RUSH: Brevard County, Florida. Jonathan, you’re next on Open Line Friday. Hi.

CALLER: Hi, Rush. How you doing?

RUSH: I’m fine, sir. Thank you much.

CALLER: I wanted to ask you a question about immigration reform that’s gonna be coming up in the House and the Senate and I wanted to ask your opinion on whether or not you thought that the IRS’ history of targeting Tea Party and conservatives is gonna have the same kind of chilling effects on conservative groups getting through their congressmen and their senators the way they did the last election when we lost five to seven million votes because they were targeting these groups and intimidating them into silence.

RUSH: Well, two things here. In the 2012 election — I need to ask you a question.

CALLER: Yes.

RUSH: In the 2012 election, according to the best data anybody has, four million Republicans did not vote, who did vote in 2008. Do you think that was because of what the IRS did in harassing the Tea Party and preventing them from getting tax-free operations up and running?

CALLER: I think that had a lot to do with it because these larger organizations have an easier time of doing public outreach and informing people of what’s going on in government and helping them to really get involved in the issues. And when you take away that ability it makes it harder for voters to become more informed and to get active in politics.

RUSH: Well, I don’t deny that, but I’m wondering how many of those four million were unhappy with the nominee. How many of the four million were already dyed-in-the-wool conservatives and just fed up with the Republican Party nominating another Northeastern moderate, and they just said, “To hell with it.” I think the IRS impact on the Tea Party had more impact on undecided voters and on Democrats dissatisfied with Obama. Now, when it comes to immigration, I think the thing that everybody should know is that, as we sit here today, the House of Representatives is hell-bent on passing an immigration bill by the end of the year and that Congressman Ryan is leading the movement here.

Senator Jeff Sessions from Alabama is really worried about what the House is doing, and he’s responded to it extremely forcefully and eloquently, but the House is prepared to move on this because the Chamber of Commerce wants it, their business donors are demanding it, and there’s palpable fears when the donors threaten to take a hike. So I don’t know that the IRS scandal is gonna have any impact on that at all. The IRS scandal is just against the law. In the simplest sense, it’s a violation of law and Obama all the way to the top should be held accountable for this by everybody. It’s unacceptable.