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craig1958Jan 22, 2012
I'm certainly not defending Romney, but I would never release personal financial information. This seems like another reason that qualified individuals stay far away from american politics.
Closed AccountJan 22, 2012
Once someone campaigns for public office, he's no longer a private citizen. If people want to go around claiming that the government's budget is exactly comparable to a family's household budget, people want to know that you practice what you preach. If people want to go around slamming constantly whining that the government is evil and that extremely wealthy people are oppressed by our tax code, citizens want to know what you truly think qualifies as oppression. The problem is that time and time again, Republicans attack those on the left and portray themselves as victims of an unfair tax system--and then we eventually find out how people like Joe the Plunger, Joe Walsh, and Christine O'Donnell have actually been living their lives.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
craig1958Jan 22, 2012
That's fine for them, I'm just saying that I wouldn't do it. Maybe it just me, but I don't understand why anyone would desire a public office and I certainly wouldn't release personal information as a prerequisite for any job.
Closed AccountJan 23, 2012
You can't think of reasons why already filthy rich people might be drawn to public office?
craig1958Jan 23, 2012
Not unless they have huge egos and have visions of themselves in history books. If I was "filthy rich" and wanted power, I would just buy myself a candidate.
eraptorJan 22, 2012
I have no problem with requiring multi-year tax returns for EVERY candidate running for the Presidency. The American people have EVERY right to know who they're entrusting with their country and lives. Individual privacy concerns should never take precedent given the responsibility involved.
Tax returns highlight whether candidates "put their money where their mouth is" when claiming devotion and loyalty to the country. Mitt's Cayman Island activity guts his bold claims of being a "patriot" dedicated to the best interests of this nation. The same holds true of his vulture capitalist record.
craig1958Jan 22, 2012
You can require whatever you want of the candidates and most of these clowns will comply. It will also create one more reason for people who are actually qualified to stay out of the muck of american politics. The "american people" seem to be getting exactly what they deserve.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
truthroxJan 22, 2012
I don't think qualified people (with nothing to hide) would avoid running based on releasing their tax returns alone.
Most qualified people avoid running because they either have "skeletons in their closet" or don't want to deal with the barrage of baseless personal attacks Citizens United has unleashed.
In Newt's and Mitt's case, their ego trumped their common sense. Both of these men lack critical character characteristics (e.g., honesty, integrity and morality) and relatively clean histories required to be an effective, successful President. We learned that hard truth after George W. Bush served two disastrous terms in office.
craig1958Jan 22, 2012
I would never run for public office in america, neither would any successful people that I know. It would be a huge waste of their time and talent. I truly don't understand why someone would run for office if they had anything else useful to contribute. Look at the quality of the current candidates; this is what the political process produces. Making people jump through hoops will lower the caliber of these candidates even further (if that's possible). At this point it probably doesn't really matter; the process is completely broken.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
eraptorJan 23, 2012
Sorry to butt in...
While I don't doubt there are credible candidates in the Conservative movement, they would all be considered moderate and undeserving of the Conservative nomination by current party standards (e.g., John Huntsman). The Republican party has moved so far right, that the only "qualified" candidates are unelectable in the general election and to most of the country.
As for why anyone would run? The answer is because their aspirations and ambitions extend beyond mere wealth to leading a great nation.
Unfortunately, high caliber, selfless political leaders will never ascend to the Presidency (in the current environment) because it would threaten special interest group agendas which are at odds with the national interest. What's particularly tragic is that their agenda is driven purely by narcississm and greed. If these corrupting interests aren't driven out of the U.S. government, our nation will collapse taking the global economy with it.
craig1958Jan 23, 2012
It's over, I have not seen a single american candidate (for any office) in my lifetime that I would vote for. I assume the global economy will survive the eventual collapse of the US political system, it will be replaced by something; hopefully, something better. Just another cycle.
eraptorJan 23, 2012
I wouldn't put so much faith in the global economy improving global OR U.S. affairs/quality of life. Chinese Communist party leaders show NO sign of loosening their grip on power, only tightening it.
If globalization continues as it exists to day, plan on living NO differently than those Chinese workers at Foxconn. Globalization has proven to be nothing but a race to the bottom for MOST people.
craig1958Jan 23, 2012
Nope, globalization will continue to increase and the standard of living will continue to equalize over time; it will probably meet someplace in the middle (on average). If you don't like that answer, make sure you (and your kids) obtain the skills to be significantly above average in this economy.
