolina State House of Representatives

Meet Bryan R. Holloway. He represents North Carolina's 91st District in the state House of Representatives. According to his "background," he's a Republican, Christian, married to a woman named Misti, taught at a high school for four years, his parents were a cattle and chicken farmer and an elementary school teacher's assistant, and he graduated from Appalachian State University. His biography even mentions that one of his grandparents was a highway patrolman. What it doesn't mention is that he ran a blog called Wasp 101. At least, that's what Ivy Style and Complex seem to think, and they've offered up some pretty convincing evidence.

Wasp 101 was written by "Richard," who never showed his face, either obscuring it or shooting photos of his preppy sartorial choices from the neck down. For whatever reason (Complex notes that an Ivy Style commenter said the blog "objectifies women" and "is condescending towards working folks"), Wasp 101 was not well-liked in the prep blog community (which exists, apparently), leading to hater blogs and one anonymous Ivy Style source whose "obsession" with taking Wasp 101 down and unmasking Richard has lead us to this: the very strong likelihood that he is none other than Bryan R. Holloway.

Here's some of the evidence that Richard and Bryan R. Holloway are one and the same:

"Richard" is Bryan R. Holloway's middle name They're the same age and have the same birthday Both Richard and Holloway have a dachshund named Governor They own the same watch Their front stoops look really similar. Like, identical. The Wasp 101 blog was removed as soon as Ivy Style started asking Holloway's office questions They have the same suit. Holloway is on the left, Richard on the right: [image error]

Here is the evidence that Richard and Bryan R. Holloway are not the same person:

Holloway told WRAL's Laura Leslie that he has nothing to do with Wasp 101 That's it

The story will surely continue to develop, as both Ivy Style and Complex rightly find it to be hilarious.

       

Mini-CNN Reporter Survives Run-in with Giant Fake Asteroids

They say that technological adaptation is driven by porn. That is wrong. It is driven by CNN. The network that brought you both hologram Will.i.am and hologram sheep has a new tool in its arsenal: the Amazing Shrinking Reporter™.

On Friday's edition of The Lead with Jake Tapper — a new show for which Tapper pledged he'd "take risks" — Emmy-winning reporter Tom Foreman (also the guy with the sheep) took the risk of Fantastic Voyage-style interactions with several dangerous asteroids. When we say Fantastic Voyage-style, by the way, we mean "predicated on corny special effects."

First, an important caveat: We did not have the sound turned up on our office television while witnessing this segment. It is possible that while Foreman was playing with his nonexistent space rocks, he was providing valuable asteroid-survival tips and/or explicating NASA's mission to obliterate the threat posed by interstellar projectiles. It is also possible he was saying things like "Woah!" and "Look at the size of this!" in the manner of CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

Foreman was standing on the surface of the moon (not really; it was a special effect) marveling at a large crater when he turned. And, whammo!, an asteroid fell beside him.

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At this point he probably said something like, "This asteroid is only the size of a person, etc.," because that's how big it was. In astronomical terms it was one foreman tall.

Then Foreman turned the other direction and, bam!, asteroid number two appeared. It was bigger. Maybe twenty foremans. Big.

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It is safe to assume that the second asteroid had some historical significance. Perhaps it was the one that passed over Russia in February. Perhaps it wasn't. Foreman had comments on it.

But if you look closely, you'll notice that Foreman is standing on a dark gray surface of some kind. Could it be?

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Yes. Foreman was standing on a giant asteroid, perhaps one that was 100 foremans tall, or perhaps more, or fewer. It is possible — probable, even — that this represented the very asteroid that was only minutes from obliterating Foreman entirely.

For the whole time he spoke, that asteroid kept creeping closer and closer, second after second ticking away (on CNN's asteroid countdown clock, no less) as Foreman paraded around on a studio set while computers did the hard work of making his report seem exciting. As Foreman wrapped up, it was time for Tapper to hand his show off to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, with only seconds on the clock.

Tapper: On the brink of this near-Armageddon, our own Wolf Blitzer. He still bothered to show up to work. He even bothered to wear a tie. Wolf, it's passing by right now. I don't know if you can feel it. But if something this big were to hit Earth [some joke about the fate of The Situation Room].

Blitzer: Right now, we can laugh. 3.6 million miles away. Not very close.

No, the asteroid did not hit the Earth, as everyone knew it wouldn't. But it was still a great moment for the media and congratulations are in order all around.

