Romney tax returns are the same as Fast/Furious docs?
 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...zWbW_blog.html

'Tis a strange, strange world Romney lives in.
He's trying to deflect calls for his financials by demanding Fast and Furious documents shielded by executive priviledge. Why does he keep refusing to show the people his tax returns? If everything is on the up and up, what could be the harm?

It's his Swiss bank account and money in the Caymans that he did not pay taxes on.

I'd be curious if Romney is even familiar with the facts surrounding the Fast and Furious flap.

That Bermudian black hole of his, The Sankaty Company, could be the biggest bombshell.

John

While I find it distasteful that a private citizen should be pressured to release personal financial information, I believe the door has been opened when -- as a candidate for President -- business/financial acumen is offered as foundation for enhanced qualification.

At the risk of being crass, if a candidate reports he should receive votes because his junk is enormous, he's going to have to provide evidence.

Romney's gonna release another year or two just before the election so he can say he did so, but before there's time to properly evaluate them. He is willing to suffer the bad press resulting from his nondisclosure because full disclosure would prove more embarrassing/damaging. For better or worse, Obama may well be able to ride this one issue to reelection.

One wonders if there is nothing amiss why would you allow a problem to fester like this....just does not make sense.

There's plenty amiss, ice. Plenty.

This is the guy whose father established the tradition of presidential candidates revealing their tax returns. George Romney voluntarily released twelve years worth of his tax returns because he recognized that one year's return could be an anomaly and not indicative of the candidate's true income or wealth. Willard Romney released only one year's return for the very same reason.

John

There has to be something not flattering at the least...this would be a no brainer John, especially in today's world. Swiss bank accounts, Cayman Island accounts? The fact that he would have these and then think about running for President indicates some serious problems, both from a strategic I Want To Be A President-personal point of view and then of course from the point of view of voters seeing him as not financially loyal to the nation, which allowed his family the opportunity to make it big in the first place.

But see, that train's already left the station. What we already know - as you point out - is pretty damned unflattering. What he won't let us see has got to be seriously damaging.

John

Maybe disclosing how much he made from Bain during the outsourcing years?

The fact that one has Swiss or Cayman Island accounts does not mean that one is doing anything wrong despite what that jackass Durbin spun on Sunday. Furthermore, people of Romney's wealth do not usually directly manage their finances. I don't seem to recall the left being up in arms over John Kerry's wealth, but then GW Bush wasn't orchestrating a class warfare election campaign. I'm still waiting for Obama's vaunted academic records to show me how smart he is.

Unless my mind is playing tricks on me, the GOP's tack vis-a-vis Kerry was just about exactly like the tack taken by the Dem's against Romney. There are so many similarities between the two that it is almost eery.

As for accounts in Switzerland, the Caymans and Bermuda, wasn't it Gingrich and Santorum who first criticized Romney for this?

The President has prostrated himself over and over again for the Repubs demands of this or that. So how is it proper for Romney to claim that his finances should be kept secret when he's running for the Presidency on a campaign that states he knows far better how to run the economy? Avoiding conflict of interest or any appearance of such is a governing principle in our society except when it is applied to the Romney?

So why won't Mitt Romney disclose his tax forms like every other candidate?
Does it mean where there is smoke, there is fire? Most likely, it is starting to appear

Could it just be the taste of ashes in the throat of the Romney camp is why they always try to deflect, obfuscate and trivialize this very important information that everyone else provides when asking for peoples votes?

Sheesh BH - class warfare? You can't be serious or be taken for such if this is the defense of keeping Romney's tax returns top secret. As soon as Romney puts those boney legs in the stirrups and submits to a peek at his finances the better.:rolleyes:;)

One of my Gramp's truisms
1.) People drink alcohol to feel the effects of the drug, not for how the drink itself tastes. He ran booze for the mob btw in the Boston area in the 1920s.
2.) My extrapolation-people put money in overseas accounts either for tax evasion and/or to keep the money secret.

Obama made it into the Ivy League. I take it you did not. I could be wrong.
Many with less intelligence and more of Daddy's money have also made it into the Ivy League. It is not where you go to school it is what you do with it after you leave. That goes for Harvard or San Diego state.

For me this proves Romney is out of touch with the average American. To even think having multiple overseas bank accounts is something a middle class voter would not think of as anything but a tax dodge. He is thinking quite low of the average intelligence of the voter. But then again he is counting on that with his target voter, one who thinks zero taxes is the way to go!



Barney

This should prolly go in "Conspiracy" but it may be for a reason most have not thought of. He might not have given his full 10% (pre tax) to the Church. If not his temple recommend is revoked and he does not have the title of "god" in his future.

;)

You leave his mommyism out of this! Ooops wrong religion!:o:rolleyes:

Being on still on the "books" I can talk about them......;)

If I had to pick one it would have to be the religion of my avatar....no surprise there!;)

I don't buy into crazy Ethiopian beliefs, boba :D

I like the fact that I don't have to pick a religion if I don't want to......

