Matt Taibbi: Obama, Not Reid, Should Be Taking on Mitt Romney's Tax Record

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Last edited Thu Aug 9, 2012, 12:31 PM - Edit history (1)

Obama, Not Reid, Should Be Taking on Mitt Romney's Tax Record

POSTED: August 9, 9:12 AM ET

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/obama-not-reid-should-be-taking-on-mitt-romneys-tax-record-20120809



The ongoing war between Harry Reid and Mitt Romney is certainly interesting, as battles between congenitally unlikeable politicians go, but to me it misses the point. The Democrats want everyone in the world to know that Mitt Romney won’t release a decades’ worth of tax returns, and they apparently want voters to suspect that he didn’t pay any tax during that time. They're using Harry Reid to spread that message, which makes enough sense politicially, I guess.

But what they should be doing instead is hammering Romney on the missing returns, yes, but focusing even more on the returns he did release. We’ve known for seven months now, for instance, that Romney paid $3 million in federal taxes in 2010 on $21.7 million in taxable revenue, an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent. Which, as most people know, is less than half the rate most people pay on their income tax.

When Romney released these numbers, he said they were "entirely legal and fair," and added, "I’m proud of the fact that I pay a lot of taxes."

The Romney tax returns are a prime example of our increasingly two-tiered bureaucratic system, in which there is one set of rules for poor and middle-class people, and another set of rules for people like Mitt Romney.

[rocktivity]

1. Has Romney ever used the term "income tax"?

rocktivity

[nichomachus]

2. I have to disagree with Matt

Something I rarely do. I think the Reid move is genius. It forces the GOP to focus their attacks on Reid, who isn't running for anything. Every minute, every dime they spend attacking Reid is time and money they're not spending attacking Obama -- not that their corporate buddies haven't given them enough to do both.

[Squinch]

10. I'm with you. Reid is a god in the way he handled this. And it's SO entertaining!

The entire right wing right now looks like Sylvester the cat. Confusion and spittle everywhere!

[Festivito]

3. LINK to Rolling Stones. And, may I add: What returns? There's what? ONE?!

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/obama-not-reid-should-be-taking-on-mitt-romneys-tax-record-20120809

13.9% effective Romney tax rate is what? Romney's LEAST OFFENSIVE return? The one he'll show us.

Yikes.

[mzmolly]

4. He has and he

will. Reid setting it up. Wait for the debates.

[BeyondGeography]

5. Nah

First, Obama has already put his name, face and voice on ads that highlight Romney's financial and tax follies. More important, Reid has enabled Obama to focus on the bigger picture without rolling in the mud every day. That's Mitt's job, as evidenced by his repeated assaults against the Senate Majority leader, which is pretty demeaning for a presidential candidate.

The Democrats have orchestrated this perfectly. For once. The rarity of that is understandably confusing to some people.

[liberallibral]

6. Agree with Matt!

100%

[Zen Democrat]

7. Sorry Matt, I love ya, but Harry Reid's the one with the source!

If Obama does this they'll accuse him of meddling with the IRS, or something worse. This is Harry's story, and Harry's source, and Harry's giving 'em HELL!

[DFab420]

8. Am I the only one who thinks that this is just a busywork piece?

Like Matt Taibbi didn't have anything else to write about so he picked this complete non-starter of a topic to talk about?

[nashville_brook]

9. to the people who think taibbi is wrong...do you NOT agree that private equity

is the real POLITICAL problem here. obama wants to make nice with wall street and to do that he can't call these cards the way they are.

isn't that the real problem here?

[demwing]

13. It may be "a" real problem, it may be "the" real problem

but does if have to be the only problem? The Pres is busy defining Mitt Romney, directly and through allies., and the polls are showing it's working. By the time Obama is done with Romney, the concept of "Rovian" tactics will pale before the new "Chicago Style..." and the President will be able to focus on the real problem for the next 4 years.

Speaking to voters as you would speak to a group of adults is highly honorable, and a quality I want my President to display--at appropriate times - but in ths stage of the game let the Pres talk big picture truths, and pose with babies and kids, he's a natural at that, (meant in the the most flattering sense of the phrase). He's showing America that there's more than just an economic difference between him and Romney. There's a basic social difference - a division in what we value in our family life.

[just1voice]

11. Geithner's a tax fraud too, it's a waste of time yapping about richfuks

whom will never be held accountable for their crimes.

[99th_Monkey]

12. I generally agree with Matt, but not on this one.

I think the way this has unfolded with Reid being outspoken about Mitt's
tax returns, rather than Obama. While Mittens continually digs his hole
deeper by his conspicuous secrecy and denial, because "Dirty Harry" keeps
the pressure on ... and all the while Obama is on higher "presidential"
ground, unruffled by the spate.

I don't think it could be more perfect for Obama.