White House To Withhold Tax Returns Of Nominee (Roberts)

[truthpusher]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/26/AR2005072601879.html?nav=rss_politics/administration

White House To Withhold Tax Returns Of Nominee
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Roberts's Papers From Reagan Era Released
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By Charles Babington and Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, July 27, 2005; A06
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The Bush administration will not give Senate investigators access to federal tax returns of Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr., White House and congressional officials said yesterday, a break with precedent that could exacerbate a growing conflict over document disclosure in the confirmation process.

Although nominees to the high court in recent decades were required to provide their three most recent annual tax forms, the administration will neither collect such documents from Roberts nor share them with the Senate Judiciary Committee, the officials said. Instead, the Internal Revenue Service will produce a one-page summary.

The White House yesterday began releasing the first of 75,000 pages of documents stemming from Roberts's service as a lawyer in President Ronald Reagan's administration two decades ago, but refused to release papers from his time as deputy solicitor general under President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993. These papers, Bush aides said, concern internal, executive-branch deliberations that remain privileged.

Senate Democrats and liberal interest groups immediately assailed the decision to withhold the more recent files, sharpening a dispute over the nominee's record.

"A blanket statement that entire groups of documents are off limits is both premature and ill advised," eight Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee, led by ranking member Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), wrote in a letter to President Bush. The senators attached a list of 35 topics they want to see documents related to, including abortion, civil rights, Bob Jones University, death-squad investigations and school prayer.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan dismissed the requests as part of a political strategy outlined in media reports even before Roberts was nominated. "I hope Senator Leahy is not trying to demand documents that the president has not even seen as part of their lines of attack against the president," McClellan said.

(snip)

complete story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/26/AR2005072601879.html?nav=rss_politics/administration

[metisnation]

1. moving with speed

on putting a brick wall in roberts closet.

[jobycom]

2. Does this mean CNN's headline will read

"White House agrees to turn over nominee's tax records" while the body of their article will point out that only one or two returns from the years he mowed grass in high school as the daughter of a sharecropper will actually be released?

[journalist3072]

3. Clothed in secrecy

This administation is so clothed in secrecy. They seem to have an extreme adversion to releasing information.

That should instantly raise a red flag.

[Erika]

4. They are clothed in secrecy for a reason

They are crooks and frauds and could care less about the average U.S. citizen.

[journalist3072]

11. Ding, ding! We have a winner!

You hit the nail on the head!

[Demeter]

26. And Roberts Is a Tool That's Been 25 Years in the Forging

Any person connected to Bush/Cheney/GOP has sold his soul and integrity to climb the only ladder of opportunity left in this country.

And that isn't right, fair, or good for anybody else. The country as a whole is being sucked dry to gorge these parasites.

[necso]

5. "Instead, the Internal Revenue Service

will produce a one-page summary." (In crayon, I imagine.)

Hilarious.

They're pissin' on us.

[mtnester]

27. Yes, at will and in public view

I personally am BEYOND tired of getting pissed AND shat upon by this administration.

[TroglodyteScholar]

31. Honestly...

I think they're still trying to bait us away from the Rove Leak. I'm not saying that the refusal to release info is itself inconsequential, but I can't help but wonder if this is intended solely to strengthen the diversion.

[sadiesworld]

33. Yep, I smell a rove too.

I wonder if Roberts even has anything to hide here. I imagine he has been on the short list for years.

[dweller]

6. haven't all the records from GHWB and Reagan

and now Clinton (under exec. order from *moron) along with *moron's Texas gov. stint...been secreted away?

Seems i recall Clinton disagreeing with the decision to lock down his records, but all the same, they are now all stowed away from the public's eyes.

dp

[bobbieinok]

7. I think this was done by exec order within 1 month of inauguration

locked up his dad's papers and Reagan's which were due to be released......suspicion was that it was to cover up BushI's involvement in Iran-contra

[dweller]

12. hell, it probably contained

the game plan for Iraq, SocSec. destruction, the whole Fascist agenda.

dp

[wli]

8. heaven forbid we should follow the money

After all, we would actually learn what they've been doing then.

[EVDebs]

9. Bushco is creating a Skull and Bones crypt for all secret papers

in Cheney's underground lair, along with access to the Total Information Awareness program they've set up for themselves in Ben Bell III's company in the Bahamas, disguised as CAPPS II.

