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kpete

(72,024 posts)
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 09:06 AM Aug 2012

Reid Doubles Down: Bain Source 'Extremely Credible'

UPDATE: 8:46 p.m. -- Reid is not backing down. He put out a statement Thursday night declaring that his source at Bain (who he said told him about Romney not paying taxes) is "extremely credible" and insisted that the one way to clear up the matter is for Romney to be more transparent.

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.

Last weekend, Governor Romney promised that he would check his tax returns and let the American people know whether he ever paid a rate lower than 13.9 percent. One day later, his campaign raced to say he had no intention of putting out any further information.

When it comes to answering the legitimate questions the American people have about whether he avoided paying his fair share in taxes or why he opened a Swiss bank account, Romney has shut up. But as a presidential candidate, it’s his obligation to put up, and release several years’ worth of tax returns just like nominees of both parties have done for decades.

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.

I understand Romney is concerned that many people, Democrats and Republicans, have been calling on him to release his tax returns. He has so far refused. There is only one thing he can do to clear this up, and that’s release his tax returns.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/02/mitt-romney-harry-reid-taxes_n_1735197.html
12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Scuba

(53,475 posts)
2. Tax avoidance was a Bain advertising come-on....
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 09:12 AM
Aug 2012

... likely Mitt bragged to many a Bain investor that he paid nothing.

cbdo2007

(9,213 posts)
3. I'm guessing the "source" will come forward at some point.....they sure are building
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 09:12 AM
Aug 2012

this up a lot for it to just be hot air, therefore I'm guessing the source will come forward with their allegations either soon or in October, but they sure are putting a lot of cards in this basket.

TheCowsCameHome

(40,169 posts)
4. Serious question. Who has access to a person's tax returns?
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 09:17 AM
Aug 2012

Only the IRS? Is it a matter of public record somewhere?

Other than by the the person disclosing that information, who else could/would know?

The data must be somewhere.

 

berni_mccoy

(23,018 posts)
7. Romney released many years of his tax returns to McCain
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 09:27 AM
Aug 2012

And it's very likely someone from Bain also worked for Romney during that time period.

nc4bo

(17,651 posts)
5. Bain source needs food taster, a safe car, avoid air travel, parking garages.
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 09:21 AM
Aug 2012

Interesting times straight ahead.

IDemo

(16,926 posts)
8. Unless this "extremely credible source" was Mitt's accountant or tax guy,
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 09:32 AM
Aug 2012

Anyone else who volunteers that they were told by Romney he paid no taxes may simply be repeating a narcissist's boast. And I'm pretty sure a tax guy cannot legally release anyone's returns without permission. I see this turning into nothing more than a He said/She said battle of wills with no resolution before election day.

William Seger

(10,779 posts)
10. Except that everyone knows Rmoney COULD settle it
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 10:18 AM
Aug 2012

... but there must be SOMETHING in there that he thinks is worse than being seen as secretive. If there's no resolution, I believe Rmoney will suffer badly for it.

IDemo

(16,926 posts)
11. Again, I don't think he'll suffer a bit unless the returns are open for examination
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 11:04 AM
Aug 2012

Some in the middle (do any exist nowadays?) may drift into the Obama camp, and just a few on the right might have to hold their noses just a bit tighter, but they'll still vote against Obama regardless. Without a relent by Mitt and a release of the returns, this will be packaged by the Rovians as a political hack job and shelved after two or three news cycles.

 

otohara

(24,135 posts)
12. Romney Probably Bragged
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 11:29 AM
Aug 2012

about not paying the evil government taxes year after year.

It's my money.....all mine....

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