Brother Harry Reid Vs. Brother Mitt Romney

[rpn]

This is purely a political tactic. He hoped to provoke Romney to release. If Romney has complied with the law (which requires 2 years disclosure), then why are people who have not released their own taxes for more years saying that in order to be president, one must do more than the law. It is almost like the discussion about why Romney should be faulted for following tax law, simply because of the result of what those tax laws resulted in. How would a Bain Investor KNOW what Romney's personal taxes were? That is clearly not something Romney would have been likely to share? Yet is is a supposed Bain Investor who so speculated?

Bottom line, it was just another way of trying to get a Romney reaction, and I think Romney's retort of if you have evidence that I didn't pay taxes bring it forward, and otherwise apologize for saying the falsehood is quite valid.

[bluebell]

"Now, do I know that that's true? Well, I'm not certain," Reid told the Huffington Post, declining to identify his source.

If he doesn't know if it's true or not, then he's no better than a gossip and should be ashamed of himself.

[mtomm]

Harry Reid isn't saying he broke the law and didn't pay taxes, he saying that he didn't pay taxes LEGALLY. If his tax rate was lower than what shows on his current tax return I can see why he'd be reluctant to release them. And if he had no tax liability at all...

[Calm]

Without more disclosure, Reid has said, Romney is not fit to serve as a Cabinet member and "couldn't be confirmed as dog catcher."

"What if he has paid no taxes, like I am saying he hasn't," Reid said. "What if he has all these moneys as we already know ... in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Swiss banks. I mean, gee whiz, rather than ask me why I should do this, that is a story you should be writing."

Let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn't. We already know that from one partial tax return that he gave us, he has money hidden in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and a Swiss bank account," Reid said.

http://thehill.com/video/senate/241969-reid-let-romney-prove-that-he-has-paid-taxes-because-he-hasnt-

Hidden money implies illegality in my view.

Whether or not he is making a claim of criminal action, he certainly is making a claim for unethical action.

[Calm]

Refusing to retreat from his allegations that Mitt Romney hasn't paid taxes in 10 years, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Thursday night argued his claim comes from "an extremely credible source," and said he believes the presumptive GOP presidential nominee's personal wealth might be playing a role in helping him evade the law.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57486047-503544/reid-steps-up-criticism-of-romney-tax-returns/

Is this not a claim of criminal action?

[Garden Girl]

ERayR:

I always recommend someone follow the law.

TSS:

Good... I can't believe Romney hasn't followed the law. He's too smart not to, and the consequences not worth it, including spiritual. In our present tax code there are plenty of legal procedures for sheltering income that someone can utilize. If there are objections to the current tax law, then the politicians should get serious about tax reform.

I forget which news person was discussing Reid's claim, when they said Reid hadn't released any of his tax returns, and it's nonsense to give him a pass because he isn't running for president.

McCain indicated Romney had given him 20 years worth of returns, and that he had gone over them and didn't see anything that would be considered troubling. There's no reason for Romney to have to release more than is required... two years.

And shame on Reid for assigning embarrassment to George Romney in regard to his son. What a disgusting statement.

GG

[ERayR]

http://thehill.com/v...cause-he-hasnt-

Hidden money implies illegality in my view.

Whether or not he is making a claim of criminal action, he certainly is making a claim for unethical action.

Harry Reid is a demagog of the worst kind.

[ERayR]

TSS:

Good... I can't believe Romney hasn't followed the law. He's too smart not to, and the consequences not worth it, including spiritual. In our present tax code there are plenty of legal procedures for sheltering income that someone can utilize. If there are objections to the current tax law, then the politicians should get serious about tax reform.

I forget which news person was discussing Reid's claim, when they said Reid hadn't released any of his tax returns, and it's nonsense to give him a pass because he isn't running for president.

McCain indicated Romney had given him 20 years worth of returns, and that he had gone over them and didn't see anything that would be considered troubling. There's no reason for Romney to have to release more than is required... two years.

And shame on Reid for assigning embarrassment to George Romney in regard to his son. What a disgusting statement.

GG

And Reid uses they tax law to his own advantage also.

[Anijen]

Harry Reid isn't saying he broke the law and didn't pay taxes, he saying that he didn't pay taxes LEGALLY. If his tax rate was lower than what shows on his current tax return I can see why he'd be reluctant to release them. And if he had no tax liability at all...

Actually he said "he hasn't paid taxes for the last ten years." and your reply is the exact action he wants to happen. It is all political posturing to raise an imaginary implication of wrong doing. It is dirty politics.

[ERayR]

Actually he said "he hasn't pay taxes for the last ten years." and your reply is the exact action he wants to happen. It is all political posturing to raise an imaginary implication of wrong doing. It is dirty politics.

