Mitt's tax returns back to at least 1985 were 'out there'

[ProgressiveEconomist]

Mitt's tax returns back to at least 1985 were 'out there'

According to barackobama.com, somebody reviewed them for John McCain when Romney was being considered for Republican Vice_President nominee (the job of course went to Sarah Palin instead). I wonder how many people saw those tax returns and how many kept secret copies. If there's at least one set of those returns still hidden in some lockbox, I wonder what it would take to get hold of them.

"News" organizations IMO likely would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for them. A leak from a 2012 campaign outsider seems to me to be a much more likely path than disclosure from Mitt himself to learning how much Mitt paid in taxes during his Bain years (1984-199).

WHAT'S YOUR OPINION?

From http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/mitt-romneys-tax-return-a-break-with-tradition

Mitt Romney's Tax Return: A Break With Tradition

"... Mitt Romney's single tax return fails to meet the standard of releases set by past candidates who have released anywhere from eight to 14 years of returns. When he wanted to be vice president in 2008, Romney disclosed 23 years of tax returns to Senator John McCain. Now, as he's running for president, he's only given the American people one year."

[krispos42]

1. I'm guessing his effective tax rate will drop even lower...

...the farther back he goes.

He wants these records dead and buried.

[JohnnyRingo]

2. After looking at them, Team McCain said "no way"

The docs have to be absolutely toxic.

[KharmaTrain]

3. I Doubt They Got More Than Standard Disclosures...

Remember, this is the "winners" who "vetted" Grifterella. If Mittens gave them anything it either were standard disclosure statements that don't really disclose much or a cooked set of books that shows money but not where it is invested.

Mittens has never opened his books in any of his political campaigns and you can see how hesitant he is now. Be assured the returns he has disclosed were scrubbed clean (always pays to have an army of accountants at the ready). I'm still convinced there's a stretch where he paid zero in taxes while Bain pillaged.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

4. Whatever they got surely

would provide more information about Mitt's investments and taxes than voters have now, don't you think?

IMO this is an issue that's going to grow and grow as primaries give way to the general election in the Fall. Details will come out about how much money Bain Capital spent lobbying successfully against the 2007 attempt in Congress to strike the 'Carried Interest' giveaway from the tax code. The Republican House will continue their absurd stand against ANY additional tax revenue from millionaires. IMO this will turn any additional news about Mitt's tax returns in the '80s and '90s into a media feeding frenzy.

[KharmaTrain]

5. Mittens In A Catch 22...

I'll still bet that the McCain campaign never got a real good look at the books. I'll even say that Mittens wasn't really even looked at as Gramps McCain needed someone with wingnut cred that Mittens didn't have then and doesn't have now. Also it was well known that almost everyone hates Richie Rich...they want his money just not him. If he was under consideration it was only to get money from him.

That said...I totally agree with you that the longer Willard withholds those returns the more an issue they'll be. This is a game of perception and hiding it gives the appearance of he's trying to hide something. And that's probably the case. He could get his recent returns whitewashed since he's been running for President non-stop for 6 years...but let's go back to his Bain days and that's where the real nuggets are...where he probably did his most off-shoring and creating "losses" to offset his big winnings. I'll bet we'll see far less than the 14% he claims. Thus which poison is it? Try to stonewall and make it a bigger and bigger issue or disclose with all the financial tricks and games open for all to see and make it a bigger issue.

In the end we may owe thanks to Millard for becoming the poster child why taxes need to be raised on the "1%" and investigate and finally regulate the "investment houses" that sucked the economy and job pool of this country dry...

Cheers...

[NNN0LHI]

6. Millard