Democratic Senators Join Criticism of Politicized IRS

Calls for investigation, firings

ST. LOUIS — The tea party is gaining some unlikely allies in its clash with the Internal Revenue Service.

Two U.S. senators, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Dick Durbin of Illinois, both Democrats, had harsh words Monday over the agency's special tax scrutiny of conservative groups.

The IRS admitted last week that some employees unfairly targeted about two dozen tea party groups across the United States, requiring those applying for 501(c)(3) or 501 (c)(4) tax-exempt status to disclose membership lists, associations, videos of rallies and more.

Following a ceremony Monday honoring federal law enforcement officials at the Eagleton Federal Courthouse in St. Louis, McCaskill told the media that high-level IRS employees should be canned.