Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid continues to accuse Mitt Romney of ducking taxes for 10 years without a hint of evidence. This morning, Reid released a statement about the “controversy” (that he created) insisting that his “source” (who he refuses to name) is “extremely credible”:
There is a controversy because the Republican presidential nominee, Governor Mitt Romney, refuses to release his tax returns. As I said before, I was told by an extremely credible source that Romney has not paid taxes for ten years. People who make as much money as Mitt Romney have many tricks at their disposal to avoid paying taxes. We already know that Romney has exploited many of these loopholes, stashing his money in secret, overseas accounts in places like Switzerland and the Cayman Islands. …
It’s clear Romney is hiding something, and the American people deserve to know what it is. Whatever Romney’s hiding probably speaks volumes about how he would approach issues that directly impact middle-class families, like tax reform and the economy. When you are running for president, you should be an open book.
If Reid thought his accusations would result in another media outcry for Romney’s tax returns, he made the wrong bet. Instead the media seems to be primarily interested in chronicling Reid’s bizarre outbursts. Who can focus on tax returns when the Senate Majority Leader appears to be on the brink of a self-inflicted meltdown?
At HotAir, Ed Morrissey rakes Reid over the coals and points out that he’s only undermining his own party’s efforts to attack Romney’s lack of transparency:
Reid, who also refuses to release his own tax returns, isn’t just a hypocrite and a slanderer. He’s also a political idiot. Until these attacks, Romney was on the defensive over his tax returns. Now Romney can paint his decision to keep them private as a principled stand against unscrupulous opponents. Reid has handed the high ground to Romney in this fight with his scurrilous lies. Reid has all but ruined Obama’s strategy of making Romney look secretive and weird.
That’s a good point. Reid does seem to be freelancing on this one. Have any Democratic leaders come out to back up his charges yet? Where’s the DNC and the Obama campaign on this? The most forceful defense of Reid appears to have come from Sen. Charles Schumer, and even that was pretty tepid:
Schumer said the Reid attacks are politically effective for Democrats and urged Romney to release more of his tax returns, suggesting Democrats will not back away from the aggressive campaigning.
“Everyday Mitt Romney has to talk about tax returns is a bad day for him and a good day for Democrats. You know they’re trying to focus this on Harry Reid, there’s an 800 pound elephant in the room, It’s called ‘unreleased taxes,’” Schumer said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Reid’s backed himself into a corner here. If he drops the issue, it’ll gives the GOP a perfect bludgeon against the Obama campaign’s future attempts to get Romney to release his tax returns. They can just point out that Democrats have flung absurd charges at Romney without substantiating them. If Reid continues to push the issue, he’ll only open himself up to more scrutiny over his sources.
For five years Obama has been defined by the right as a Kenyan Muslim socialist gun grabbing Affirmative Action food stamp Nazi. Obama pays little attention to these fools and laughs off the insults.
To say Romney "exploits" tax loopholes is a bit absurd if they are totally legal. And "loopholes" is a bit of a misnomer. Tell me anyone, no matter what income, would not do everything legally under the sun to pay the least amount of tax. If not, that person would be stupid. And Reid, well, he is why Congress is so disrespected. He has no morals.
Perhaps Reid has been possessed by the ghost of Joe McCarthy.
I wonder if Reid's source isn't an IRS employee or someone in the Obama administration that has (illegal?) access to IRS data. n nThing is, the idea that Romney has broken any laws is ridiculous, and if he's exploited perfectly legal so-called "loopholes", then it's the fault of Congress for creating them in the first place. Come to think of it, if this is such a huge problem, why didn't Obama / Reid / Pelosi close those nefarious loopholes back when they had a filibuster-proof Congress?
Good point about fixing loop holes. Romney's investments are in such thing as dividends and short term gains which are taxed lower. It is anyone's freedom, or at least it was last time I looked, to invest your money where ever they choose. I don't think Reid has spoke with anyone; rather I think the Obama administration has put him up this to direct attention from Obama. Cassandra, you make some good points.
Why should Mitt Romney be on the defensive regarding his taxes? When was this an issue when far wealthier Democrats like John Kerry were running for the presidency?
Or Jack and Bobby Kennedy who never released any tax returns.
I'm trying to figure out how these accounts are "secret" if we all know about them.
