There's a Rumor Going Round.....

[babylonsister]

http://www.politicalruminations.com/2012/08/theres-a-rumor-going-round.html

There's a Rumor Going Round.....

A reader emailed me a little while ago, asking me if I’d heard the rumor that Harry Reid’s source for his statement that Mitt Romney paid no taxes for ten years is none other than Jon Huntsman. Yeah, that Huntsman. The same Jon Huntsman who called Romney “dishonest” during the Republican primary campaign, and who still hasn’t endorsed Mitt Romney, fellow Republican and fellow Mormon. It makes you wonder….

Well, in any case, I had not heard it, but it makes sense. And here’s a little tidbit that could give one even more pause.

http://spectator.org/blog/2012/01/10/huntsman-sr-partner-with-bain
Huntsman Sr. Partner With Bain Capital Executive

Romney really needs to cough up those tax returns, and may the Sky Fairy rain blessings on Harry Reid for taking pointe on this issue, and keeping on it even as Republicans & a few misguided Democrats rain hellfire on him.

UPDATE: On Twitter, @Fried_Kimchi pointed out that neither John McCain (who has seen Romney's past tax returns), nor Jon Huntsman, is calling Harry Reid a 'liar', nor telling him to stop making the claim that Romney paid zero taxes for 10 years.

[SDjack]

1. I think the source is man that Harry knows very well, visits with him often,

likes him regards him as friend, and would never "burn" him. Also this man helps him plan the Kabuki theater that is the US Senate session's daily business: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Minority Leader.

[JoePhilly]

28. And how would Mitch know?

[SDjack]

31. MMc got the info from a highly place person, in position to know. That's

how the Senate operates.

[Siwsan]

2. The McCain part of the situation is what convinced me Harry has the goods on Willard

Let's accept that McCain actually saw the returns and Harry Reid knows it. I don't think there's a whole lot of love lost between McCain and Reid, so bluffing would be a major gamble with potentially disasterous consequences. I do believe Harry has the goods.

Huntsman being involved only adds a little more LDS icing to the cake.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Excellent point

If Reid were lying, McCain would've pounced, but McCain has been oddly silent about Reid's allegations.

[former9thward]

10. He has't been silent.

He says there are no problems with them and that he personally vouches for that. http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/mccain-personally-vouches-for-romneys-returns.html

For whatever it may be worth.

[K8-EEE]

19. no problem with them, what does that even mean

It's possible to LEGALLY have a zero tax rate. That statement was made before Reid's statement I don't hear McCain saying "of course he paid taxes!" *crickets*

[Laura PourMeADrink]

18. well here's a tape and McCain didn't hardly seem pissed at all. I have been

waiting to find it on youtube so I could post but it never made it there.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/08/02/ac-mccain-harry-reid-romney-taxes.cnn

[Melissa G]

20. McCain did not say anything about the Taxes

He said Reid might be over the line for saying something without proof. McCain did not defend Romney or comment about his taxes.

[former9thward]

23. He did comment on the taxes.

He said he would "personally vouch" that there were no problems with the returns. Take from that whatever you will. http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/mccain-personally-vouches-for-romneys-returns.html

[annabanana]

29. Probably perfectly legal.. also probably the kind of "legal"

not available to you and me!

[former9thward]

30. Well since I don't have 250 million you are probably right.

[Melissa G]

32. You were more exact than I was.

'No problems with the returns' does not mean that Rmoney may not have paid taxes for 10 years.

There's a hedge in the wording as I hear it.

[former9thward]

33. Well there may have been a hedge...

but he also said there was nothing that would disqualify him as a candidate. Not paying taxes for 10 years would politically disqualify someone trying to be president or vice president.

Romney has filed financial disclosure forms from 2002 to the present (they are on the net) with the FEC. Those forms are not as specific as a tax form but they do reveal quite a bit of financial info. They show his assets increasing each year. It is not mathematically possible based on those forms that he did not pay taxes for 10 years. The math just doesn't work out.

[Melissa G]

34. It sounds like you think Reid is lying or has bad information.

I'm more inclined to believe Reid than McCain. Time will tell. I expect the truth will out in this case.

[former9thward]

36. Reid's source may be lying.

If he is telling the truth then he has committed a felony. How many people are going to commit a felony and trust that Reid will keep silent about who the source is? Not many especially since a federal grand jury could force Reid to talk. He has no special immunity as a Senator.

As I have said based on Romney's financial disclosure reports to the Federal Election Commission, which he has been doing since 2002, I think Reid has bad info.

[oldhippydude]

27. if i remember right..

Steve schmidt... was asked as the story was first breaking... if i remember right his reply was that there was nothing that would eliminate Romney in the returns...

he's now on cozy terms with MSNBC.. and i'm sorry cant remember who asked him now.. i do remember him saying he "glanced through them"... the fact that he has never elaborated speaks volumes

[former9thward]

37. If he elaborates he is comitting a felony.

If he says Romney paid taxes or he didn't pay taxes both those statements are felonies. You can't release tax info from a return without permission.

