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The Spectacle Blog
The other day I made the case as to why I thought Mitt Romney should release as many tax returns as possible and nothing in Jeff Lord’s feature article today convinces me otherwise.
I understand where Jeff is coming from. The liberal media subjects conservatives (especially conservatives who threaten President Obama’s hold on power) to different rules than President Obama and the argument is that we should not play their game. Yet consider this passage:
Senator John McCain, who reviewed some 20 years of Romney tax returns when considering the Governor as a potential 2008 running mate, says he saw absolutely nothing amiss. Doubtless true.
That, however, is not the point. If Mitt Romney were to release a lifetime of well-in-order, nothing-amiss tax returns, Team Obama would find the “Fat Jap” — the political gotcha.
First, if Mitt Romney can provide 20 years of tax returns to Senator McCain then why can’t he do the same with the American people? After all, the only thing stand between Romney and the White House is the American people. If he wants to get inside the Oval Office then he must earn the trust of the American people. This requires acts of good faith. As I said the other day, since Obama has released seven of his tax returns the least Romney can do is to release eight.
Second, to argue that Romney shouldn’t release his tax returns on the grounds that Team Obama will say “gotcha” is a cop out. By that standard, Romney could argue that he can’t release a policy proposal on health care because the Obama campaign will say “gotcha”. The Obama campaign has been saying “gotcha” where it concerns Romney for months now and will continue to do so until Election Day. Besides releasing his tax returns isn’t to placate the Obama campaign. That’s not going to happen. Romney releasing his tax returns is for the benefit of the American people because it conveys an image of honesty, trust and transparency.
Finally, Romney does more harm than good to himself by not releasing his tax returns. By not releasing as many tax returns as possible, it leaves people with the impression that he has something to hide or something to be ashamed about. Yes, the American people will be shocked - shocked!!! - to learn that Mitt Romney is stinking rich. So let Obama complain about Romney’s wealth. Then we can have an honest to goodness debate between free enterprise and socialism. I’d rather that be the question of the day rather than why Romney hasn’t released his tax returns. Again, this issue hurt him in the GOP primary until he released his 2010 return. If Romney wants to make this issue go away then he should release as many returns as possible posthaste.
View all comments (22) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/07/19/romney-would-be-wise-to-releas
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aware| 7.19.12 @ 7:22PM
What bothers me about Romney isn't his stupid tax bill. It's things like: "Requires spending cuts of approximately $500 billion per year in 2016 assuming robust economic recovery with 4% annual growth, and reversal of irresponsible Obama-era defense cuts." (mittromney.com)
Even accepting the cooked numbers of the criminal conspiracy, which manages to pare down 3 trillion to 1.3 trillion, Mitt's "bold" plan still plans on over 3/4 of a trillion more going out than coming in.
Once upon a time the Republicans promised to destroy the Republic at half the speed of Democrats, now it's 3/4s. And once upon a time we didn't call presidents and would be presidents by chummy nick names at their insistence.
And I see he's picked up that Obama trick of promising wonderful things the year after his term ends. I suppose this means we can expect little change in borrowing between then and now.
CopyKatnj| 7.19.12 @ 7:56PM
Sorry Aaron, I'm not buying this. Mr. Romney should stand by principle. Submitting tax returns for inspection are not required. Get with it Aaron, no more mind reading games.
kingsmill| 7.19.12 @ 8:29PM
Attempting to appease the Left by Pavlovian responses to their contrived demands is a fool's errand. The Obuma campaign will use Romney's legitimate tax planning strategies as a justification of an auto da fe of Willard. Unfortunately "Conservativism Inc." responds to each and every demagogic gesture of the Leftist elites with appeasement.
AllAmericanAmerican| 7.19.12 @ 8:33PM
Well no they respond first by pissing all over themselves in fear. THEN they appease and apologize.
If you have to apologize for being a conservative, you ain't a conservative.
AllAmericanAmerican| 7.19.12 @ 8:31PM
What's up Aaron, not getting invites to the DC cocktail parties?
Nope, he should go on TV and tell the liberal media to piss off is what he should do. He should mention wow, you guys weren't this worked up over Obama's birth certificate 4 years ago. Or his passport. Or his college transcripts. Nope. Funny that.
Maybe he should suggest to them instead of worrying about my tax returns you should go read that Marianis guy's book?
Shove it back in their face. Stand up for yourself. Don't cave. It never works. If you think releasing the tax returns would end there, you're seriously a moron.
Kingofthenet| 7.19.12 @ 11:43PM
You do know that Obama released his LEGALLY obtained Birth Cerificate BEFORE the 2008 General Election? Right?
ggoblue| 7.19.12 @ 11:48PM
just link it for us mr troll
DTOM| 7.20.12 @ 6:45AM
Yeah, right after they got done making it...
