At debate, Romney hedges on whether he would release tax returns

[ellisonz]

By James Oliphant
January 16, 2012, 8:05 p.m.

Under pressure to release his tax returns, Mitt Romney gave conflicting signals at the Fox News/Wall Street Journal debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. as to whether he would make them public.

At one point, Romney was asked directly whether he would release his returns. He suggested that under tradition, presidential candidates typically release them in April. But he didn’t go so far as to say he would actually release his then.

In fact, it wasn’t entirely clear what he said he would do: “I hadn't planned on releasing tax records, because the law requires us to release all of our assets, all the things we own. That I've already released; it's a pretty full disclosure. But you know, if -- if that's been the tradition, then I'm not opposed to doing that,” Romney said.

But then he hedged. “Time will tell. But I anticipate that most likely I'm going to get asked to do that around the April time period, and I'll keep that open,” he said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-romney-hedges-on-whether-he-would-release-tax-returns-20120116,0,2357392.story

What are you hiding Mittens?

[jberryhill]

1. He's using this to distract from his birth certificate

You see, there's nothing interesting about his tax returns. By not releasing them, it builds up all this tension about what he's hiding until eventually - boom - he releases it and there's nothing interesting about it.

But all the while, you see, he is hiding the truth about his birth certificate.

Don't get suckered in. He's a Mexican.

[ellisonz]

3. Someone should write...

...a Mitt Romney narcocorrido about his not releasing his tax returns because there's nothing in them and how he makes people shit themselves: http://spreadingromney.com/

[Charlemagne]

14. Mitt Romeny is not an American citizen

Where is your birth certificate, Mitt? I think he is a marxist too. In his early 20's he lived in socialist France for a couple of years.

Mitt Romney's great-grandfather fled to Mexico to practice polygamy (marriage laws). Then Mitt's family comes into the US illegally (immigration). Following his party's thinking, Mitt should return to Mexico since he is not legitimately permitted to stay. And, his family has a history of "abnormal" marriages

[Yavin4]

2. Romney Is Not Releasing His Tax Returns because....

his printer keeps running out of ink after printing out so many zeroes.

[davidpdx]

8. I like that one

[Hissyspit]

4. David Shuster: Romney hiding tax return because it likely shows a 15% rate on his Bain

@DavidShuster: Romney hiding tax return because it likely shows a 15% rate on his Bain fortune...and millions in the Caymans. http://t.co/rh6Dnxpi

[denem]

5. He may be paying more to the Mormon church than the Federal Government

which would torpedo his campaign good and proper.

[davidpdx]

9. Oh dear

if someone found those it would be high noon and Mitt would be toast

[KharmaTrain]

10. Also Deductions Up The Wazoo

Yep, the 15% plus the deductions could pretty well mean Mittens didn't pay any taxes...in fact he may have been able to figure a way to get a refund!

A little math says that if he has $200 million in the bank he'd earn $10 mil a year in interest (at 5%...and my bets are he's getting a higher return that that) more money than most of us earn in a lifetime.

Mittens will do all he can to either hide or distort those tax returns. It' his "birth certificate"...and we need to continue to demand he open his books...

[spicegal]

6. There's much to dislike about Romney.We know he's filthy rich and disconnected from main street.

Does it really matter whether he releases his tax forms? It's kind of a non-issue, much like the kerfuffle over releasing grades. It's meaningless.

[JHB]

7. We know it, but there are others who seem to need constant reminding...

...and if we don't remind them, the Republicans will happily bury it under a pile of BS.

Or maybe the better allusion is hiding it behind a fogbank's-worth of steam rising from mountains of elephant dung.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

12. good allusion

exactly right.

[BeyondGeography]

11. That's kind of crazy

Releasing tax returns is a very important check on anyone who would become President. Take it away and you'd not only lose an important window into the candidate's character but also his or her relationships and potential conflicts of interest.

[onenote]

13. He's on solid ground historically in waiting, but its probably a bad move politically

For a number of years its been pretty much the norm for those running for president to wait until March or April of election year to release their tax return(s). President Obama released his in March and HRC released hers in April. Nonetheless, with attention focused on it, Romney's decision to wait is a liability, although not one that is likely to hurt him in the long run. The interesting question isn't whether or when he'll release his returns (my guess is that he will sometime in April), its how far back he'll go with his records -- will he only release this year's return or will he go back several years as well?

[Charlemagne]

15. its how far back he'll go with his records -- will he only release this year's return or will he go

I love how we elect a president who literally is charged with protecting the nation and preserving the constitution. But when they refuse to tell us the truth about their background, many people come to defend them.

[onenote]

16. I think he'll only go back a couple of years and I'm afraid he'll get away with it

Even though Obama released returns going back to 2000, McCain (as I recall) only released a couple of recent returns and it seemed not be an issue.

That said, I would hope that there is a continued drumbeat for more disclosures from Romney after he makes what I expect will be a token disclosure.

[Iliyah]

17. Not paying taxes

at all. Hey I'm ok with that or even paying 15%, but I feel that they the 1% can get away with that then it should come full ciricle. I, personally feel that I should only pay 15% taxes as well or better yet, no taxes at all. But then again, who would pay for government and the services that government, state and local cities provide.

Will we go back to the who can afford and or can't afford again? If I can't pay the fire fighters, police, trash pick-up, et al., does that mean I will be forever barred for such services and have to rely on charitable ones? And those charitable ones, if the so called Christians believe I'm not one of them will they help me or my children?

We as a country is going backwards. Civil rights, women rights, worker's rights, voter rights are being destroyed slowly.

[Phlem]

18. He's a Mormon

Deceit and secrets and pain are their game.

nuff said.

-p

[Major Hogwash]

19. The last time I saw someone stutter that bad was in the movie "My Cousin Vinny".

His first attorney, before they brought Pesci's character in to handle his case.

[alfredo]

20. Ha is hiding a

dead hooker in Wyoming.

[Marnie]

21. We know Santorum is betting on Wall Street that the US economy will fail.

You can be 99% certain that most well to do Republicans have done the same. It will literally make them billionaires if they can destroy the American economy.