       

Everybody Sweats, Even Famous People

Summer is the best time of the year, because of the beach, the ocean, fresh fruit, beer, sports, and enough Vitamin D to end seasonal depression. But it comes with a cost: humiliating sweat stains. You are not alone. Look at all these sweaters.

Mitt Romney campaigning in High Point, North Carolina, in August 2012.

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(Photo via Associated Press.)

A ConEd worker takes a break while looking for the source of a power outage during New York City's heat wave-induced brownouts in July 2011.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

Cee-Lo during the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in July 2008.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

Romania's Simona Halep battles sweat and Maria Sharapova at the China Open tennis tournament in October 2012.

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(Photo via Associated Press.)

A Chinese soldier's perspiration is managed at the Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base in Hong Kong in April 2004.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

A Chinese soldier squints through sweat during a military parade in August 2004 in Hong Kong.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

Emma Stone and a production assistant help primp The Help producer Brunson Green during a screening in Mississippi in July 2011.

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(Photo via Associated Press.)

Rafael Nadal at the Indian Wells ATP tennis tournament in March 2012.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

Serena Williams after beating Venus Williams at the WTA Championships in November 2009.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

George W. Bush starts sweating during his "Ask the President" even in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in July 2004.

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(Photo via Associated Press.)

Conservative member of British Parliament Kenneth Clarke gets excited in October 2000.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

These people are buried in hot sand as a medical treatment in the Buriram province of Cambodia in June 1998. The doctor wipes their brows.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

Lebanon's El Zetn Youssef perspired at the heavyweight bodybuilding competition at the Asian Games in October 2002.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

Steve "USS" Cunningham gets punched in the face by Yoan Pablo Hernandez of Cuba during their IBF cruiserweight World Championship title re-match February 2012.

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(Photo via Reuters.)

Sweat + sand on U.S.A.'s Emily Day during a beach volleyball match against Guatemala in October 2011.

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(Photo via Associated Press.)

Coachella 2006.

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(Photo via Associated Press.)

Coachella 2011.

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(Photo via Associated Press.)

       

The 'Girls' Parody Porn Stars Just Want Lena Dunham to Understand

So Hustler filmed a porn parody of HBO's Girls, and Lena Dunham isn't so happy about it. That much was obvious enough already. But Dunham's frustrated tweets about This Ain't Girls XXX have  brought out the porno's principals — and its principles. To be sure, this is not your average Girls debate: The porn star playing Dunham says she sees parallels between herself and her inspiration, and the director says it's time to stop calling porn anti-feminist. The adult film industry and the cultural darling might be talking over each other, but they've got more to teach each other about their work — and to tell us about sex — than any Twitter rant may have portended.

[image error]Following her initial message, Dunham followed up on Twitter last Friday with three reasons why she "can't just laugh off a porn parody of" her show, which she's been already defending since before it began. First: "Because Girls is, at its core, a feminist action while Hustler is a company that markets and monetizes a male's idea of female sexuality." Second: "Because a big reason I engage in (simulated) onscreen sex is to counteract a skewed idea of that act created by the proliferation of porn." Third: "Because it grosses me out."

The porno, according to a representative from Hustler, is due for release in early fall. But Stuart Canterbury, the writer/director of This Ain't Girls XXX, took immediate issue with Dunham's response, citing hypocrisy in the string of tweets — and, specifically, in the elements of provocation on Girls. "For the creator of the Q-tip episode which disgusted America to call us disgusting, is a case of the pot calling the kettle black," Canterbury wrote in an unprompted email to us over the weekend.

The porn director had a broadside, though, because for every nuanced debate it may spur, Girls also tends to bring out the generalist in everybody. Canterbury continued:

It is interesting that Ms Dunham and her supporters are so quick to condemn a movie that nobody has seen yet," he wrote. "The men and women who work in adult entertainment have been vilified and victimized so much, especially by right wing conservatives, that most of us find ourselves on the political left, with pro-feminist leanings. To say that all pornography is anti-feminist is a tired cliché which undermines the right of free sexual choices that a liberated women can make for herself.

[image error]Seeking nuance, we called up Alex Chance (right), the actress who plays Hannah in This Ain't Girls, to get her take on the controversy that her director felt warranted so forceful a rebuttal. We asked her about Dunham's take on the industry. "Granted, they are sexualizing us," Chance said in a phone conversation this week, "because it is porn." Again, that much was obvious. But she added: "If I'm in control of what's happening, I don't seen any wrongness."