[oldhippydude]

38. makes sense

although i had it scored as a violation of disclosure from the campaign committee

[Drunken Irishman]

6. I doubt McCain has seen the returns...

But I'm sure he knows what's in those returns as someone from his campaign surely told him when they did the vetting process.

"You can't pick Mr. Romney and here is why..."

[DianaForRussFeingold]

4. Hmmm... K&R

Thank You!!!
"Jon Huntsman: GOP Is 'Holding Company For Super PACs"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/07/jon-huntsman-super-pacs_n_1752816.html

[GoCubsGo]

5. I think there may be a second thing going on, as well.

Especially if Huntsman is Reid's source. I think Harry is pissed that Mitt cheated the Church out of a heap of tithe money. Huntsman, too. Enough that they no longer can ignore how Mitt's also cheating the country.

[morningglory]

13. I feel as well that Reid has paid his 10% and could be pissed at mittens hiding his assets. nt

[Capn Sunshine]

7. Its Mormon Vs Mormon

It's between the brothers, Kate.

[JNelson6563]

25. lolz Perfect!

Good to see you Cap'n, as always. In full swing in the fabulous north, I'm sure you are too!

On to victory!

Take care old friend~

Julie

[madinmaryland]

8. Interesting theory. The LDS connection. Is it possible there could be a bit of a

power within the LDS Church with Reid and Huntsman conspiring against Rmoney to expose Rmoney's hypocrisy and shady business dealings?

Maybe this will get even more interesting!

[Flatpicker]

11. if it's

an LDS power issue then I believe that they should all be thrown out of government.

They are placing their personal issues above their oaths to the country.
I like what Reid is doing, but, hope it's for the right reasons.

Your oath of office has to come before your obligations to any church.

[siligut]

17. I think you may have something here, Romney is making Mormons look bad.

Show the honest Mormons try to take Romney out. Make Huntsman look good for a future run.

[nostalgicaboutmyfutr]

9. I heard.... eom

[caseymoz]

12. Romney knows one thing for sure:

If he shows those tax returns, his run the presidency is hopeless, and any further career in public office probably is, too.

It may be far worse than that. It may be as bad as prison sentence.

[cleduc]

14. Another aspect of this:

if Romney wins, he'll be the defending incumbent in 2016. Huntsman's next shot would be 2020 .. when he's 60 years old and in danger of not comparing favorably with younger GOP upstarts. It's also questionable what he can do for his resume between now and then as he's not in office now. Also by 2020, the electorate will have changed substantially and Texas may be a DEM state with the Latino vote for example. And like MA, Romney will very probably have made a mess of things in personal favorability in his first term such that Huntsman would be up against a Dem incumbent.

If Jon Huntsman wants to be president, his best shot probably comes with Romney failing to win the election in 2012. Huntsman's daddy, tight with his past Bain partner Robert Gay, might be trying to grease his son's chances with the tax info. Being a Mormon himself, along with Robert Gay, who is an elder near the top of the Mormon organization
http://www.lds.org/church/leader/robert-christopher-gay?lang=eng
they'd be in a position to know how much Mitt has donated to his church & Gay would have excellent knowledge of Romney's tax returns from his Bain years because they'd need those to get financing for Bain's big deals. Mormon Harry Reid might have been a logical connection via his church to keep the GOP off Huntsman's tracks because if it came out, Huntsman's presidential chances would be zero.

Huntsman's ads seem to have been taken down from Youtube
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/jon-huntsman-campaign-ad-weather-vane-14882910
but I got the sense that Huntsman had more respect for Obama than he did Romney. He genuinely did care for Mitt and hasn't been two-faced about it.

And maybe the Huntsmans feel they're doing the country a service by sinking Romney's campaign based upon the inside knowledge they have of working with both men (Huntsman worked as Obama's ambassador).

That's ALL conjecture and I'm no big fan of conspiracy theories. But if it was coming from these folks, there's certainly some plausible logic behind it.

[Raster]

15. Could it be that the High Command has spoken and NOT in Brother Rmoney's favor?

Holy Kolob!

[Historic NY]

16. To lie is a sin, apparently the sinner is a

Williard

[KurtNYC]

21. YAHTZEE !

[TeamPooka]

26. Bingo!

[Warren Stupidity]

22. I'm very concerned this could backfire and blow up in our faces.

[CTyankee]

24. This kinda makes sense. Huntsman strikes me as someone who would take offense at

Romney's lack of candor on his taxes. And he's someone in a position to know something about them. It also makes sense that Reid would trust him and listen to him. And further, it makes sense that Reid can't disclose that it was Huntsman because that could look like Huntsman was just motivated as a poor loser.

[Sheepshank]

35. I know it seems appealing, but I highly doubt it's Huntsman

Huntsman will be making another run for the WH in 2016. Of that I have no doubt. His foray in 2012 was for name recognition. He is unlikley to make any overt moves that will alienate the entire RW establishment (even those already against Romney).

I suppose the unlikley scenrio is that Huntsman plans to defect to the Dems side...but I doubt that is in the cards.