Here’s the thing that really puzzles me about this whole business of the IRS targeting tea party groups for extra scrutiny: the agency’s clumsy handling of the whole thing. And I’m being charitable by calling it “clumsy.” I mean, did they really think they could just announce this during an ABA conference on Friday morning and that would be the end of it? Of course not. It’s explosive. So why were they seemingly so unprepared for any followup questions? It’s very peculiar. Especially since the evidence suggests this affair probably wasn’t quite as outrageous as it seems at first glance.