Chance, who binge-watched the entire first season of Girls when she was approached for the role, explained that she sees a connection between herself and Dunham, at least when it comes to body image. "We both are the non-traditional versions in our different areas," she said. "I hope that when women watch porn and watch me they think, Oh, she's not necessarily this stick-thin girl and she can still do this awesome act or whatever. Because not every girl is skinny and I think that's what Lena Dunham is trying to promote. Not every girl looks like a supermodel. I hope that she at least kind of gets that from it."

Porn, of course, has long been a point of discussion in the many discussions about Girls. In an early column on the show, which featured an interview with Dunham, Frank Bruni wrote that Dunham's experiences with porn-watching guys ("There's no way that you, young Jewish man from Chappaqua, taught this to yourself," she said) informed the sex scenes in Girls. So, yes, Dunham does have a point. Her show's sideways commentary on porn's impact has now become fodder for the porn industry itself. But Richie Calhoun, the actor who plays the Adam character in the new parody, explained in a Tumblr post Friday afternoon that he "dig[s] GIRLS' discussion of the effects of porn on sex in society." He added: "I was certainly influenced by porn in my teenage years and early twenties. I might have easily been one of those boys Lena observed experimenting with maneuvers learned from porn."

Calhoun went on to write, however, that porn is not just "the mainstream, heavily masculine stuff," which you might get bombarded with the way you get bombarded with advertisements for a blockbuster film. Porn, he said, has diversified with the Internet, just as music did — for Calhoun, at least in so far as different body types and types of sex. The Girls parody, Calhoun wrote, "has a good variety of sex in it." 

Dunham's impersonator then proceeded to bring the HBO-vs.-porn industry spat back from a gender's studies discussion to reality: This Ain't Girls XXX is still a sendup, Chance explained — there's a bit with a candy ball gag that kept getting stuck in her hair — and the parody genre helps make porn more than just, you know, sex. "The reason why we do parodies is because it presents porn in the different way," Chance said. "It's not necessarily a guy and a girl on a bed just f--king." But of course there is sex. Girls, Chance said, has "softcore sex." In the parody they take it to hardcore. "Who hasn't watched a TV show and hasn't wanted to see their favorite characters actually f--k?" she said. In a follow-up email, Canterbury, the director, said that the parody aims for "pure entertainment."

But Chance hopes that when the parody does come out, Dunham will take a chance on it. "We're all fans of the show," she said. "I hope that she does eventually watch it and doesn't completely hate it." For Calhoun (aka the man who would be Adam), it's bothersome that Dunham "no like," though it's worth noting he's angrier about misogynistic commenters railing against Dunham online. As for Dunham herself, he wrote: "I understand her misgivings, I wish her all the best, and I would totally hit it."

       

The Urbanite's Guide to Beach Etiquette

It's hot. Are you going to the beach this weekend, urban-dweller who lives near an urban beach? Do you know how to behave at said locale, not only there but on your way there and on your way home again? You may balk at our request to remind yourself gently of the blah-blah "rules," but you know, it's for everyone's good. Most rules of etiquette are really about getting what you want for yourself in the most graceful way possible, without bothering or inconveniencing anyone else. There are special rules for the beach, and it's been a long time since we've all gone to the beach, maybe! The beach is hot, and people may be cranky, and there may be crowds—all the better for adopting a little bit of extra conscientiousness in and around the beach. Why not? It's fun! 

Beach PDA. I'm sorry but it's true. This should be avoided. Yes, fine, you can fall asleep next to your loved one. You can hold hands as you walk through the sand. You can even cuddle on your blanket. But please do not engage in full-on groping in the sand or in the water. No one needs to see that; and also, there's a question of how hygienic it really is. You run the risk of bothering both those in love and those jealous of your love with your frenetic pat-downs and tongue-y smooches, so, you know, just be aware. Seek a private spot if it's PDA or nothing for you. Or, yes, cover your faces with towels. That's good for the prevention of sunburns, too!

[image error]Beach Bathroom Etiquette. Speaking of hygienic and less hygienic things, once and for all, it is really not ideal to pee in the ocean. Not just for the ocean and its other denizens, but even for you. At the same time, it's also maybe not ideal to pee in the questionably maintained lavatory on site, which requires waiting in a very long line. And it's never good to "hold it." You have some options. Go into a restaurant, buy a beverage, sit in the cool for a bit (shade is nice!) and then use their facilities before you depart. Use the public facility, taking care not to leave a bigger mess than the one you found (and maybe squat? I don't know. You decide what's right for you). Do not allow your toddler to poop in the ocean. Do not allow your adult friends to poop in the ocean. If you're going to pee in the ocean (and I can't stop you, though I can urge caution), swim away from the crowd, make sure that you are downstream, not up, and do what you need to do. 

