The back and forth continues over Sen. Harry Reid’s claim that a “credible source” tipped him off to the fact that Mitt Romney hasn’t “paid taxes for ten years.” Republicans aren't taking the claim lightly.
Reid hasn’t backed down. While refusing to name his sources, the Senate Majority Leader put out a statement Friday night saying "There is a controversy because the Republican presidential nominee, Governor Mitt Romney, refuses to release his tax returns." He added, "It is clear Romney is hiding something."
On ABC's This Week, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus called Reid a “dirty liar” and said Democrats are manufacturing stories. Similarly, Republican Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham said yesterday on CNN's State of the Union that he believed Reid was lying about the tax comment.
“I’m with those people who think that’s it’s outrageous what Harry Reid has done,” said New York Magazine’s John Heilemann on Morning Joe Monday. “It’s an unsubstantiated charge that’s been pulled out of the air. I think Romney should release his taxes, and I think Harry Reid should not hurl baseless accusations.”
“[Reid] wasn’t doing this ringside,” added Joe Scarborough. “He did it from the Senate floor.”
Mark Halperin countered that Reid could be playing brilliant politics: “There’s two ways to look at this: If you want to be cynical and clinical, it’s brilliant politics. He’s now run 3 to 5 days of people talking about Mitt Romney’s tax returns and he did it pegged to the release of the unemployment numbers. Or another way to look at it is as a misuse of the office, something Reid has done before. I think the Republicans have kind of misplayed this because they’re keeping it alive just as Reid wanted them to. Reid doesn’t mind being called those names. He couldn’t care less, but it keeps the story alive.”
David Krone, chief of staff for the Senate majority leader, called the backlash against Reid’s claims as dodging the tax issue. “Lindsey Graham, Reince Priebus, they’re a bunch of henchmen for Romney and they’re all reading off the same talking points.”
The burden might be on Romney to prove that Reid is lying. “In politics, a charge unanswered is a charge believed,” points out Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake on Monday’s Washington Post. Reid not only has less to lose politically (he isn’t up for re-election until 2016), Reid has also "created a problem that Romney and the Republican Party have to figure out how to handle — and quickly.”
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Brilliant! why doesn't he share his tax records otherwise to dispute or hiding something?
Tax Amnesty in 2009???? Protecting his son Tagg for dealing's with Solamere Capital, and Solamere Advisors ???
Romney won't share himself let alone his tax returns. He's a shady character this one.
It doesn't take a genius, a pundit or an idealogue to see that Mitt Romney is a paper thin, waft in the wind, flipping flopping, purveyor of lies. What he is is a shill for the Kochs, a shell for the corporatists, and a sham to the American people. He is not the anti-Obama he purports to be. As President Clinton said, he is GWB on steroids. He should not be defended. If he's your man, encourage him to reveal who he is. Otherwise, we won't trust him.
Anyone watch Rachel's (TRMS) show outlining Romney's ridiculous dodge re not complying with releasing his taxes in the 2002 race in Massachusetts? He lied about being a Mass resident, got caught and then filed tax returns retroactively so that he could comply with Mass law stating one must be a resident of Mass for 7 years prior to running for office. He lied up until the last minute before redefining his residency qualification requirement with "believe me" garbage the same as he is doing again. Not the kind of leadership that can be respected or trusted. He certainly holds himself above the law until he can't get away with it any longer. What happened to integrity in a leader? Save us please.
Karl Rove Redux: Accuse the other guy of doing what you do!
Avoid going to Vietnam: accuse the war hero of being a coward.
Work assiduously to suppress the vote: accuse the guy who's defending the vote of attempting to suppress the vote.
YAWN. The GOP doesn't have any tricks left in its bag...
Mr. Reid is a brilliant politician in my book. Now Mitt is between a rock and a hard place about sharing his tax returns with us. If he is hiding something that he doesn't want to be shared with the public, he will be seen as fake as he seems to be.
DOUBLE STANDARDS IN EMPLOYMENT: Average American Workers vs. Republican Presidential Candidate, Mitt Romney
Romney's Pattern of Deception: (i) Olympics - records sealed (ii) BAIN - records sealed (iii) Mass. Governorship: removed all computer hard drives (iv) Presidential Run - undisclosed tax returns/won't release & shady details re: off-shore accounts in tax havens around the world
Romney's Lack of Disclosure during a period of greater transparency being sought by the public for its leaders any by corporations from its workers in a post 9/11 world is troubling. What is Mitt Romney hiding? Did he pay no taxes? Was the Romney family subjected to an IRS inquiry for failure to pay? Did Romney profit from the attacks of 9/11? Was Bain funding anti-American organizations? There is a reason why it is acceptable to refer to Mitt Romney as the Mormon Madoff. He is a shallow, hollow, transparent, opportunist and shape-shifting political chameleon hiding behind the Mormon veil of secrecy. He has the ethics of a con-man, the morality of a vulture capitalist and the barren soul of a pimp. To obtain even part time or contract employment the average American worker has to go through a full background check, including criminal investigation, credit bureau reports, scrutiny of their personal integrity, offer assorted personal references, perhaps even undergo a drug test -- all for a temporary job with no benefits. That the average person who applies for a Barista position at Starbucks or to work in an office building in Lower Manhattan has to disclose more personal information than a candidate for the highest office in the land, the Presidency of the United States, is shameful, despicable and arrogant. If Romney's integrity cannot withstand this level of inquiry, he is not qualified to lead this country. End of story.
MITT ROMNEY = THE MORMON MADOFF
MITT ROMNEY'S IRS PROBLEM IN A NUTSHELL - CONTAINING REVELATION OF TAX FRAUD
What is Mitt Romney hiding? Did he pay no taxes? Was Romney subjected to an IRS audit, inquiry or forfeiture? Did Romney profit from the attacks of 9/11? Was Bain funding anti-American organizations? Or it is even worse?
Consider the following theory: The IRS Auditors do not have all the information about Mitt Romney that selected people in different pockets of the planet have where Romney has scattered his resources. When Mitt Romney submitted his previous tax returns those tax returns were looked at by IRS employee who did not know everything there is to know about Mitt Romney. But in the middle of a presidential campaign people who know little details about Mitt Romney would then be able to publicly provide contradictory information to what Mitt Romney has put into his income tax returns. FACT: Mitt Romney cannot and does not want to release his tax returns. Romney knows that if his tax returns become public, people all over the world will be able to verify and substantiate where Romney has LIED to the IRS because they would see the misrepresentations in his submissions to the IRS. Those people would then be able to tell the world about those misrepresentations and the IRS might prosecute Romney criminally for fraud.
This is what I suspect that the Mormon Madoff is trying to preclude from happening. Romney has submitted things to the IRS that the IRS can’t disprove but if his returns became public then people who know the truth about stuff that Romney has done would then be able to compare his filings with the IRS to what Romney really did and those people would be able to establish that Romney has clearly done some false reporting to the IRS
George Romney ”One year of tax returns could be a fluke, perhaps done for show"
Mitt Romney: "Here is one year of tax returns"
Ann Romney: That is "All You People need to know"
Mitt would be a disaster. After Clinton- it took the GW Bush crowd 8 years to destroy the American economy. Even though President Obama has us on the road to recovery- we don't have that far to fall until we are in smoking ruins again. With Mitt and Paul Ryan systematically dismantling our economy in order to spoonfeed the financial elite some more financial welfare- it won't take 8 years this time to wreck us- maybe just 8 months.