Reid’s spokesman: Republicans forced to defend "the most secretive candidate since Richard Nixon"

[ProSense]

<...>

Late Sunday morning, Reid’s spokesman Adam Jentleson responded via email to TPM.

“Republicans can try to cover up for Mitt Romney’s stonewalling all they want, but this issue is not going away until Romney decides to be straight with the American people and release his tax returns. It is sad that the most secretive candidate since Richard Nixon has forced his party to defend his decision to hide the truth about his tax returns. As Senator Reid has said, an extremely credible source informed him that Mitt Romney did not pay taxes for ten years. From the one year of returns Romney has released, we’ve seen that he uses secret offshore accounts in places like Switzerland and the Cayman Islands to avoid paying U.S. taxes. It’s clear Mitt Romney is hiding something, and the only way for him to clear this up is to be straight with the American people and release his tax returns.”

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/republicans-reince-priebus-harry-reid-dirty-liar-romney-taxes.php

Give 'em hell, Harry!

[freshwest]

1. Might have some of those bumper stickers on cars in Tampa with the slogan,

'I work hard and pay taxes all year long so Mitt doesn't have to.'

Or something to that effect. It was on a thread here...

[ProSense]

2. Love it.

[ashling]

15. I like that one

[font color = blue][font face = arial bold]I work hard to pay my taxes - so [/font color = blue][font color = red] MITT[/font color = red][font color = blue] doesn't have to

[Curtland1015]

3. Oooooooo... YES! Make that Nixon connection early and often!

Love it!

[Tom Ripley]

16. +1,000,000

[BlueStreak]

4. I'm starting to think that Reid struck a nerve

If the Republicans wanted to stop this, it won't happen by shouting it down. That only makes everybody wonder just what is so bad in those returns.

Until now, it might have just been the politically aware 10% that were talking about this. Republicans are making the mistake of getting the Joe Sixpack into the discussion, and that can't be good for the Republicans.

And please -- stop saying that he has "Only released 2 years". No. He has only released one hand-picked year: 2010. He has promised to release 2011 if his accountant gets around to completing that before the election. And obviously that creates the opportunity to scrub 2011 as much as necessary for political reasons, then go back an amend that return after the election.

[ThomThom]

11. he has only released part of one year and promised to release last year's

and we know about his promises............
When does it become late or does IRS have his form? Did he pay already? How much? The questions will never end. like..........What is he doing shopping? No campaign? Sweet pictures very professional, not exactly candid.

[BlueStreak]

13. I'm not positive, but I think one extension is automatic

I think the IRS routinely allows an automatic extension through August, as long as, by April 15, you pay the money you expect to owe. Subsequent extensions may be possible but not automatic. And he could certainly extend through August, then drag his feet through September. If he has 2011 problems, he could leave them off his first filing for 2011, then amend his 2011 return after the election, when nobody will be asking questions.

There is probably not much of interest on the 2011 return that hasn't already been discussed. He keeps bringing that up to try to distract attention from the years where he has real problems.

Dems should be a lot more clear in their messaging about 2011. They should say:

"Romney has only provided one year, and that is 2010. One would think a man of his means should be able to hire an accounting firm that could get his 2011 return done on time. It is now 4 months past due and counting. His accountants have had plenty of time to doctor that, so frankly, nobody is interested in 2011. The problem is clearly in the years prior to 2010 and that is what he owes the American people. He can and should release those years today to clear up all these questions"

[freshwest]

5. Don't forget that Tricky Mitt has already said, 'I am not a tax crook!'

Mitt Romney: I am not a tax crook!



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/16/1083774/-Mitt-Romney-I-am-not-a-tax-crook

[spanone]

6. k&r...

[freshwest]

7. But nosy 'common people' still want to know:

Romney should share his tax returns

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Mitt Romney is a rich man. But he's not a crook; at least he would like you to believe he isn't. Much like Richard Nixon proclaiming "I am not a crook," Romney seems to be trumpeting the same when he declared "I pay all the taxes that are legally required, not a dollar more."

Here is a man worth somewhere between $200 million and $250 million who won't release any tax returns beyond the years of 2011 and 2010 and has an average tax rate just shy of 15 percent. In 2010 and 2011, the Romneys paid $6.2 million on $42.5 million in income. While it's entirely legal to have blind trusts that invest in Swiss bank accounts and offshore tax havens like Bermuda or the Grand Caymans, it also appears to be a little strange if you are running for president.

Americans are sensitive about discussing their financial situation with anybody other than their tax preparer or lawyer. I understand Romney's reluctance to disclose his financials. However, most Americans aren't running for president. Romney's hesitancy to disclose tax returns, coupled with the fact that a large portion of his wealth and income is derived from investments in offshore tax havens, begs the question: "What are you hiding, Mitt?"

Dave Wiley.

Louisa.

It won't hurt if you tell the truth

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

To both the George Allen and Tim Kaine campaigns and their respective political parties: If you don't like PolitiFact Virginia reporting on your lack of veracity and half-truths, a suggestion: Just tell the truth.

Warren D. Chapman.

North Chesterfield.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/letters-to-the-editor/2012/jul/20/tdopin01-letters-to-the-editor-ar-2070138/

[ProSense]

8. Thanks for posting. n/t

[sad sally]

9. Mr. RMoney never answered the questions about his preferential treatment getting into

Harvard. He's adept at hiding the truth and more than happy to step on us people to get ahead.

Did Mitt Romney Benefit From Affirmative Action At Harvard? - by Kathleen Pederson

I've discovered some troubling news. It appears that Mitt Romney has used affirmative action repeatedly when it comes to his college experiences at Harvard. Since this is such a hot topic in Boston at the moment, I thought I should write a diary about it.

For those who don't know, Mitt Romney attended Stanford University for one year in 1965. After receiving a religious deferment, Romney was excused from going to Vietnam and went to France for 2 1/2 years to do missionary work for the Mormon Church. When he came back to America, Romney finished his undergrad work at Brigham Young University, a private Mormon college in Provo, Utah, where he received a Bachelor's Degree in 1971.

snip

Although Romney did well at BYU, earning a degree in English, so did tens of thousands of other students across the country, many from much tougher schools with better reputations and a more rigorous curriculum. So how did Romney get accepted into Harvard?

Simple answer, his father. George Romney, the former Governor of Michigan and a big wheel in the Nixon administration at the time, was a well-known figure who had a lot of clout. Mitt benefited from his family background, his "privileged pedigree was common knowledge to many of his classmates" (p.91). It appears that Romney may have gotten accepted to Harvard because of his birthright and because of his family name. Romney seems to have moved ahead of everyone else through affirmative action, the worst kind of affirmative action, the kind that rewards the sons of the wealthy and well-connected over everyone else.

But it doesn't stop there. Out of the 1350 students admitted to the Harvard Business and Law Schools, Romney was 1 of 15 who were selected to take part in the newly created joint MBA/JD program. Wow, did he hit the jackpot, or what? The joint program is an accelerated program that allowed Romney to get his two degrees one year earlier than otherwise. It's unclear whether Romney had to pay two full tuitions or not, but it bears investigating.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/23/1094103/-Did-Mitt-Romney-Benefit-From-Affirmative-Action-At-Harvard

[stubtoe]

10. And we remember all too well how it turned out with Nixon.

[louis-t]

12. ZING, BANG, BOOM!

[ProSense]

14. Kick! n/t

[steve2470]

17. k&r nt

[Honeycombe8]

18. Reid is on a roll. Who would've thought it? Give 'em hell, Harry! nt