Beach Drinking. The more you drink, the more you have to deal with the above. So be aware of that. In other beach-drinking notes: Glass on the beach is not good! If you've got a cooler full of lovely cold things, it's O.K. to share! Don't get so drunk that you start making other etiquette mistakes. You're going to have to find your way home at some point. 

Beach Clichés. Don't be this. Don't be a Snooki. Don't give anyone that "footprints in the sand" postcard, they already have it. Don't collect beach glass, or buy a bottles full of sand from your favorite beach. Don't walk around drinking a Long Island Iced Tea bigger than your own head. Don't get arrested. Don't stumble around and then pass out in the sand so that people worry they should call an ambulance for you. Don't be obnoxious. Don't wear a Speedo. Unless you are at a nude beach, do wear clothing. Don't take pictures of your own feet and post them on Facebook. Or do! Just know who you are. 

Beach Hair. This, according to the lady mags, is what we all want this season: It is attached to your head, long and lustrous but sort of tangled and maybe messy, good for walking through fetid city streets just the same as it is good for flowing behind you as you surf. Beach hair products and methods abound, but there's one key note for etiquette, here. Don't let your beach hair touch someone else while en route to the beach, or at the beach. People don't like that! Also, as with all personal hygienic type behaviors, probably don't brush your beach hair in the sand.

Beach Skin Care. This is not etiquette so much as it is simple health, but do take precautions so that you don't burn. It can hurt others to look at your lobster-red skin, and we worry about you, we do.

[image error]Lifeguard Etiquette. Pay attention to what the lifeguard says. He or she is there to help you, not to infringe on your rights. And no one wants to see things go safety-awry on a beach day. That's so upsetting. 

Towel Placement. One of the absolute worst things people do at the beach is pick up a beach towel without even a thought and in doing so allow the wind to viciously embed many fine grains of sand into your eyes and sensitive flesh. When placing your towel, look around. Make sure you're not putting it right on top of someone who's already claimed that spot. If the whole beach is empty but for one other person and you put your towel right in front of them, blocking their view, that's grounds for beach dismissal. And when you pack up, raise your towel carefully, slowly, and conscientiously. Also, pick up your trash and take it with you when you leave. 

Beach Transport. You're happy, you're going to the beach, you can't wait, and your exuberance shows. But you could wear something in addition to your swimsuit on the train. You could not blast music from your musical-blasting-object so loud that everyone else can hear it whether they want to or not. When boarding whatever transport you take to the beach, do be aware that your umbrella pole and seven folding chairs and giant cooler may get in the way of others! Do not block the exits. If you are driving to the beach and are stuck in traffic, give no more than one person who cuts you off the finger. 

Your Tone. Inside voices are generally intended for the inside, and they are quieter than the voices we use for the outside. So if you go inside, switch to the former. If you're screaming at someone to look out for that shark, use the outside voice. If you go inside and, say, dine at an establishment or purchase souvenirs or whatever you're doing, it's nice to say, without shouting, please and thank you and even, if you are so inclined, "have a nice day." Smile! It's nice and will make you feel beachy. 

[image error]Beach Alternatives. By no means do you have to go to the beach. It's an option, as is sitting on your couch in front of the air conditioner eating popsicles, or going to movie after movie in an air-conditioned theater, or lying on a blanket in the park. You can do any of these things; you can do none, but the key to urban etiquette in particular is maintaining an awareness that there are many people in a small space, so you should think of them, just a little bit (not too much, just enough!) in addition to thinking of yourself, as we all are wont to do. So, yes, conscientiousness is cool! Unless you're in your own apartment, in which case, pee in the ocean all you want.

Happy beaching, whatever you do. 

Inset via Flickr/annie_stru; Flickr/ buckle1535; Flickr/jp3g.

       

Julie Delpy Wants You to Stop Ruining Her Movie

We realize there's only so much time one can spend in a day watching new trailers, viral video clips, and shaky cellphone footage of people arguing on live television. This is why every day The Atlantic Wire highlights the videos that truly earn your five minutes (or less) of attention. Today:

Dear Julie Delpy, we promise to always be on our best behavior at the movies. Now, if all you guys out there could do you your part and share this video, we might actually make it to a movie this weekend:

Come 2028, I really hope Villanova — anyone but Duke, actually — signs this kid:

A sign that you might be watching too many shows on HGTV: you're going to watch this video of a dog that's so well-trained he'll grab a towel before going into the pool, and then you'll watch it a second time because you kinda want his owner's baseboards and kitchen island:

And like these ducklings, we're ready to take a leap of faith and get out of there. Have a great weekend!

