I don't know about you, but my old tax returns are sitting in a file cabinet

[hedgehog]

5 feet away and I can get them out to show you in about 23 seconds flat. The rest of my house is an incredible mess, but I do keep track of the important items!

[LostinVA]

1. Um

I'm confused.

[hedgehog]

3. From the debate last night, when Senator Clinton said something to the effect that

she was working on getting her tax returns released to th e public but that it would take a while.

[Lerkfish]

7. Clinton fumbled around on why her tax returns are unavailable, saying she "hasn't had time"

or that she's "been busy", something to that effect.

really inspired confidence in her as a leader.

[bellasgrams]

19. I really doubt if she handles her tax returns herself. She probably

means she has to have meetings with her tax people. I know I have a hard time keeping up with my paperwork and only have tiny tiny bit of property, after I post mine on a spreadsheet then take it to a CPA. I can't imagine how complcated it must be for her or anyone with wealth.

[Lerkfish]

20. but this issue has come up before, and it keeps getting avoided

she doesn't say she won't provide it, simply that now is not the time.

if she does have professional accountants, they could get it for her instantly, or else they're incompetent. Or crooked. Take your pick. My dad was an accountant and did people's taxes. He could put his hand on their records instantly, and that was before computers.

[Big Blue Marble]

25. It is not complicated.

At one time I worked for a CPA. We had every client's tax return easily available for every year
that we filed for them. It would take us no more than ten minutes to find the file and pull the return.

The return no matter how extensive is a packet stapled together and easily accessible.
It does not matter how wealthy the client. Their packet is just a little larger
It is filed just as it is sent to IRS.

She is stalling, blatantly stalling.

[shain from kane]

29. She knows that she will be grilled on its contents, and may want to have explanations

from the accountants, and weigh the exposure of certain information. It's not a simple W-2 return.

[LoZoccolo]

32. Even better: one phone call and her accountant can look for it for her.

She won't lose but five or ten minutes on the campaign trail.

[Horse with no Name]

2. What about your checkbook?

You know...to return money that you shouldn't have taken in the first place? Does it take you a year to find that?

[gateley]

4. And I'm guessing that those accountants who many have do their taxes, have

them filed away all nice and neat, too. Instantly accessible and all.

[Coexist]

18. you can always xerox them a copy.

[gateley]

22. They're probably already in pdf form and on a disc. nt.

[Coexist]

27. that was a lame play on the debate...

I guess it wasn't funny!

[gateley]

28. Ha! Sorry - It IS funny and clever.

I'm running slow -- will rectify the problem with coffee IMMEDIATELY!

:hi:

[flor de jasmim]

5. Not only that, but she acts like she personally would have to retrieve/prepare them!

She's been campaigning for a year...they couldn't have "found" her papers as First Lady by now? I can't remember if she has spoken about the need for Open Government (Obama sure has), but I'd have a hard time believing her, if she had.

[tabasco]

14. She thinks people are stupid enough to believe that crap!

She is largely correct!

[ExtraGriz]

6. is there a legal basis?

for her to show her tar returns? in past years, when did candidates publicized their tax returns? or is this all because the obama campaign want her to show her tax return? just curious thats all.

[crispini]

10. Obama has made his public.

Not sure where the original request for her to do so came from.

[The Anti-Bush]

13. It's about transparency

Obama has already released his. What does she have to hide?

The fact is that they have been doing business overseas, and we have a right to know how they are earning their money.

It isn't all from book deals and speeches. You don't SECRETLY lend your campaign $5 million dollars and get to go on unscrutinized.

If she has done nothing wrong, then she has nothing to worry about.

[Ravy]

37. It is about demanding voluntary invasion of their privacy.

[FlyingSquirrel]

8. We're simple folk.

When you're a public figure, your tax return may be extremely complex and I'm sure there are plenty of confidential things you want to make sure don't get released if they aren't required to be.

Just a guess.

[tabasco]

12. Obama is a public figure

and he found the time to release his tax information.

[FlyingSquirrel]

16. Ya you're right... see below

[bellasgrams]

21. There's absolutely no way to compare tax returns of BO to the

Clintons.

[FlyingSquirrel]

24. Explain?

[Horse with no Name]

30. Before or after he paid rezco back the money? n/t

[KittyWampus]

35. point being, we know all about Rezko and that there's nothing wrong there. Clintons, otoh

we can't know.

[Jane Austin]

9. Mine aren't.

But any time I've needed them for a line of credit, I've picked up the phone, called our accountant and asked him to FAX them to the lender.

Takes, like, three minutes.

[tabasco]

11. Clinton's been too busy to get that info to the public!

But she promises she will do better with time management as President!



Such an obvious lie. H. Clinton thinks we are as stupid as rocks.

[FlyingSquirrel]

15. No matter what's in it, she will be criticized. Should've released long ago

'cause instead it's festering and makes it look like she has something to hide.

Wow, I just looked at Obama's 2006 return. Neither he nor Michelle checked the box to have $3 go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund! What do they have against PUBLIC FINANCING????????!?!?111

LOL

I mean really, someone's gonna take issue with anything.

[Debi]

17. But she'll have them to us by the end of April.....say the 23rd?? n/t

[LiberalFighter]

23. Why should anyone provide that info before they obtain the nomination?

[hedgehog]

26. Because promising to release them after they obtain the nomination suggests

that if we see them ahead of time, they won't get the nomination?

[HeraldSquare212]

31. She says she's been fully vetted, but won't release her returns?

that action seems to call into question that statement.

[Raejeanowl]

33. Aren't We Talking About The Currently Due One?

Yeah, it bothers me she hasn't gotten it together, either; maybe she has a slight leeway on the 2007 final edition.

Otherwise, it seemed to come up in the context of-as Russert put it-who was contributing (indirectly) to the $5 million she loaned the campaign. I'm not convinced that legitimate income she loans to her campaign can be seen as a contribution. I'd be more concerned with income that appeared to be inexplicable, i.e., purely a gift.

Final thought to Obama supporters: This Rezko connection hasn't yet had full disclosure in court, so don't get your knickers in a twist about the Clinton tax disclosures just yet.

[Melinda]

39. No, we are talking of her 2006 return. OB released his 2006, HRC has not.

No one has requested her 2007 return - yet.

[Barack_America]

34. I've got mine saved on my computer. Wanna see?

:P

[PurityOfEssence]

36. Great. Why don't you send 'em to me; would you like my address?

In this age of ridicule and simplicity, it's not as simple as that: we're all intertwined and "our" life really isn't "ours". They would--as most people of means and consequence would--have to excise personal information about business associates, details of account numbers, details of confidential information that can get quite complex. Ridiculing them with the claim that you could send yours at the drop of a pointy fool's cap is just plain silly. Are yours as complex as theirs?

Even if they're pretty much innocent, there's going to be stuff in there that'll be waved high like a bloody shirt that they'll then have to go on the defensive about. You made HOW MUCH money for that speech, Bill? Isn't the third assistant secretary of that organization a convicted felon with bad breath and a history of substance abuse?

Nobody likes to have his/her personal financial dealings picked over, and certainly not without restricting some information. Lest we forget, the haters will shriek like the mutilated at anything that's deemed confidential and it'll raise deafening cries of assorted poopiness.

Hey, don't wait for my address; you could aways post them right here and now. Go ahead.

[marlakay]

38. Ready on Day 1??? nt