If you can't do something better than most other people on the planet, you really do have something to worry about.
jaketyson85Jan 22, 2012
Mint Rommie is a pretty smooth dude - like a younger Bill Clayton almost. That being said, n00t has the IQ of an entire pack of ancient sea tortoises and is going to get the final victory and send Mint back to doing Just For Men Touch of Grey commercials.
particleman420Jan 23, 2012
i miss syntagx or whatever his name was.
this comment is not bad tho
superkendallJan 22, 2012
We get to see Obama's tax returns too, right? He has as much money as Romney.
Closed AccountJan 22, 2012
You're lying (again), kendall.
chilidogsJan 22, 2012
Derpy, fact free BS.
Romney net worth: 202 million. 86 million of it is a trust fund.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.candidates.moneymag/6.html
Obama net worth: 1.3 million.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.candidates.moneymag/5.html
eraptorJan 22, 2012
Obama ALREADY made his tax returns available and he didn't waffle on the issue NEARLY as much as Mitt did. Obama also hasn't parked his money in the Cayman Islands to evade his tax obligations.
I find it particularly amusing how Mitt thinks 2 years of his tax returns will make this issue go away. It's not hard to "cook" two year's worth of tax returns to hide Mitt's tax evasion disgrace. Mitt's father acknowledged this truth when HE ran for office. That's why he released close to a decade worth of HIS tax returns. It's a shame Mitt is nowhere near the man his father was.
jhw539Jan 23, 2012
Wow, how stupid is superkendall? Obama released his way back when he was running and continued to do so in office. His 2010 returns in all their glory are here (they've been out for months):
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/POTUS_taxes.pdf
Hit google if you want to see older returns.
That's why Romney was looking like such a slimy ass for refusing to release his. And it goes double since the politician who started the whole release tax returns thing was Romney's OWN DAD in 1968.
chilidogsJan 23, 2012
Pretty f**king stupid.
mtownJan 22, 2012
His 2010 tax returns? Wasn't his older tax returns in question, not this?
MrFrogyJan 22, 2012
Traditionally candidates release their returns around March or April. Romney originally said that if he became the nominee he would release his returns in April - he didn't "refuse" to release them as some would make it appear. Others on that debate stage have not released theirs either, but apparently Romney is the only one who gets held to the higher standard. Politics at it's finest.
particleman420Jan 22, 2012
no, he said he would release them after he got the nomination when it would be too late for the republicans to find someone else after whatever it was that they're going to find.
it's too bad it was his own father that set the precedent of going back 12 years to show you have nothing to hide. I guess mittens has something to hide.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
eraptorJan 22, 2012
As far as this American is concerned, releasing tax returns in March/April (well into the primary process) is too late to swing many state delegates to another Presidential contender if an ugly, disparaging truth emerges from those tax returns.
Tax return disclosure should occur WELL before the primary process for ALL politicians running, regardless of their ideological leaning. Otherwise, political weasels game the system to skirt by genuine and justifiable scrutiny. I'm not surprised Mitt would be attempting to con Republican voters since he has no shame. Sociopaths never do.
craig1958Jan 22, 2012
The term "political weasels" is redundant.
truthroxJan 22, 2012
Tragically true.
elisevilleJan 23, 2012
And party has no effect on weaselyness. Once a politician, start hunting for the lies and obfuscations.
jpn592Jan 22, 2012
His response in South Carolina regarding his tax returns was sketchy
nosherJan 22, 2012
When Romney's father ran for president in '68 he released his returns for the previous 12 years. I guess Romney's sudden willingness to release returns for the past 2 years means that all his Cayman island tax dodging stuff last appeared in his 2009 return.
laurahoustonJan 22, 2012
""I will release my tax returns for 2010, which is the last returns which were completed, on Tuesday of this week," Romney said on Fox News Sunday. "And I will also release at the same time an estimate for 2011 tax returns."
2010 and projected 2011 only?
what about the years he actually 'worked' for Bain and Marriott hotel corp?
MrFrogyJan 22, 2012
.
Candidates for either party don't have to, nor do they ever, release returns from decades prior - unless they have already released them due to public service. (i.e. Bill Clinton released them, so over their years of service the Clintons had released decades of returns)
http://articles.cnn.com/2012-01-17/politics/politics_truth-squad-romney-taxes_1_tax-return-tax-information-release?_s=PM:POLITICS
particleman420Jan 22, 2012
what about this one?
