The widespread support for the Obama administration appears to be imploding. Nearly half of our populace strongly disagrees with its policies and an ever increasing segment of the populace distrusts its motives and methods. It seems that the impending collapse of support is being accelerated by his demonstrated inability to be transparent, accountable and truthful with the American public.

Department of State decisions regarding the Benghazi consulate and the Department of Justice decisions regarding the Associated Press and Fox News have certainly been inappropriate. Many legal scholars believe that some of the actions taken are illegal and even may be unconstitutional. But the partisan targeting of selected political groups, that has apparently become systemic within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), may place nearly half of the nation on the potential enemies list for this administration.

Worse, it appears that the administration has steadfastly avoided telling the public the truth regarding any of these issues.

Reports regarding papers signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that have now been made public appear to make clear that the Administration was fully aware that the attack on the American Consulate and compound at Benghazi represented a premeditated radical Muslim assault on United States property that killed four American citizens. Yet the Obama Administration actively and knowingly attempted to mislead the people by convincing us that the attack was a spontaneous act of violence, in response to an anti-Muslim video.

When that story was disproved, it was then alleged that the ill-advised and likely fatal decision to not provide aid to our citizens under attack was made without the knowledge of Administration leaders. However, the troubling facts suggest that those decisions were made at the highest levels of the Department of State. Moreover, it seems unlikely that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would have signed off on such politically sensitive life and death matters without consulting the President.

The Obama Administration has admitted its broad surveillance of Associated Press and Fox News electronic communications and records. It represents that the ongoing surveillance, while possibly overly broad and arguably over-zealous, is necessary to investigate potential national security leaks. However, according to the news media, the actions being taken by the Administration are unprecedented and are more likely focused on the intimidation of the media’s constitutionally protected rights to find and report the facts.

The media, and many other Americans, rightfully worry that restriction of free speech has historically been a precursor to the establishment of totalitarian governments. The right to speak freely is certainly of equal importance to the right to own and bear arms and the right to own and enjoy the benefits of private property. These constitutionally protected rights are the cornerstones of American freedom.

Lending more credence to that concern is the more recent revelation that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been targeting both conservative political groups, and other political entities, that allegedly oppose Obama Administration policies and activities. The purpose of these partisan IRS audits and inquires appears to be to quash political dissent through discouraging contributions and through intimidation of donors by threat of selective audits.

The President has denied any knowledge of these partisan, intimidation-focused IRS audits. Moreover, the agency leadership has made clear that the ill-advised partisan audits were a recent occurrence and that they had virtually all originated from a single Ohio based division within the IRS. That IRS unit was allegedly working autonomously and independently of more senior supervision.

We now know that these targeted audits have been used to intimidate and restrict the activities of selected political groups for several years. In fact, the partisan audits and inquires reached their peak in the two years before the 2012 Presidential election. We also have learned the audits were not autonomous nor were they unknown to IRS leadership.

The President has publicly professed that the IRS is an independent agency. However, we have recently learned that the directors of this “independent” IRS agency have personally visited the Obama White House more than 150 times during the 53 months of his presidency.

What we have not yet learned is who gave the orders for the IRS to selectively audit Obama Administration critics.

Resolution of these serious allegations is very important to the future of this nation. Are we now to sacrifice American lives and assets for the purpose of political posturing? Are we, as a people, willing to allow the ongoing attempts to limit free speech by intimidation of the news media through implied threats of criminal prosecution? Are we, as a free people, willing to allow the ongoing attempts to limit political opposition by using the police power of agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service to intimidate political factions?

These are serious allegations that threaten the very fabric of our free nation.

Last week, we paused to remember and honor all those who placed themselves in harm’s way to secure our rights to live as a free people. All of our service men and women have made those great sacrifices to protect us from outside powers that would limit or extinguish our freedoms.

It is incumbent upon all Americans to remain vigilant in the protection of our rights. This need for vigilance is equally true whether the threats come from external powers or from sources internal to government. We must continue to be ready and willing to vocally stand up in opposition to the people and the policies that would limit the rights that allow us to be a free people.

It is time for us all to insist that Congress, acting in bipartisan good faith, appoint independent special counsels to investigate and determine the facts regarding each of these serious allegations. Once the facts have been established, those responsible for illegal acts must be held accountable and criminally prosecuted where appropriate.

Please remember, if we do not stand up for rural Oregon no one will.

Best Regards,

Doug