It is not surprising to find this tactic. Obama got his primary opponent for the Senate to reveal confidential papers concerning his divorce that did not contain anything very messy, and turned them into allegations of scandal that won the election. Then he did exactly the same thing in the general election.
The next stage, which you don't imagine there is, is this: Since Reid can't name his "extremely credible source," no Democrat can join him on this on this basis and make a media controversy out of it. If Dems were to try, they would have to say "an unnamed source whose identity I can't tell you has said Romney hasn't didn't pay taxes for 10 years. It's time for Romney to prove that this unnamed person is wrong." That's just too ridiculous. n nBut you know what's not? The next media step, which will be aided by a Democrat: The unnamed and unnamable source will be called "a whistleblower." Then, the lack of identification is explained. After all, you can't blow a whistleblower's cover! That would be an attack on the person doing the right thing, not the criminal he's blowing the whistle on! n nWatch for it in the media. I think the WaPo will be the first to label Reid's unnamed source a whistleblower.
Yes, yes. But what about the rumors that Reid is a pederast? Stop burying the lede, Alana. Whatever Romney's tax situation it pales in comparison to the Senate Majority leader maybe being or not being a pederast. I couldn't say one way or the other if Reid molests children but it is on him to deny the accusation. After all, it is a very serious accusation.
I thought I had replied before, so if this duplicates – my apologies. n najwpip is right – Reid continues to deny that he is a pederast, what are we to make of his refusal to offer at least a denial, if not proof of his innocence. n nFurther, Harry Reid has never released his own tax returns and they might be much more interesting that Mr. Romney's. n nHarry Reid has been in gov't service for pretty much his entire life, never earning too much money. Yet he is said to be a multi-millionaire. n nIt seems to me that it is likely that Harry Reid is a crook. And a pederast. n nTHESE ARE SERIOUS CHARGES!
The Romney tax issue will not save the US economy. We need someone who knows something about the economy and jobs creation. There are as many democrats as republicans cheaters.
For five years Obama has been defined by the right as a Kenyan Muslim socialist gun grabbing Affirmative Action food stamp Nazi. Obama pays little attention to these fools and laughs off the insults. n nMitt Romney is being asked why he does not observe a customary show of honesty initiated by his own father. One of these men has been insulted and one has not. n nIf Mitt wants to spend a month whining about the unfairness of politics, Harry Reid will buy him a microphone and rent the stadium.
I'm beginning to wonder if anyone will show up in Charlotte for their convention. Any members of congress in close races will continue to distance themselves…I'm thinking a few might even change parties. I wouldn't want to be affiliated with these crazy people; I'm sure there must be a couple of democrats with principles.
Harry is proving that even idiots can be elected to very high positions of power… I also think that Harry his starting to show signs of dementia, because he sounds incoherent when he makes these accusations. When I listen to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid speak I wonder what it is that democrats saw in these two.
if you're running for president you should be an open book–like Barack Obama was, Harry? project much?
well Obama was a composite open book. in the fiction section. n nyou don't need a weatherman to know somebody farted
Reid is Right. u2028Release your Returns Romneyu2028…or go back to playing dressage!u2028 We all have a RIGHT to see a Presidential Candidates tax returns!u2028 Unless… you’re hiding something, Mr. Mitt?u2028 p.s.u2028 AND how did you stuff all those millions into your tax-loophole IRA–u2028while the rest of us poor smucks have limits?u2028 You want MORE tax cuts for the rich, Mitt?u2028 WHAT GALL!u2028 Mitt baby- if you want to run for dog-catcher thenu2028 keep your returns, and clean off your car roof.u2028 Otherwise, put up, or shut up and go away ….u2028BEFORE the convention.u2028 The super-rich think that they have the God-given rightu2028to do anything they want in this great country-u2028while the REST of us get screwed!u2028 ENOUGH!!! n
Pseudo-Marxist babble.
” Whereu2019s the DNC and the Obama campaign on this? “r nr nStill shaking off the Adelson headache?
Tax returns are privileged and confidential. Romney should file a lawsuit against John Doe and subpoena Harry Reid for a deposition. Reid is not a journalist. It would be amusing to see what steps he would take to protect his "source".
Yeah, way past time for Reid to "come" clean on the pederasty charges. Just the other day, a drunk homeless guy in Cincinnati told me that he had absolute proof that Reid often cornholes 3-year old boys. SERIOUS CHARGES REQUIRE SERIOUS RESPONSES, NO??