It's 1941 in Casablanca. The place to wait out exodus to Europe
or America is Rick's Café. Humphrey Bogart as Rick, an ex-pat
with a questionable background, dashing in a white dinner jacket is upset.
Police Captain Louis Renault played by Claude Rains upon orders of evil Nazi
Major Strasser blasts his Police Inspector whistle in the middle of the Café
and orders it immediately closed. Bogart demands to know what is going on.
Captain Renault responds tongue in cheek:
“I am shocked, shocked to learn that gambling is going on in this café”.
Just at that moment the roulette croupier approaches Renault with his gambling
winnings in hand, and Renault ,as suave as ever, pockets the francs and responds
“Merci Beaucoup”. It is a beautiful scene and a touching comment about
corruption in government. Now as a former IRS agent and IRS tax trial attorney,
I too am “shocked, shocked to learn that the IRS could be used for some
political purpose such as scrutinizing tax exempt organizations with Tea Party
origins” Who would ever dream that such a thing was possible? The president is clearly
playing the role of Captain Renault. He is shocked, outraged, discombobulated.
He has defended and received the head of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue
on a platter. Poor Commissioner Miller. In his ascent within the Internal
Revenue Service it is a shame that perhaps Miller may have missed studying the
classic film “Casablanca”. He would have fared better if he would have modeled
himself after Rick, who “refused to stick his neck out for anyone”. On an ABC
news program, one white house aide declared “the activity was outrageous and
inexcusable and it was stopped and it needs to be fixed so we ensure it never
happens again”. Well, you're not fooling me. Casablanca is one of my absolute
favorite films.