AllAmericanAmerican| 7.20.12 @ 3:39PM
Is this a joke?????
Paul McGrath| 7.19.12 @ 8:49PM
Gotta agree with Lord on this one, Aaron. If Romney releases his tax returns, there will be a new revelation every three days with front page below-the-fold headlines in every newspaper in the country. None of it will be legitimate, of course, but who cares? The nattering press will speculate on it morning, noon, and night, and Romney will spend all his waking moments trying to correct the misperceptions and outright fabrications created by those who couldn't care less about the truth.
In the Bee today it was reported that Pelosi and Reid haven't released their tax returns, and neither have about 95% of both houses of Congress.
Romney should continue to just say no. The issue will die at some point.
mike 3/505| 7.19.12 @ 9:23PM
Paul,
I agree with your post except for the last statement. Governor Romney should give maybe one "final NO." From then on, ignore questions about it. Quit calling on reporters who mention it. "Access" is everything in the media. Pay attention to reporters who ask substantive questions...ignore the rest. They will come to heel in time. Reagan figured this one out and managed to tame the media beast.
Paul McGrath| 7.19.12 @ 11:14PM
"When Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the other 496 members of Congress release their tax records, and when Barack Hussein Obama releases his school records, his health records, and explains how he somehow has managed to get a social security number issued in Connecticut, I will CONSIDER releasing my tax records."
"Next question please."
mike 3/505| 7.20.12 @ 8:44AM
Hua!
Bob S| 7.19.12 @ 9:21PM
Aaron Goldstein falls too easily to the whims of the media. On top of being a hopeless Bryce Harper fanboy, he's playing right into the liberals' hand and asking Romney to release his tax returns.
Releasing his tax returns will do nothing for the American people, because the American people didn't ask for it. Contrary to what you may believe, Goldstein, it is only the Obama campaign making an issue about this, and making it appear that it is truth everywhere, just like they make their polls appear absolutely true when only they themselves really believe it.
It's unfortunate that Mitt Romney can't assert executive privilege when he doesn't want to release documents his opposition wants him to believe. You know, Aaron, instead of pushing this nonsense that Romney should release his tax returns to placate the American people, which is a completely fabricated premise, you should continue pushing Obama and the DOJ to release documents on Fast and Furious, which have very real and very deadly consequences for the American people.
RJ| 7.19.12 @ 9:44PM
I am glad that Romney isn't acting like a trained seal, dancing to the tune of Obama and the media. Obama of all people has kept his past a secret with the media's blessing and wrote a highly fictionalized biography. Demands for Romney's tax returns are a side-show and are designed to take attention away from the primary issues of this campaign; 1) Obama's destructive handling of the economy; 2) the blight known as Obamacare and 3) Obama's lawless and increasingly dictatorial reign in office. I hope Romney focuses on the following message; Romney for individual choice and freedom; Obama for government control.
bluecollarbytes| 7.19.12 @ 10:35PM
Voters just need to vote for Romney, so we can see what's in his tax returns after he's elected.
but really, let obama & co flail about some more first. Once the returns are released, everyone knows it'll be attacks on what Romney spent his money on, how much he made, is there a 'correlation' between Romney doing well and some categories of peons doing badly?, etc etc...
That's just giving obama what he wants, because he can demonize anything. Obama's only hope is that he can keep things uneasy, tense, hopefully confused, and in constant turmoil. Romney should be walking away with this at some point, or obama remains a huge threat
Kingofthenet| 7.19.12 @ 11:46PM
You just KNOW Willard didn't pay ANY taxes for certian years, and ran an Abortion Body Disposal Service.
ggoblue| 7.19.12 @ 11:50PM
maybe romney isn't going to be obama's punk. good for him.
lord is right and you are wrong aaron.
Sjccoach| 7.20.12 @ 12:00AM
Typical CINO logic. You are in a war so you have to appease your enemy. No matter what Romney does he will not appease the liberal media. So he should not release the tax returns. As a matter of fact if the release of tax returns are so important why don't you post your tax returns at this website?
Dave in LA| 7.20.12 @ 12:12PM
Get over it, Aaron. Lord and Krauthammer have it correct. All Obama and his minions can do is try to deflect from their abysmal failure. I would give Mitt one bit of advice, though. Tell the wifey not to mention it ever again. It just invites the attack dogs to start barking again.
tanckpa| 7.21.12 @ 9:33AM
I couldn't give a fig about seeing Romney's tax records. What about seeing Obama's college records? What about seeing the Fast and Furious documents? But what I really want to see is Romney fighting for this country and its citizens as though they were worth fighting for. Stiffen your spine and grow a pair of onions, man! Come out swinging. Show a little grit. Not in crazed anger, but in that witty, wickedly sharp Reaganesque way. Tax records. Blah.