Why are Hillary and Edwards refusing to release tax returns?

[elizm]

Sorry if this has already been posted. Anyone know why they won't release them?

http://news.aol.com/elections/president/story/_a/front-runners-refuse-release-of-tax/20070515145909990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001Updated:2007-05-16 01:31:12
Front-Runners Refuse Release of Tax Returns
By JAKE TAPPER and AVERY MILLER
ABC News
(May 16) - Five of the six presidential front-runners -- Sens. Hillary Clinton , D-N.Y., and John McCain , R-Ariz., former Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, former Democratic Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- are as yet refusing to release their tax returns.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

1. Maybe for the same reasons as McCain, Romney and Giuliani (n/t).

[elizm]

2. Obama has released his...

Does it not make you wonder what the others are hiding???

[elizm]

3. Edwards released his in 2004...Why not now? n/t

[melody]

4. Because not releasing a return is a story for one day, a tax return itself gives tons of RW ammo

The gift that keeps on giving.

It doesn't matter whether or not there's anything problematic on it at all, the RW will find things and spin them. HC and JE have been around long enough to know this. Obama will shortly learn.

[Catchawave]

8. That's why I'm not worried....

Not all of us use the short form, and wealthier people do get extensions...more receipts to roundup :silly:

[melody]

13. That's the other possibility ... extensions

I'm a middle-class business owner and I get extensions, too.

[elizm]

21. Then they could just say that, right? "I'm not done yet"....It's easy..

But only if they intend on providing complete transparency to the voters.

[melody]

24. Then my other theory applies ... not releasing = a one-day story

Releasing it gives tons of information to be spun and misconstrued.

When George Bush releases all his military "records", his financial statements showing the patterns of graft and theft, and etc, etc, etc, I'll begin to start thinking about "complete transparency".

All I care now is that he/she is a moderate or liberal Democrat. Everything else is detail, wherein the Devil resides.

[elizm]

25. Guess that is where we differ...

...I'm ready for the real deal this time...someone with nothing to hide...not just any moderate or liberal Democrat. Transparency in our nominee is NUMBER ONE with me....call me crazy.

[melody]

27. Then prepare for defeat

We are dealing with sociopathic monsters. I used to think along your lines when I was in my 20s. I'm 47 now and have a much more jaded outlook on these matters.

[elizm]

31. I'm 54 years to your 47...

Aren't you a little young to be so jaded?? And perhaps that is the problem these days???

[melody]

35. No, I think the problem is we don't understand the scope of the opponent

My background is in anthropology. We're dealing with vicious domesticated primates. It's important
to remember that when we approach these matters with idealism.

[elizm]

38. Oh, please...and my background is in reality....

...Keep doing what you've been doing and you'll keep getting what you've been getting. Sorry, but I will not settle for any moderate or liberal Democrat...I will dare to hope for better things.

[melody]

41. Yeah, right, and you keep daring to hope and I'll be trying to save us from the idealists

We should just agree to disagree.

[elizm]

42. Sounds good to me. n/t

[elizm]

11. Then why did Edwards release in 2004 but not now? n/t

[melody]

12. Obviously because the RW got ammo from that one, so he's not going to give them more

The people sniping about this are just doing the work of the RW for them.

I don't give a damn what John Edwards makes ... that's his business. I care what his views
are and where his votes will be. Hillary Clinton could be a pauper and I still wouldn't
vote for her.

[karynnj]

14. In 2005, he likely had some of the Hedge fund money

[Cameron27]

5. They all should release their returns.

""It's very unusual," said Mary Boyle of the good government group Common Cause. "For the past almost 35 years, it has been tradition most certainly in the White House as well as almost every presidential candidate to disclose their tax returns -- and for some reason we're not seeing it this year."

[Catchawave]

6. Maybe they're not done?

I'm not worried....convenient that the MSM is...hmmmmmm? What's with ABC News lately, very anti-Dem....especially via an AOL link :shrug:

[shadowrider]

7. It doesn't matter

What party a politician belongs to, they all have something to hide.

[Adelante]

9. Good for Obama

More transparency, not less!!

Obama: Releasing Returns a Matter of 'Good Government'

Of the "Big Six" front-runners, only Sen. Barack Obama , D-Ill., has released his tax returns.

"I think it's critical that people know who their candidates are, what our sources of income are, whether we have any potential conflicts," Obama told ABC News Monday afternoon just before a campaign rally in Trenton, N.J. "It's just a matter of transparency, accountability and good government. It is something I've done throughout my political career."

Obama says he hasn't always enjoyed the process of the media poring over his personal finances.

"Occasionally newspapers have written about it and you know obviously it's not always something you want to do, but I think it is important to do if you want to be accountable to the voters," he said.