All very tippy topsecret.

[DesEtoiles]

10. they screamed bloody murder for Teresa Heinz Kerry's returns!

[DanCa]

13. You beat me too it.

I guess if he were a woman you can pick on him all night and day.

[bread_and_roses]

14. The Dems could make hay with this one...

I suspect that your average Joe/Jane wouldn't like this at all...

[daleo]

15. Several possibilities present themselves:

1 - He gave money to some controversial charities (e.g. abortion related, anti-Clinton, etc.).
2 - He made lots of money, but hardly paid any tax (or none at all).
3 - He has invested in some shady businesses, strongly connected to the BFEE (Halliburton maybe?, Enron?).
4 - Miscellaneous perfidy.

[gratuitous]

16. They're hiding something

And maybe a great big something. Notice how the perfectly reasonable request for the same documents that have been produced for every other nominee gets morphed into "lines of attack against the president"? Nobody's asking for Stupidhead's records, Snottie; we want to see the nominee's records so that the Senate can carry out its constitutional duty to advise and consent.

Or is the White House trying to stop the Senate from fulfilling its duty?

[deminks]

34. Your last line should be shouted from the rooftops,

and through all the open windows.


IS THE WHITE HOUSE PREVENTING THE SENATE FROM FULFILLING ITS DUTY?

[lavenderdiva]

17. I'm letting my imagination wander here, but let's say, in 2008

a Dem gets elected president (I'm already praying!), could he/she as president, order that all records for former presidents be released? I ask this, because of how Shrub ordered Clinton's records to be secreted away. Seems only fair that a new Dem president order everything to be released.. just wondering?

[SoCalDem]

18. Gee what a surprise

not:)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

19. I am gussing he got significant income from, oh....

Haliburton, The Heritage Foundation, PNAC, The Carlyle Group, the Bin Laden Family, the Saudi's, Jack Straw, and/or NRLC?

[Hardrada]

20. And the DLC.

[DoYouEverWonder]

23. He also spent a significant amount of money, at least $80,000

has a registered lobbyist helping the Bush get re-selected in 2004.

I don't think they want anyone to think this nomination is some sort of pay back for that Robert's has done for the team over the last 5 years.

[depakid]

21. Welp, leading Dems already indicated

that they were going to confirm him (like they would have had the courage to stand up anyway)- so why shouldn't the whitehouse withold the records?

I would, if I were them.

What are the Dems going to do about it? Whine a little or get Harry Reid to show up for some more of his "big talk" that everyone oo's and ahhs about?

[PurityOfEssence]

22. No decision record, no opinion record, no affiliation record, HE'S A GOD

Give this man sway over us all for life. He's fifty; we could have forty more years of this asshole.

He counseled Jeb Bush on how to use constitutional tricks to cheat the Florida voters out of their choice for president in '00 if the monarchists couldn't steal the count outright.

This is a stealth asshole; he must be fought.

[FormerOstrich]

24. Now would this be because.....

a) Attorney Client Privilege

b) National Security

c) Future Solicitor Generals will appreciate it and it won't deter candidates to their office.

No? Hmmmmmm....if it's not one of these excuses what excuse is it?


dripping heavily in :sarcasm:

[Binka]

25. The Guy Is Worth More Than 3 Million Bucks WTF?

From a blue collar back round and he's now worth 3,000,000+ and he's an attorney? Where did he get all that bloody cash? HUH HUH HUH I WANT TO KNOW!!!!!

[Demeter]

28. That Was NO Blue Collar Background!

Daddy was a steel executive---slightly more than middle class!

[Binka]

32. Sorry I Thought His Father Was A Steel WORKER

Not an uber elite Whoreporate executive. I also think this creep is a deeply closeted self loathing gay man and his wife is vying with Osama for worlds BEST beard.

[IndianaGreen]

29. Why are they stone walling the tax returns?

Do they show that Roberts is a member of Opus Dei and has given money to this Catholic extremist cult?

[dusty64]

30. Thats it.....

NO records NO confirmation. Its been a looooooooooooooong road of disappointment in our so called opposition party, if they cave despite this secrecy I will finally be done with them!