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Republicans have revealed tantalizing new fodder in the controversy over IRS targeting of conservative groups: A key official at the tax agency used the word 鈥渃razies鈥� and other derogatory terms to describe some conservatives in a 2012 e-mail exchange.

Let鈥檚 just say that Lois Lerner, the Internal Revenue Service official in question, doesn鈥檛 come off as very charitable toward those of a different political persuasion from her own.

Rep. Dave Camp, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, forwarded the e-mails to the Justice Department Wednesday as 鈥渁dditional evidence鈥� of possible criminal wrongdoing by Ms. Lerner.

But some context is important here.

Yes, the e-mails add momentum to the side that is arguing for fuller and deeper investigation of the IRS controversy.

She wrote the notes at a time when the division she headed was allegedly putting up roadblocks to conservative organizations applying for tax-exempt status as 鈥渟ocial welfare鈥� groups. IRS rules allow such groups to engage in a degree of political activity.

But ultimately, the question at issue will be what Lerner and others at the IRS did on the job, not what their personal political views were.

Although Mr. Camp calls the emails evidence of an 鈥渁nimus鈥� that drove Lerner鈥檚 actions at the IRS, it鈥檚 not clear from the e-mails alone how her private views did or didn鈥檛 affect her actions while on duty.

In the 2012 e-mails, which date from a couple of days after the US presidential election, Lerner appears to be traveling on vacation in England and conversing in the e-mail exchange with a friend.

The Blackberry e-mails, released by Camp, show only Lerner being asked 鈥渨hat鈥檚 in store for the weekend,鈥� and giving an answer about her sight-seeing plans. She then relates how she overheard British women talking about America and saying 鈥渨e鈥檝e bankrupted ourselves.鈥�

That leads to some discussion of talk radio in the US, which, it should be noted, isn鈥檛 exactly known for inspiring calmness, sensitivity, and nuance on either the pro or con side among listeners.

The other person in the e-mail exchange lashes out at conservative show hosts as part of the 鈥渨hacko wing鈥� of the Republican Party, who say it鈥檚 鈥渢ime to hunker down, buy ammo and food, and prepare for the end.鈥�

Lerner responds: 鈥淪o we don't need to worry about alien teRrorists. It's our own crazies that will take us down.鈥�

Lerner鈥檚 comments (with other derogatory language included) won鈥檛 enshrine her as a model of bipartisan comity. And a line about the 鈥渉oi poloi鈥� having 鈥渞uined鈥� one English village has by itself prompted plenty of guffaws. (Hoi polloi means common people.)

It鈥檚 not clear exactly what Lerner meant by the remark. But one online commenter on Fox News took it as a sign of how many Democrats, despite casting themselves as the on the side of ordinary folk, 鈥渉ave so little regard for those they purport to be, 鈥榩rotecting.鈥� 鈥�

The e-mails also show lerner appearing to sympathize with conservative on one point: that the size of the welfare state is a valid political issue to discuss. In regard to the British women saying America is 鈥渄oing down the tubes,鈥� Lerner says. 鈥淭hey don't seem to see that they can't afford to keep up their welfare state either. Strange.鈥�

Camp, in his new letter (addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder at the Department of Justice), laments that 鈥淭here is no indication that DOJ is taking this matter seriously.... I hope DOJ will aggressively pursue this case and finally appoint a special counsel, so the full truth can be revealed and justice is served.鈥�

The Ways and Means Committee has already referred evidence to the Justice Department that Lerner improperly used her position to target conservative groups, Camp said.

He also urged the Justice Department to investigate 鈥渨hether there was unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information in violation of the law,鈥� citing new evidence of Lerner having worked with IRS information on her home computer in 2012.