I cannot recall the last time I saw poll numbers like this:

Three-quarters of U.S. voters want a special prosecutor to investigate the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of Tea Party groups, according to a poll that showed a drop in President Barack Obama’s approval and trust ratings.

In the survey released today by Hamden, Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University, registered voters favored a special prosecutor by 76 percent to 17 percent. Those backing such a move included 63 percent of Democrats.

Want to know how powerful that number is? Its right up there with support for “Christmas”:

A new poll shows Americans are overwhelmingly decided on whether it is a “Christmas” or “holiday” tree.

Eight in ten side with “Christmas” over “holiday,” according to the latest poll from Clarus Research Group. Only 12% refer to it as a holiday tree.

The fact is the IRS is the over-bearing, cold, government enforcer that takes our heard earned money so Congress can give it to their political cronies, or blow it mind numbingly stupid ideas. Or both.

So it is no surprise most people want justice in this matter, and want people to be punished. Punished just as swiftly and coldly as the IRS would take action against any of us if we so much as put a toe (or a dime) out of line.

And now the IRS is associated with one political party – Democrats. And one power drunk administration. An administration that not only used the IRS, but used many government agencies to harass Americans simply participating in the democratic process:

Texas businesswoman Catherine Engelbrecht says she never had trouble with the government. That is, until she founded two groups with conservative causes. Now, she’s telling a fascinating story of alleged harassment not only by the IRS but also other agencies that she believes targeted her and her organizations because of their political ties.

…

Within months of the groups filing for tax-exempt status, Engelbrecht claims she started getting hit by an onslaught of harassment: six FBI domestic terrorism inquiries, an IRS visit, two IRS business audits, two IRS personal audits, and inspections of her equipment manufacturing company by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Texas environmental quality officials.

We are not paying taxes to fund thugs to harass us. There is no better example of bloated government run amok than this case. And no stronger argument for limited government over bureaucratic tyranny. And as the party of Big Government (now synonymous with bureaucratic tyranny) the Democrats get to take the political heat for this.

And justifiably so.

Update: Ed Morrissey makes a very good observation and point on the matter of the IRS investigations:

Congress would prefer to hang onto investigative power themselves.  The legislative branch has the authority and the responsibility to investigate malfeasance in the executive branch, and Capitol Hill has just gotten started.  If prosecutions become necessary, then a special prosecutor will probably be necessary, especially with the Department of Justice’s scandals expanding from the top down.  Until then, though, Congress should stay on the job and uncover the evidence itself.

This is very important, since the Congressional investigation will be visible to the public and the voters, while criminal investigations are kept under wraps and only some of the results may come out (those that will ensure conviction if taken to trial, if there is a trial). To ensure these shenanigans get full exposure, Congress must proceed and shine its light on every cockroach now scurrying for cover.

Tags: Holder, IRS, Obama, Special Prosecutor, Tea Party