[pampango]

15. Good for Obama!

All the other Democrats and all of the Republicans I am sure have "good reasons" for not releasing tax returns. Embarrassment and fear of allegations of influence peddling and hypocrisy are probably pretty high on the list of reasons. If Obama can overcome this fear, so should the others, unless that is not "how the game is played."

[AlCzervik]

10. my god! call congress right now!! Did you ever think that maybe they aren't completed yet?

i've filed extensions before so it wouldn't be unusual for them to.

[Bitwit1234]

16. What difference does it make...actually who cares.

And they weren't the only two, by the way.

[elizm]

17. Transparency maybe???

Obama is the only one who has released his tax returns. Does it not make you wonder at all why the other 5 top candidates would not....especially since it has been a tradition for the past 35 years???
Do voters really WANT change in Washington? Geesh!!!!!!!!!!!!

[surfermaw]

18. Edward refusal to do so...keeps him in the news

Edwards, has had a hard time staying in the news, this is one thing that will get him mentioned every day probably a half dozen time a day, smart thinking on his part, I would say.

[Clark2008]

43. Or, he could go get another haircut - this time for $500.

Up the ante a bit.

;)

[Catchawave]

44. Keep carrying that RW water......

:evilgrin:

[Clark2008]

49. It's true - he did go get two $400 haircuts.

And that put him in the news.

No rightwing water.

Now, if he'd paid $400 for 40 haircuts to poor folks and it got misreported that he paid for one all by himself, then THAT would be rightwing water. This, however, happened.

[flpoljunkie]

19. Let's see if ABC deems this story to be newsworthy tonight.

[elizm]

22. I doubt it seriously....

...Especially since it includes Republicans who are refusing to reveal. Surely they don't want to expose them!

[MaineDem]

20. They will; they asked for extensions. n/t

[elizm]

23. That is what I was asking in the post...Do you have a link?

Do you have a link to where they said they asked for an extension?

[MaineDem]

26. Sorry, it's what I heard on CNN or MSNBC (I forget which was on)

Let me see if I can find it.

[elizm]

28. Please do. n/t

[MaineDem]

29. Edwards reported

$29.5M in assets.

[elizm]

32. 35 year tradition of revealing tax returns....

...Why won't he do it? What is the problem with transparency?

[MaineDem]

33. I think he did report them

The FEC may not have released them yet.

[elizm]

36. You THINK? Did you read the article? Can you provide a LINK!

You should back up your claim with a link!

[MaineDem]

39. Calm down.

I've been looking.

If I had the link I would have posted it.

Try this one: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=ahRLF_BhAZLI&refer=politics


May 16 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards last year had more than $1 million invested in funds managed by his former employer, New York-based Fortress Investment Group LLC, according to a federal regulatory filing.

Edwards also earned a salary of $479,512 as a senior adviser to the firm. He provided strategic advice on global economic issues and ``support in developing investment opportunities,'' according to an October 2005 Fortress press release announcing his hiring. The company, founded in 1998, had about $35.1 billion in assets under management as of Dec. 31.

Edwards has faced questions about his role at Fortress, which has investments in private equity funds and hedge funds among others. The former U.S. senator, who has criticized some subprime mortgage lenders for predatory practices, said he didn't realize that Fortress has extensive holdings in subprime portfolios, the Washington Post reported.

``When he began at Fortress, he asked if any of their companies exercised these practices and was assured that they were not predatory,'' his spokeswoman, Kate Bedingfield, said today.

[JNelson6563]

46. Calm down?? Calm down??!??!?

Lives are on the line here! Civilization hangs in the balance! OMG!!

:eyes:

[Alamom]

30. Candidates filed for extentions - Forbes

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/05/16/ap3728308.html

Forbes
By JIM KUHNHENN 05.16.07, 1:22 PM ET


Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republicans Mitt Romney, John McCain, Tommy Thompson and James Gilmore all received 45 day extensions to file their reports. Other candidates filed their reports Tuesday and the Federal Election Commission's legal staff was reviewing them before making them public.

[MaineDem]

34. Thanks for the link. n/t

[elizm]

37. Thank you for the link...

Which is what I was asking in the original post. I trust we will soon know about Edward's filings.

[elizm]

48. That's not tax returns, btw...that is only the FEC report...

And they only provide general estimates of net worth. So Hillary filed for a 45 day extension on the FEC reports. Obama is still the only one who has released his tax returns....which tells it all. Again, Edwards released his tax returns in 2004....Why not now??

[illinoisprogressive]

40. something to hide and don't want made public

[Catchawave]

45. Bush is still hiding his TANG records....

Gee Whiz.

[TeamJordan23]

47. Giuliani's Reported Income was $16 Million

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8P5OSOG0&show_article=1

Would love to see some more details about his business practices.