       

Conservatives with Tax Problems Like to Blame Their Problems on IRS Targeting

A handful of people were audited by the IRS after doing some conservative political activism, and therefore, McClatchy's David Lightman and Kevin G. Hall report, the IRS might have targeted them because of their conservatism. The story arrived late in a month of scandal when a growing number of people conveniently claimed that the IRS had audited them because they are conservative — and claimed as much without much more proof than that 1) the IRS had audited them and 2) they are conservative.

"Retired military veteran Mark Drabik of Nebraska became active in and donated to conservative causes, then found the IRS challenging his church donations," McClatchy reports, along with other anecdotes of conservatives having a hard time with the IRS. "[T]hese examples suggest the government was looking at a broader array of conservative groups and perhaps individuals." Without further evidence, these examples don't suggest that. But there has been an avalanche of claims — not just from would-be heroes, but average folk and major pundits — that because conservatives were audited, they were audited because they're conservative.

New York City strip club owner Sam Zherka says he was investigated by the IRS in 2010, shortly after calling for a local Tea Party. "They're investigating every dealing I've done, since the beginning of time," Zherka says. He claims the FBI is involved, too, and is suing both agencies. Rep. Bill Flores suggested to  The National Review  that he might have been asked for more information about his tax returns because he made inquiries to the IRS on behalf of a Tea Party group in Texas. Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told Politico that the IRS asked about his group's political activity because, "someone in the administration was targeting and attempting to intimidate us."  Former Libertarian Party candidate Wayne Allyn Root said "I am the face of Obama’s IRS attacks," but as Mother Jones' Stephanie Mencimer reports, there were probably other reasons Root was audited. Like that in 2007, Root and his wife reported $215,000 in gross income, but had so many write offs that he claimed his taxable income was just $25,000. In 2008, his gross income was $209,000 but his taxable income was $136,000. Root apparently filed a Schedule C, Mencimer reports, and about 25 percent of all Schedule Cs get audited.  The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan made a similar claim, saying Romney donor Frank VanderSloot "found himself last June, for the first time in 30 years, the target of I.R.S. auditors." Does that mean VanderSloot was audited in 1982? No doubt he was being persecuted by Ronald Reagan.

As The New York Times' Nate Silver has explained, in 2012, the IRS got 144 million individual income tax returns. It audited just 1 percent — which means 1.5 million of them. That means you'd expect many, many of the people audited to be conservative. It does not mean the IRS was combing Mitt Romney's fundraising disclosures to find conservatives to audit.

According to a Treasury Department inspector general's report, a Cincinnati field office of the IRS improperly targeted conservatives when determining whether they should get tax-exempt status. The law says 501©(4)s must be educational organizations, not political ones. So they created short cuts to find groups that looked like they'd do campaign activity — names with words like "Tea Party" and missions involving cutting spending, reducing the debt, things like that. That's really bad! That's a scandal! But it's not evidence of a massive IRS-wide campaign to silence all conservative voters and donors. It's not evidence that the White House was on the phone with the IRS, siccing it on the president's enemies.

But many are looking for that evidence. The Daily Caller analyzed White House visitor logs and found that IRS commissioner Douglas Shulman visited the White House 157 times — far more than any other Cabinet member. Fox News' Brit Hume tweeted, "What was the ex-IRS chief doing at the White House all those times?" Bill O'Reilly said it was the "smoking gun." 

But The Atlantic's Garance Frank-Ruta destroys that claim. The visitor records only show Shulman was cleared to visit the White House 157 times. A full 76 percent of those planned visits were related to the implementation of Obamacare, including 80 biweekly health reform deputies meetings. The vast majority of these visits were not in the White House proper, but the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and New Executive Office Building instead. And, just because you're cleared to meet at the White House doesn't mean you actually go. "Indeed, of the 157 events Shulman was cleared to attend, White House records only provide time of arrival information — confirming that he actually went to them — for 11 events over the 2009-2012 period, and time of departure information for only six appointments," Franke-Ruta reports.

Of the conservatives who blame their auditing on their politics, McClatchy writes, "Their collective experiences at a minimum could spread skepticism about the fairness of a powerful agency that should be above reproach and at worst could point to a secret political vendetta within the government against conservatives." Anyone who's been excessively generous in estimating the cost of their "home office" certainly hopes so.

(Photo by S.MiRK via Flickr.)