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President Obama challenges Willard Mitt Romney on Tax Returns?

According to the Associated Press (AP) President Obama’s keeping the pressure on Republican Tea Party (GOTP) rival Willard Mitt Romney on two fronts, launching a new TV ad defending his record on Medicare while continuing to challenge Willard to release at least five years of his tax returns.

Jim Messina, the President’s campaign manager, made the tax-disclosure offer to Willard’s top dog, Matt Rhoades saying he was taking the step because Romney “apparently fears the more he offers, the more our campaign will demand that he provide.”Romney’s wife, Ann, has repeatedly stated that concern in interviews, arguing that the more the couple releases, the more questions are asked, and so from her point of view the logical thing is to hide everything and let everyone’s imaginations run wild?

Willard has released part of his 2010 taxes – they’re incomplete – he’s pledged to release his 2011 returns, sometime later, and Messina’s offer said the President wants Romney to provide three more years of returns, and that’s all; so in total they’re asking for five years of returns.

While Democratic Senate Majority Leader, and fellow Latter-day Saint, Harry Reid has raised the question of whether there are years when Willard paid no taxes. Willard continues to mew he’s has paid at least 13 percent of his income in federal taxes every year for the past decade; that’s right folks a whole 13%, but of course we’ll have to trust him on this and simply take his word.

“I did go back and look at my taxes and over the past 10 years I never paid less than 13 percent,” Willard’s told reporters. “I think the most recent year is 13.6 or something like that. So I paid taxes every single year.”

And we have to believe him because there’s no proof being offered except what Mitt claims; as has always been the case, Willard can stop this story by simply releasing his taxes. To not do so implies there’s something to hide, something so potentially disastrous to his campaign he’d rather spend weeks if not the entire campaign dealing with this one issue, which in the long run will hurt him amongst the moderate voters, the ones he has to swing his way in order to win.

McCain says Romney tax returns show he paid Uncle Sam

15 Aug

According to numerous news sources Republican Tea Party (GOTP) 2008 presidential runner up John McCain, whose team reviewed years of GOTP 2012 presidential wannabe Willard Mitt Romney’s tax history as part of a so-called vice presidential vetting process, is claiming there’s nothing in Willard’s returns to suggest he ducked years of tax obligations.

“I am absolutely confident that [Romney] … did pay taxes.” McCain told the Las Vegas Sun. “Nothing in his tax returns showed that he did not pay taxes.”

Of course, we’ll have to take his word for it since neither Romney nor McCain can offer any proof debunking claims Willard’s allegedly neglected to pay taxes for almost a decade, a claim made by Democratic Senate Majority Leader (and fellow Latter-day Saint) Harry Reid. Reid told The Huffington Post a source — a former Bain investor — had told him Romney “didn’t pay any taxes for 10 years.”

Romney, along with conservative talking heads (Limbaugh, Hannity, Huckabee et al.) have been furiously denying the claims, but thus far the proof has been lacking; the proof of course lies in Romney’s tax records and he’s refusing to release those, insisting American voters will just have to trust him when he says he paid “a lot of taxes”.

For Willard the tax question just continues to grow, earlier this week – in a grand show of the hypocrisy for which he is now famous – it was learned he’d required all those being “vetted” as his possible running mates to release several tax returns to his campaign, this of course while he continues to refuse to release any of his. Romney’s going to release his tax records – sooner or later – and it’s going to hurt him, but the continued hiding of what may or may not be there continues to make him look shady.

Romney says, ‘I Have Paid Taxes Every Year; a Lot of Taxes.’

04 Aug

According to news reports, Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presumptive presidential wannabe Willard Mitt Romney is insisting he’s paid taxes every year and is challenging Democratic Senate Majority Leader (and fellow Latter-day Saint) Harry Reid “to put up or shut up” with his accusations he hasn’t.

“Let me also say categorically: I have paid taxes every year. A lot of taxes. A lot of taxes,” Willard mewed to reporters in Nevada.

“Harry Reid really has to put up or shut up, alright? So Harry, who are your sources?” Romney whined, referring to the Senator’s claim a Bain Capital investor told him Willard hadn’t paid taxes in 10 years.

As the GOTP candidate has been continually pressured to release his tax records, and was asked yet again why he wouldn’t just release them rather than continue engaging in a back-and-forth with Senator Reid, Willard deflected saying people should visit his website to see his financial disclosure statements dating back to 2002 and his 2010 tax return.

“Go on the website, you’ll be surprised to see the amazing amount of data that’s associated with our campaign’s disclosure,” he said.

Yeah, about that; I went to the “website” and was surprised to see nothing at all regarding Willard’s tax records or financial disclosure, at least not easily found. Perhaps he was referring to his offshore website, the one in the Caymans?

Despite Romney’s whining about the unfair amount of taxes he’s allegedly paid, Senator Reid said it’s time for Willard to stop “insulting” the American public by refusing to release his tax returns.

“It’s hard to say which is more insulting to Americans’ intelligence, Mitt Romney’s tax plan or his refusal to show the American people what’s in his tax returns,” Reid said in a statement. “Romney seems to think he’s above the basic level of transparency and openness that every presidential candidate has lived up to since his father set the standard in 1968.”

“In short, Romney’s message to Nevadans is this: He won’t release his taxes, but he wants to raise yours.”

He accused Romney of being “the most secretive presidential candidate since Richard Nixon” and pointed out that even nominees overseen by the Senate Finance Committee have to produce more tax returns that Romney is willing to release.

“Forget about president — Mitt Romney couldn’t get confirmed as a cabinet secretary,” Reid said. “The contents of the one year of returns he has released would probably be enough to tank his nomination anyway: secret overseas bank accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands, tax avoidance tricks and a lower tax rate than middle-class families pay.”

Whatever Senator Reid’s reasons for suddenly going after Romney on this issue it’s a political strategy which is a win/win for Democrats and a lose/lose more for Romney. If Romney continues to refuse to release his taxes the furor won’t go away and it won’t lessen in intensity. This began back during the GOTP primaries when his opponents – fellow conservatives – went after him on his tax records.

To not release makes him look elitist, out of touch and possibly hiding something very messy. To release could affect his campaign by some embarrassing fact like he paid less in taxes than average Americans. We already know that, its old news. Politically this is not a smart play. Romney should remember Nixon’s famous “Checker’s Speech”; he should release the records declare what’s in them, especially if there’s anything that could draw fire, and move on. Get the splinter removed before it festers and becomes the equivalent of political blood poisoning. Or, just keep arguing about how “it’s not required by law”, and “I have a right to privacy” blaah, blaah, blaah …

The Liberty Tree

Tag Archives: senate majority leader

President Obama challenges Willard Mitt Romney on Tax Returns?

McCain says Romney tax returns show he paid Uncle Sam

Romney says, ‘I Have Paid Taxes Every Year; a Lot of Taxes.’

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