Again Reid is a demagog.

[Anijen]

Again Reid is a demagog.

Exactly, the very definition of demagogue is Harry Reid

[Kenngo1969]

kenngo1969:

I've never liked anonymous sources. But it doesn't HAVE to be his accountant. Someone high up in Bain Capital COULD also be the source. It would still be unethical to release the information without consent.

I would buy that, if the allegations under discussion related directly to underhanded shenanigans at Bain rather than to alleged underhandedness on the part of Governor Romney personally. If anyone wants any hope of getting me to believe Senator Reid's allegation, s/he's going to have to explain to me how Senator Reid's source came into possession of tax information related, not to Bain, but rather to Governor Romney.

[ERayR]

I would buy that, if the allegations under discussion related directly to underhanded shenanigans at Bain rather than to alleged underhandedness on the part of Governor Romney personally. If anyone wants any hope of getting me to believe Senator Reid's allegation, s/he's going to have to explain to me how Senator Reid's source came into possession of tax information related, not to Bain, but rather to Governor Romney.

It is against the law to have someone's tax information without their consent. Somehow I don't get the sense that Gov. Romney released his information to Reid so I guess Harry is in violation of the law. Who would have thunk it?

[Analytics]

Why won't Romney release the returns? Here are some possibilities:

1. He doesn’t believe in transparency, accountability, avoiding the appearance of impropriety or doing things beyond the legal minimum.
   
2. The returns would show that he hasn’t been a full tithe payer.
   
3. The returns would show that his effective tax rate has been very low. At best, this would be a dramatic illustration that Obama is right and the rich aren’t paying their fair share.
   

In any case, Romney has asserted that we don’t need to see his tax returns in order to evaluate his candidacy, but he won’t prove it by releasing the returns. Given that Romney is the one who was secretive first, I can hardly blame Reid for being secretive about his sources.

[Ron Beron]

I guess we will have to continue to wonder what Gov. Romney paid or didn't pay or we can deal with the real issue of horrible economic policies that have led us to a high unemployment rate, poor loan choices and a malaise of heart. The reason Sen. Reid is bringing this up is that it diverts attention from the main event and concentrates on the side show. I have to share with Adam's Trillian's view of Zaphod in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy...

One of the major difficulties Trillian experienced in her relationship with Zaphod was learning to distinguish between him pretending to be stupid just to get people off their guard, pretending to be stupid because he couldn't be bothered to think and wanted someone else to do it for him, pretending to be outrageously stupid to hide the fact that he actually didn't understand what was going on, and really being genuinely stupid.

And as for Sen. Reid ala Zaphod Beeblebrox...

He was briefly the President of the Galaxy (a role that involves no power whatsoever, and merely requires the incumbent to attract attention so no one wonders who's really in charge, a role for which Zaphod was perfectly suited).

[ERayR]

Why won't Romney release the returns? Here are some possibilities:

1. He doesn’t believe in transparency, accountability, avoiding the appearance of impropriety or doing things beyond the legal minimum.
   
2. The returns would show that he hasn’t been a full tithe payer.
   
3. The returns would show that his effective tax rate has been very low. At best, this would be a dramatic illustration that Obama is right and the rich aren’t paying their fair share.
   

In any case, Romney has asserted that we don’t need to see his tax returns in order to evaluate his candidacy, but he won’t prove it by releasing the returns. Given that Romney is the one who was secretive first, I can hardly blame Reid for being secretive about his sources.

Or he feels he has complied with the law and that is sufficient. Unlike DHR

[The Nehor]

And the timid little mice scurry around afraid and crying, wo wo we have to bow to the Dems demands.

After some Republican's endless demands for more and more superfluous information in the last election the Republicans cannot really claim that they are innocent of making insane demands:

Also, my bet is on Romney winning in the 8th round by KO.

[ERayR]

After some Republican's endless demands for more and more superfluous information in the last election the Republicans cannot really claim that they are innocent of making insane demands:

[media=]

Also, my bet is on Romney winning in the 8th round by KO.

But this post is not about Democrats and Republicans its about Harry Reid and Mitt Romney. If you want to discuss Democrats and Republicans start another thread but good luck on that.

[The Nehor]

But this post is not about Democrats and Republicans its about Harry Reid and Mitt Romney. If you want to discuss Democrats and Republicans start another thread but good luck on that.

I repeat what you said and that I responded to:

And the timid little mice scurry around afraid and crying, wo wo we have to bow to the Dems demands.

I didn't start bringing the parties into this.

[Darren10]

If he doesn't know if it's true or not, then he's no better than a gossip and should be ashamed of himself.