Yeah, the thirteenth tribe schtick is a bit crazy not to mention living gods and such but I was refering to the sacrement of the Rastafarians.;) I seem to recall that Rastafarianism is peculiar to the West Indies not Ethiopia which is a Moslem/ Christian country. IIRC.
The Gaia concept is probably nebulous enough for me at present. Methodism was what I was raised in and to be fair they aren't as hidebound as most Christians and far less intrusive into someones ability to be a free thinker which I find admirable in a Christian. Pragmaticist might better describe my current views but even there that's just another label. Golden ruler is an apt description of how I approach things.
My limited experience with Mormons has been they're a fairly polite bunch, insular to a fault but that's theirs and anybody else's perogative.
The only groups that might annoy me are the (on their sleeves) NOTW bunch.
Somehow it is just a bit repugnant to me that some feel the need for flashy bumper stickers proclaiming their allegiance to a particular doctrine. Those types are prone to pogroms IMO.
For an intelligent discussion on theology Jesuits are savvy in my book.YMMV.;)

Couple of comments with respect to earlier posts:

*If there's nothing to hide with respect to the off-shore accounts then why not let it all hang out?
*The Bush v Kerry 2004 election? Seriously? The one wherein Swift Boat Veterans For Truth conducted one of the greatest misrepresentations, distortions and outright prevarications in the history of presidential politics? That one?
*I love the class warfare crap. Apart from the fact that the tax laws in this country have always favored the wealthy, there is a legitimate reason for placing more cash in the hands of the middle and working classes: they spend it. And spending is exactly what this economy needs.

Shut... mouth.. can't... resist...

HE'S SO GOOD AT IT!!

gaa! couldn't pass it up :D

Pete

I was referring to this, boba

Okay and how is that any different from my first paragraph?:p

Bipartisanship is usually an admirable quality in a democracy unless you're dealing with an idealogically rigid wack jobs like Boehner and McConnell who's single goal is to not do the job they were elected for. It's too bad that the President keeps trying to appeal to the rights better nature as they appear not to have one lately. Pandering to racist wack jobs best describes the Republican party these days is how I see it. Why they run scared of the likes of Limbaugh, Rove and Norquist is beyond any rational thinking and/or dignity that they may have had in the past.

I see that tax measures before the Senate are also the same as Romneys' taxes, Reid on blocking the vote on tax cuts/extentions:

"We'll get to the tax issues," Reid said. "That way we'll be able to talk in more detail about Gov. Romney's taxes," a reference to Democratic demands that wealthy GOP presidential challenger Mitt Romney release more of his income tax returns." - Reid

http://news.yahoo.com/democrats-bloc...141823432.html

Mittys taxes should are flexible :)

Pete

I think (hope) this may have to do with Romney's tax proposals and not his personal
taxes. I do NOT want to see the Democrats start using these disgusting Republican tactics.

John

The Democrats need to realize they are in a gun fight and get armed!

Disgusting as they are dirt and character assassination work in elections. The truth seems to get lost by all of the distracting or redirection of issues.




Barney

Surely you don't think that the ends justifies the means. I would rather see us lose the election than take the low road that the Repubs are so proud of.

"The White House voiced support for Reid's blocking action. Presidential spokesman Jay Carney called the GOP move "a gimmick."

The proposal floated by Republicans "was not the president's proposal, did not include the other middle-class tax cuts that were part of the president's proposal," Carney said. Carney said that Reid promised the Senate would have a chance to vote on Obama's most recent proposal and he would take him at his word."

From the same article- the gimmick must've slid under your radar Pete:rolleyes:

Right now, absolutely everything on both sides could be characterized as "a gimmick."

No one is claiming here that one party is pure as the driven snow Pat. My purpose in quoting the more pertinent, in my estimation, part of that article was to point up the picking and choosing of quotes Pete was using to bolster his claim. False equivalence is dirty pool foisted by the media and more in use by the Repubs from where I sit. YMMV.

Mostly agree. However, I'm speaking about everything that happens in Congress and the White House between now and the election. We're formally in the silly season.

Deafinitely agree.:D

The past three years has seen a perversion of the filibuster by the GOP. Sadly, the dems'll pull it out as a matter of tit for tat and that'll be the end of democracy until the rules get changed. There's little honor amongst politicians but abusing procedural rules to block any and almost every piece of business before them has created a stumbling block of huge proportions. The solution?
Hell if I know? The blame rests squarely with the GOP in this case.

What Reid did was in response to McConnell's bill killing amendment in this case was my point which Pete left out of his characterization that the Dems do it too.

That is what they are counting on, us playing by the old set of rules based on far play. Now it seems that no amount of the truth matters any more, it is more the latest's soundbite or sensational headline. That vast majority of the electorate seems to have a very short attention span. Will only remember the simple and short ideas used in 30 second attack ads.

Or they out and out just don't care! Complex ideas bore them or give headaches. Add to once they start to think they are powerless give up and become a drone.

The Dems need to message using the truth but used in the new over the top in your face productions. They need to peek the interests of easily distracted voter. Get people like video game designers to come up cartoon characters.


Barney

Cenc Uygar has been doing exactly that. Give it a watch Barney. I do expect Current to be dropped from Time Warner tho.:mad:

It comes on during the News Hour on PBS here. But I'm not the one who needs to see it BTW. On a side note my Direct TV took John Stewart off last night because of a contract dispute with Comedy Central. :mad:



Barney