Sunday Roundup (POLITICS)
This week, Americans fulfilled part of our responsibility to our government by filing taxes. But the government isn't doing its part in return. First, as a new report by the National Taxpayer Advocate showed, the IRS has been crippled by years of budget cuts, resulting in a "devastating erosion of taxpayer service" and filing misery for millions. Hold times, which were under three minutes in 2004, are now over 30 minutes. This isn't smaller government; it's broken government, which, for many budget-slashing legislators, is the point. In more news from dysfunctional D.C., Attorney General-Designate Loretta Lynch remains in limbo, her nomination held hostage by Senate Republicans for over five months. On Friday, a clearly frustrated President Obama demanded, "Call Loretta Lynch for a vote...This is embarrassing." Meanwhile, the bigger "news" was the breathless scoop of Hillary Clinton eating at Chipotle. She had, we were told, a chicken burrito bowl (with guacamole). If only our political system -- and media coverage -- were as satisfying.