It's a very old trick in politics. Let some information about an opponent out public whether it's true or not. If the picture paints a negative perception on your opponent than you've "won". A classc example is Saturday Night Live's Tina Fey's portrayal of Sarah Palin. "I can see Russia from my house," became a common biline when folks spoke of Palin. It didn't matter that Sarah Palin never said it; it was successful in guiding people think she was stupid.

As for Reid and the saying that he heard from someone that Mitt Romney paid no taxes for ten years, Harry Reid doesn't care if it's true (and I'm 99.99999% sure it is not) or not, his real intent is to make Mitt Romney look like a tax evader and an elite busieness man who won't pay his "fair share" of taxes. As for Brother Reid on taxes, here's my advise:

"Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour." (Deuteronomy 5:20)

"22 And all this he did, for the sole purpose of ^abringing this people into subjection or into bondage. And behold, we at this time do pay ^btribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the amount of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain of every kind, and one half of the increase of our flocks and our herds; and even one half of all we have or possess the king of the Lamanites doth exact of us, or our lives.

23 And now, is not this grievous to be borne? And is not this, our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to ^amourn." (Mosiah 7)

[Darren10]

Also, my bet is on Romney winning in the 8th round by KO.

Me too.

[Darren10]

Why won't Romney release the returns? Here are some possibilities:

1. He doesn’t believe in transparency, accountability, avoiding the appearance of impropriety or doing things beyond the legal minimum.
   
2. The returns would show that he hasn’t been a full tithe payer.
   
3. The returns would show that his effective tax rate has been very low. At best, this would be a dramatic illustration that Obama is right and the rich aren’t paying their fair share.
   

In any case, Romney has asserted that we don’t need to see his tax returns in order to evaluate his candidacy, but he won’t prove it by releasing the returns. Given that Romney is the one who was secretive first, I can hardly blame Reid for being secretive about his sources.

1st - This has nothing to do with Romney and transparency. Overall Romney's very transparent and that is why Reid was (very likely) pursuaded to go out and imagine a phony situation and purport it as something authentic (I repeat that I'm 99.999999% certain Reid's maiking this whole thing up). There's no dirt on Romney to bring up and that makes the Obama, who has thrived his whole political career by bringing up dirt on political opponents (that's the name fthe game in Chicago politics), impotent. Romney's made gazzillions of dollars *on his own* and thus class warfare is the best ammo O's got. Reid is more than happy to comply and play dirty against Romney.

2nd - As a voter I could care less if Romney's a full the payer or not. If he never paid any tithing in his lifetime, that would not sway me support for him even a fration of 1%. But, regardless, I've no doubt whatsoever that Romney's a full tithe payer.

3rd - Trying to show that Romney paid low taxes is one thing Reid and his side of the political isle will do once Romney releases his returns. They will do so by showing the taxes Romney made on pulling out his investments which is lower because many politicians live on such an income. What Reid and others will not do is show the taxes ERomney already paid on the money he made before he made his private investments which would be along the lines of mainstream taxes. Despite being taxed twicve, Reid and the others will only wshow the second time his money was taxed which is the lower of the two times it was taxed before Romney spend it on his own personal consumption. And, frankly this is a great reason for him to not release his returns.

Another reason I think Romney will not, and should not, release his tax returns is because Reid and the others, especially with the Chicago poltician in charge ( ), is that all those he did business with will become targets. This has happened already as some of his past donors have been publicly smeared by Reid's side of the isle. Does Romney want to do that? I don't think so. Nor should he.

h/t to Michael Medved for the insightful thinkning on the Left targeting Romney's business companions.

[Darren10]

Bottom line, it was just another way of trying to get a Romney reaction, and I think Romney's retort of if you have evidence that I didn't pay taxes bring it forward, and otherwise apologize for saying the falsehood is quite valid.

You're too kind, sir.

/Romney said "put up ot shut up" to Harry Reid. I strongly prefer the latter. The less I hear Reid, the happier and more productive my life is.

[Analytics]

He’s not being transparent on this issue--not at all. He is making the claim that there is nothing to see in the undisclosed tax returns, but he refuses to prove it. That is certainly his prerogative--there is no law that he needs to meet this standard of transparency. Just note that Reid isn’t the only one who isn’t putting up.

[Deborah]

I use every legal deduction I can to keep as much of my hard earned money as I can. I would expect any good businessman to do the same. If he didn't he wouldn't be a good businessman.

What would be interesting is seeing the charitable contributions of Romney compared to Reid or Obama.

I hope he doesn't release his returns on principle. This is just a diversion from the real issues and Reid knows it.