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/01/romneys-father-released-12-years-of-tax-returns/1
MrFrogyJan 22, 2012
So if he doesn't do what you want then you find an example to imply he is some sort of hypocrite. I suppose that works...
particleman420Jan 22, 2012
yep. it works well.
but i personally dont care since it doesnt matter which of those 2 jokes the republicans decide to lose to obama with.
you have the unethical, multiply married, group sex enthusiast or the possible tax dodging mormon.
neither has a chanceComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
elisevilleJan 23, 2012
That "example" of 12 years worth of records you complain of is his very own father! I'm pretty sure Romney himself remembered his own dad's record. So really, not much searching involved.
Closed AccountJan 22, 2012
But if you're proud of being prosperous (as some on the right like to put it), why should he have a problem releasing everything?
jhw539Jan 23, 2012
"Candidates for either party don't have to, nor do they ever, release returns from decades prior "
George Romney, Mitt's own father, released 12 years of tax returns in 1968. He had nothing to hide and is widely credited with starting the tradition of releasing tax returns.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/01/romneys-father-released-12-years-of-tax-returns/1
But Mitt Romney has been playing barely-legal tax avoidance like the pro he is for the last twenty years and is fighting like hell to keep it as hidden as possible. I'm sure his taxes are completely legal, but they still are going to look pretty bad - like a 64 year old guy banging a 17 year old girl in Alabama. Completely legal, but...
deepskydiverJan 23, 2012
I love America.
Enough to make my money here.
Not enough to keep my money here.
But enough to control it.
rastas11Jan 22, 2012
Maybe now Obama will release his college records.
vectorbJan 22, 2012
get a life.
GentlemanGhost542Jan 22, 2012
agreed.
also a man with two accounts on digg has no life.
ain't that right rastas11 or should I call you RyteWinger?
rastas11Jan 22, 2012
you first
particleman420Jan 22, 2012
that's relevant how?
particleman420Jan 22, 2012
yea, i would avoid that question too if i were you
kaegroJan 22, 2012
didn't stop em from digging you down though. More than that, they have nothing.
particleman420Jan 23, 2012
thats what they do when they dont want to admit that they have no clue and are just repeating things they heard someone else say.
isnt it interesting that any one of those 19 hacks still havent answered? isnt it also interesting that it's always -15 to -20 buries whenever one of their propaganda pieces or one of their alt accounts gets called out?
good old Digg Propagandists, always chickening out when they have to defend their stupid stances and comments, almost like they are unable.
Closed AccountJan 22, 2012
But why should he waste his time doing something that won't get you and others in the birther clown klan to shut the hell up, stop acting crazy, and stop questioning his legitimacy?Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
truthroxJan 22, 2012
Not sure what you think you'll find, but Harvard Law School isn't known for admitting subpar applicants.
Your birther-style whining is a waste of everyone's time.
austinjameshereJan 22, 2012
Wow, that was like pulling a tooth. But leave it to flip flopping Mitt to, well... flip flop on his decision. Now we get to find out if what he is hiding is really as bad as he fears.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
quebecoishistoryJan 23, 2012
About time. Especially when he think's payin 15% is enough.
stevanoskiJan 22, 2012
Dang, I had high hope there was going to be a deal where Mitt turned in his taxes and Bam released his transcripts so we would know why they have been a state secret all these years. Must be some realllly bad grades eh?Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
bluenose2Jan 23, 2012
what has one to do with the other ??
stevanoskiJan 23, 2012
NOthing.
bluenose2Jan 23, 2012
Probably not as bad as your grades ,SteveO.
stevanoskiJan 23, 2012
Yeah, but I worked my way through college with a wife and a son to support. Took me seven years but I think I have a little more pride in my degree due to the fight it took to get it.
bluenose2Jan 23, 2012
Fair enough.
particleman420Jan 23, 2012
like i asked you yesterday (and many times before), why do his transcripts matter so much to you?
i fully expect you to puss out and not answer AGAIN, but i figured i would ask, and make you look stupider (not that i think that's possible, but i'm an optimist)
bookantJan 23, 2012
but . . . but . . . . but . . . . OBAMA!
stevanoskiJan 23, 2012
but but but Bush?
blanchebeechamJan 22, 2012
I wonder if his tax returns show he received food stamps.
jeff2178Jan 23, 2012
Let me guess...he's rich..I'm sorry...a job creator...
jarysmJan 22, 2012
Gingrich may be bettwr for Obama's eventual defeat of Romney than Osama's field execution. Or those doughnuts he brought in that meme I keep seeing.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.