WASHINGTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The screws continued to tighten on U.S. President Barack Obama Thursday amid a major scandal that saw powerful tax authorities target conservative groups.
In a major brouhaha that has pundits and politicians spitting with rage, it was revealed in recent days that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has targeted conservative groups as far back as 2010, subjecting them to unfair scrutiny based on their political views.
Republicans want heads to roll, and GOP House Speaker John Boehner called not just for those responsible to be fired, but also for the criminal prosecution of any wrongdoers.
The question is not "who's going to resign," he told reporters Wednesday. "My question is who's going to jail?"
Appearing on MSNBC Thursday, Republican rising star Senator Marco Rubio echoed those sentiments, calling for prosecutions in the case.
Leading Democrats have also expressed concern. Democratic Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday he was "troubled" over the IRS' targeting conservative groups, and vowed the Senate would investigate.
Speaking Thursday at a joint White House news conference with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Obama said his main concern was "fixing the problem," adding that he had been unaware of the matter before White House council was notified last month.
The president reiterated White House talking points made earlier this week, saying the IRS' actions are "unacceptable" and that he would gather up the facts and hold the right people accountable.
The White House press corps, at times slammed for what critics billed as treating the administration with kid gloves, battered Spokesman Jay Carney with questions Tuesday, with Carney repeating several times that the administration knew nothing of the issue and would wait until the release of more details.
Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday he had ordered an investigation to see if any laws had been broken, but critics expressed concern with this arrangement, and some U.S. media called for an independent investigation of the case.
The IRS has the power to reach deep into citizens' wallets, as well as prosecute and fine individuals for breaking tax laws, and the scandal has hit a nerve with many Americans, who are distrustful of the powerful government agency.
Some experts said the crisis has the potential to hit the administration hard.
Republican Strategist Ford O'Connell told Xinhua that Obama has taken a smart first step in firing IRS Commissioner Steven Miller, but pointed out that Miller's term was about to expire anyway.
Obama's biggest concern right now is to make sure no one proves that the idea to scrutinize conservative groups originated outside the IRS, O'Connell said.
"That's the hole they've got to plug first," he said.
If there are links traced an entity outside the IRS, the Obama administration is in big trouble, O'Connell said.
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