Democrats in Congress frustrated by President Obama’s repeated refusal to release all of his papers from his days in the Illinois state senate and his college transcripts are introducing legislation that would force the president to release his political records and Columbia transcripts–just in case he misrepresented his back story to enable his transfer there.
Just kidding! Democrats are introducing legislation to force Mitt Romney to release his tax returns. Running out of retired baseball players to prosecute and looking for some other creative ways to cynically use their taxpayer-funded salaries to waste everyone’s time and money on a political stunt designed to treat the Congress as if it were a liberal super-PAC, Democrats have seized on the issue of Romney’s tax returns as a nifty way to legislate campaign ads from the Senate floor. Senators Carl Levin and Dick Durbin can’t even pretend that this is not what they’re doing, even though the legislation would obviously force all candidates to comply:
Sen. Carl Levin told reporters that the Senate proposal would shed new light on the use of shell corporations based overseas to help U.S. companies and individuals avoid U.S. taxes. But Durbin confirmed the timing of the proposal is designed to highlight Democratic complaints with Romney’s investments.
“Clearly, I think the American people are entitled to more,” Durbin said, of the two years of tax returns Romney has so far said he will release. “I also think he has an obligation to explain why he and his family decided that offshore tax havens are the right place to park their money and their wealth. Those are legitimate questions.”
The two suggested they would move the item as an amendment to some other larger bill in coming weeks, which could force a Senate floor debate.
I, for one, agree that the American people are entitled to more. I’d start with a budget–something Senate Democrats steadfastly refuse to do. GOP House Speaker John Boehner also thinks the American people deserve more: “The American people are asking, where are the jobs? They’re not asking where in the hell the tax returns are,” he told the Washington Post.
Well that may be, but what could Durbin and Levin possibly care what Americans are asking for? It’s silly season, after all–a time that seems strangely permanent in Harry Reid’s Senate. Besides, it’s just congressional legislation designed with a specific individual political opponent of Durbin and Levin’s in mind. It’s not like there’s any way such a standard could be abused. What could possibly go wrong?
This nonsense will backfire. Only blue state voters are pleased by this silliness. Independents who earn their living in the private sector are irritated.
nReally! I can't understand with 15% unemployment are doing this kind of crap? I wish they actualy cared about Obama and how he has released nothing. n n
If the returns show that Romney did not pay taxes he should have, will Obama offer to make him Secretary of the Treasury, or is that deal open only to Democrats?
Ann Romney said her husband "had not released back returns because he fears it would just become fodder for more attacks from the Obama campaign." n nThey must be worse than we thought. n nPS – According to Commentary's "Intense Debate Reputation Meter" I'm definitely not well-regarded by other commenters. What an accolade!
the really irritating thing is you mention this to people and they say "Oh, we already know all about Obama's past from the 2008 election," even though that's not even nearly true. Obama has in fact hid everything he could about his past. n nthe interesting thing to wonder is WHY Obama refuses to release something as innocent as a college transcript. I mean, maybe Mitt is embarrassed about how much money he's made. I wouldn't be surprised since that is apparently now a reason NOT to vote for someone–that he was incredibly successful (of course he didn't do it himself, according to O). but why would Barack Obama, the Smartest Man Ever To Be President, not want us to see his college records? maybe he doesn't want us to know he was an Islamic Studies major or something
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