Teresa Heinz-Kerry and her taxes... (?)

[jtb33]

I don't know if this is the right forum for this (if it's not, I apologize), and I looked around but didn't see anything mentioned on this, so I hope it isn't a duplicate topic.

I'm hearing discussion about this around here at work. What's the deal going on with Kerry's wife's taxes? Some issue about making them public? Do they *have* to be made public? Do JFK and his wife file separately? Why is Heinz-Kerry so adamant about not releasing them? If they aren't required to be released, why is this even being talked about?!

I may be missing something and be completely off, but I don't quite understand.

[David Dunham]

1. The Repugs are pushing for release, but no legal requirement.

[sangh0]

2. The Repukes talk about it

in order to avoid talking about how the Bush* family hasn't released THEIR tax forms.

[dsc]

3. Bush has

and they file jointly. So that frankly isn't true.

[displacedtexan]

6. and Bush*'s return just says "investments." Duh.

Wouldn't you like to see the details?

[dsc]

7. actually yes

but I don't think the particular investments are listed on the return, so they aren't asking for that from Ms. Heinz.

[sangh0]

14. Wrong dsc

Bush*'s daddy isn't releasing his returns, and neither are his brothers, sisters, uncles, etc....

[stopthegop]

wife is a bit closer legally than brother...

not that you care...

[sangh0]

19. I don't care

You should read Kevin Phillips Wealth and Democracy

Individual wealth doesn't count as much as dynastic wealth.

[hedgetrimmer]

32. Yeah! Heinz is not a dynasty...er... um ... oh, it is ...

[Rockholm]

17. Blind Trust. How nice.

[dsc]

23. The elder Bush's are on record from 81 to 93

and his income after that can be pretty easily surmised from those. Jeb's are almost certainly public due to his being governor of Florida. But, and this is the point, a wife is much closer than brothers or fathers. We would never except this line of reasoning from a conservative politician. We never saw Billy Carter's or Roger Clinton's returns to name two. I know damn well you were one of those who harped and harped and harped some more on Dean's records. I still think Dean had a valid reason to hold those back. There is no valid reason to hold her tax return back. And politically, the records ended up being a mistake. This would be a worse political mistake.

[sangha]

24. Ummm, it's 2004 now

.

[dsc]

33. Yes it is

but the only ways that the elder Bush has been making money are from public speaking engagements, serving on boards of directors, and previously held investments. All of those are things which are pretty easy to get a hold on. We can't know every penny but we can come close.

[displacedtexan]

4. They can't debate the issues; ergo, demand the wife's tax return.

What dipshits.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PaDUer]

12. Right on!

There's quite a few of them lately around here. Tell them to F off!

[Democat]

15. Check the Air America threads

Hardly a poster with more than 40 posts anywhere in those Air America bashing threads.

[tom_paine]

21. Yup. It's getting bad

[Mountainman]

8. Go find out then come back and tell is OK?

We don't give a damn so how can you get an answer here?

[molly]

9. Remember Geraldine Ferraro?

they dug up her husband's business tax returns.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/articlearchives/womhst/gerald.htm

http://slate.msn.com/id/1845/

....snip

"Even her responses to ethics charges reflect her political instincts. Confronted with allegations about campaign-finance irregularities or with questions about her husband's business dealings, Ferraro has bobbed and weaved with Clintonian deftness: Hand out a few documents, hedge, cavil, deny, admit with explanation."

[Wheaty]

10. I just tell them

I just tell people that Theresa Heinz-Kerry will release her tax returns to the public right after Cheney releases the Energy Meeting papers. That usually shuts em up fast.

:7

[yardwork]

11. Good one! Welcome to DU!

[tigereye]

13. I think her money

came from people who actually knew how to run a business, unlike the current White House occupant. The complaint just seems petty, like most of their crap.

[Rockholm]

16. DISCUSSION AT WORK? Discuss Drudge At Work Often?

44 posts. Pretty good. Guess you won't be around here too long. Oh, by the way, you REALLY gave yourself away with the pity "oh I'm sorry" apologies for posting where you posted. Silly sheep.

[jtb33]

22. Huh?

I said I was sorry in case this question didn't belong in the "General Discussion" thread. I didn't know if it should be in the Gen campaign 2004 topic or the "Media" topic or even the "Economic Issues". That's what the "sorry" was for. Wow... quick to jump on me because I am fairly new... :cry:

I've long been a "lurker", but haven't had the opportunity to post much.

[sangha]

27. It sounds very innocent

You're savvy enough to find DU, and to know about whether or not Theresa has released her tax records, but you don't know if a spouse is required to release those records. You've lurked for a long time, yet you claim the "newbie" defense when you're jumped on, even though your lurking should have informed you as to how innocent questions are received here.

[Llewlladdwr]

34. Yeah jt...

You should have known that around here innocent questions coupled with a low post count are considered obvious signs of freeperhood. What kinda lurker are you anyway?

[IronLionZion]

18. Everybody know she's rich

so I don't see what the problem is. :shrug:

[yardwork]

20. The right-wingers have a problem with rich liberals.

It doesn't compute for them, so they attempt to tear the offender to pieces.

[FDRrocks]

25. She isn't running for office...

As if that isn't obvious. Maybe you could check into Laura's filings.

[mondo joe]

26. Her money isn't his money - he can't use it to fund his campaign

They have separate money.

He can't use her money to campaign, other than her contribution which faces the same cap as any stranger's donation.

So why should she need to disclose?

[cally]

28. It's dumb to hide them..she will end up releasing them

Just release them during a busy news week and face the repercussions. Maybe in some ideal world, her tax records don't matter. This is our world today. She has to release them and defend her choices.

[Mick Knox]

29. i'm with those saying release them.

Sen Kerry and her knew what they were getting into.. they KNEW this would happen.. she should just release them and save allot of trouble. What can be in there? that she is rich beyond belief? that will shock no one. Just release them.

[Yupster]

30. Agree Cally

Why be on the defensive? Just release them. You'll probably have to anyway. She probably has a team of accountants doing them so there shouldn't be anything surprising or weird.

[SarahB]

31. Good Grief

We can sure count on the Republicans for bringing up all the "important" issues in campaigns, huh? :eyes: