Harry Reid manages to turn Romney’s tax returns into a good story for Romney
While we were focused on T-SPLOST, the presidential campaign marched on. Which is not to say it moved forward, in any normal sense of the word.
The latest moment in the summer silly season comes courtesy of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, employing the “when did you stop beating your wife?” technique toward Mitt Romney’s tax returns. From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Sen. Harry Reid caused a stir this week when he told an interviewer that Mitt Romney hasn’t released more of his tax returns because “he didn’t pay taxes for 10 years.” On Wednesday, Reid doubled down on the charge. …
“I am not basing this on some figment of my imagination,” Reid said in a telephone call with Nevada reporters. “I have had a number of people tell me that.”
Asked to elaborate on his sources, Reid declined. “No, that’s the best you’re going to get from me.”
“I don’t think the burden should be on me,” Reid said. “The burden should be on him. He’s the one I’ve alleged has not paid any taxes. Why didn’t he release his tax returns?”
This is, not to put too fine a point on it, un-American.
You see, in this country, the burden of proof is on the accuser. That is the standard in criminal cases, and it informs our sense of propriety in the court of public opinion.
This is why neither 9/11 “truthers” nor Obama “birthers” have gotten any traction with the broader public: Their respective “cases” — to use another word loosely — rely on accusations they can’t prove and an implication the accused should prove they’ve done nothing wrong. That’s not how it works in this country.
For good measure, Reid also suggested Romney’s own deceased father would be disappointed in his son. I’m glad to know Reid’s tastelessness knows no bounds.
The good news is that the senator’s claim is likely to shift the focus from Romney to those jumping the shark while badgering him to release his past tax returns. After all, when you’ve lost Jon Stewart …
(Note: If you click that Jon Stewart link, you should expect to hear some language we don’t allow on AJC blogs. And no, I’m not going to defend the claims on the Fox & Friends clips he shows at the end.)
– By Kyle Wingfield
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988 comments Add your comment
Kyle Wingfield
August 2nd, 2012
5:51 pm
OK, I’ve been away from the blog working on Sunday’s column, and it appears some of you can’t keep from attacking each other. So I’m putting the thread in moderation early tonight.
Numbers-R-US
August 2nd, 2012
5:52 pm
I have already proved you wrong, Lil’.
josef
August 2nd, 2012
5:53 pm
LOGIC
I don’t know either! I guess I’m just wanting your attention!
BOTH
I guess I owe you an apology, too! Did I wake up straight…not sure….haven’t given my sexuality any thought today until now…been too busy at my day job…
TIBERIUS
Aw, flattery will get you everywhere…
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right
August 2nd, 2012
5:55 pm
Josef, I have no problem with Romney’s culture comment.
One is a culture of peace and one is a culture of violence.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
August 2nd, 2012
5:57 pm
Try as I might, I have been unable to find a story from any mainstream news organization that backs up Numbers-R-US claim that the GOP is proposing to raise taxes on the middle class or poor in order to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.
My previous statements regarding Numbers’ veracity stand unchallenged.
Numbers-R-US
August 2nd, 2012
5:58 pm
Logic was never intended for libs
August 2nd, 2012
5:49 pm
” They want to increase the taxes on the middle class in order to fund another tax cut for the wealthiest.
Lie
Logic,
No lie from me and again, nothing from you to back up your claim. You may now proceed to run and hide as you did when I called you out earlier today for calling me a liar.
Mr_B
August 2nd, 2012
6:04 pm
josef
You just lost your Jewish cred on the blog…..
Oh, NOEZ! The “no true Jew” fallacy strikes.!
yuzeyurbrane
August 2nd, 2012
6:07 pm
Kyle, you know better. You even state that the burden of proof argument on the accuser is in criminal law and then slickly try to apply it to Romney’s tax situation. I don’t think that anyone has claimed Romney criminally violated the tax code. In most civil cases, including US Tax Court, it is simply a preponderance of the evidence. Even Romney parses the words saying he simply that he has paid all taxes which he is “legally obligated” to pay. I am sure you got excited when Slick Willy said once that “it all depends on what the meaning of is is.” You are being a hypocrite. Shame.
md
August 2nd, 2012
6:18 pm
77,000 sure looks like a big number doesn’t it? Too bad folks here can’t use their computers to actually google anything:
” In the most recent uproar, the Romneys are criticized for deducting $77,731 for the Romney’s share of Rafalca’s expenses. But here is the catch: Because of anti-abuse provisions contained in the Tax Code the Romney’s only actually deducted $49 on their return. Assuming the Romney’s are in the 35% tax bracket, the benefit to the Romneys was about $17. Not much worth working yourself into a lather about.”
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2012/06/tobin-the-.html
pogo
August 2nd, 2012
6:20 pm
So now even the “much respected” Pew Research Center’s polls are biased and skewed. Their latest poll oversampled the democrats by over 20% vrs the republicans and independents. There are no polls that can be trusted and there is no media that can be trusted. All have political agendas, just as their masters in Washington do.
pogo
August 2nd, 2012
6:26 pm
http://washingtonexaminer.com/amtrak-lost-800m-on-cheeseburgers-and-soda/article/2503832
A government run business at its best. and these are the same people that are going to run healthcare? This country is doomed.
Bob Baldwin
August 2nd, 2012
6:26 pm
Thank you Kyle.
I usually look at the first page of comments and now page 16.
Same people,same comments, mostly childish.
Loss OfGravity
August 2nd, 2012
6:50 pm
Ebenezer Romney, the Miser, was wearing a Scrooge straitjacket long before Republicans really knew him. It should come as no surprise that as an obsessive personality fixated on Money, he’s refusing to release his tax returns. Money is not the problem, of course, but his obsessions clearly impact his social behaviors by making them appear rigid and unnatural. — Yes, I’m odd, but I’m rich — a friend of the Nascar owners not the drivers. But this obsession like any other (such as drinking or gambling) seems to have gotten the upper hand. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he have taken care of his tax returns prior to now when he’s running for president since he’s been running for the office practically forever? Answer: Because the obsession with hoarding money won’t let him. and not knowing this fact leads everyone to wonder about his lack of foresight, including Conservative Republicans who can’t understand why he won’t release more tax returns. What about those tax returns? A man with a disease such as a maniacal obsession about hoarding Money would desperately try to avoid paying his taxes. Like the gambler, he would be exhilarated by every new tax loop hole and tax haven. Charles Dickens based his character, Ebenezer Scrooge, on a real person. Romney is not well & cannot be president. Romney for president — “Bah, humbug!”
TRUTH
August 2nd, 2012
7:19 pm
Don’t necessarily agree with what or the tone of Mr. Reid’s comments, however, Mr. Romney has created this albatross about his neck. All he need do is release his tax returns. The argument of how many has only come up occasionally. It is simply disclosure. He is running for the most powerful office in the world and he has a problem with disclosure…really? He is running on the successful CEO platform, he’s made millions, he has money on and off shore, he does what the rich and privileged are supposed to do. And therein lies the rub. 99% of the electorate don’t do those things and actually have very little if any knowledge about it. If he took the mystery out of it and stated this is how I did it and I’ll show you how!! Instant success. If he said this is how I did it and this is how we are going to do it for this nation, it would be like Obama…who?
But he can’t. Why would he want to share how to attain a 10th of his wealth with us peons, heck, for the country for that matter. He is used to outsourcing jobs to countries that education is practically non-existent for the poor and their is no middle class to speak of. That’s what out-sourcers do everyone. Why pay $10 ph when I can pay .30 per day??
And his support comes from the rich right. He wouldn’t know what to do if he had to try and figure out how he could feed his family of 4, keep his home, pay utilities, watch while a family member or friend suffer due to medical costs, or watch his neighborhood shuttered by foreclosure. And he’s yet to expound on his secret plan to turn us around. Sounds like pure hog-hooey too me….
I’m voting for the guy that has a plan…and it ain’t Mitt!!!
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
August 2nd, 2012
7:22 pm
President Romney’s father released his college transcripts–why won’t Obozo? What is he hiding?
Erwin's cat
August 2nd, 2012
7:31 pm
As for Mitt’s pony….I applaud him for keeping and maintaining such a majestic beast, not many people could ..I doubt the $77k comes close to a few months of expenses….and that pony is representing…why the hate…if not for Mitt that pony may not be as good as it is today…can we just celebrate a lil patriotism…in an election year no less…i hope it wins gold
btw thanks for the cyberspace Kyle
Oblama
August 2nd, 2012
7:32 pm
Chick – Fil – A announces an all time record in sales for April 1st on Chick – Fil – A appreciation day. Told you so.
crankee-yankee
August 2nd, 2012
7:56 pm
Sorry I haven’t read the whole blog so if this has come up, shame on me.
But doesn’t this sound like the swift-boat crowd vs. Kerry?
If it was OK for them, I guess its OK for Reid.
Equal opportunity for all slime-balls.
partain
August 2nd, 2012
8:26 pm
Prove him wrong, Mr.Romney.Heaven help you if he’s right.
Jack
August 2nd, 2012
9:12 pm
The folks that re-elected Reid are strange indeed. Sorta like the folks that elected Obama.
the red herring
August 2nd, 2012
9:13 pm
reid/pelosi/obama all a joke when it comes to leading this country—the main problem came when they were all in power at the same time. it will take decades to straighten out their mess. GW Bush didn’t help matters when he caved to the democratic majority in both houses in his last term in office. he should have stayed strong but he wilted. bush/mccain were from the same cloth—they were wanting amnesty for illegals and would not stand on principals of our laws. the tea party is leading the way and hopefully will continue to do so… people like jim demint, rubio, rand paul, palin, etc. are of the right mind set. we need a balanced budget, to enforce laws across the board—illegal means illegal—voting rights extend to white people— no gun running across the border—no suing states that want to enforce federal laws—it’s common sense people. vote for the right people and we will achieve it. vote for the wrong people and we will collapse like the PIIGS.
marko
August 3rd, 2012
6:29 am
.
Reid’s out of line on this issue. Without revealing his source, his claims amount to nothing more than hearsay. Still the tax return issue remains. Every since Mitt’s dad established the precedent ,decades ago, men seeking the presidency have released their tax returns. Mitt refuses to do this as he refuses to be specific about which programs he would cut to pay for his tax breaks. He just smiles and says trust me. I wouldn’t buy a used car from Nixon, and I’m buying left over supply side economics from Romney. It’s understandable that Mitt doesn’t think the voters are smart enough to understand his programs. After all this is a man that associates almost exclusively with republicans.
Ronnie Raygun
August 3rd, 2012
6:52 am
Looks like Mitt Romney is the posterboy for “the 47% of Americans that pay no taxes” that Cons are always whining about. Does that make him a welfare queen too?
Brosephus™
August 3rd, 2012
7:25 am
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/why-3-georgia-regions-1490229.html
With the failure of the T-SPLOST in Tuesday’s metro Atlanta referendum, state Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers on Thursday said the state should repeal the T-SPLOST law. In an interview with Channel 2 Action News, he acknowledged that three of the state’s 12 regions did pass T-SPLOST taxes and said, “Clearly, they’re going to go forward with what they have.”
He would consider an alternate referendum plan allowing individual counties to band together. He also would support repealing the part of the T-SPLOST law that penalizes regions that rejected the tax, by requiring they pay higher matching funds for some small local road projects.
Sounds like more government intrusion into the freedom of choice. The areas that voted no on T-SPLOST made their decisions, now they have to deal with the benefits/consequences of that choice. There’s no need to try to change the rules of the game now. That’s the primary reason I don’t think things of this magnitude should be left up to public votes.
stands for decibels
August 3rd, 2012
7:37 am
Mornin’.
I saw some discussion earlier about polling methodology, why some pollsters are supposedly evil and some are the greatest thing since sliced bread, etc.
Nate Silver’s got a (typically) excellent description of how this actually works, and what kind of sampling issues they consider when weighting this or that poll, over at 538.
I think everyone could learn a lot from reading the thing without prejudice.
But if you can’t be bothered, here are a few grafs that explain some of what you ought to know.
The Pew poll was a survey of registered voters, and those numbers are typically more favorable to Democrats than polls of likely voters. Our model adjusts for this as well. Historically, Republicans gain a net of 1.5 percentage points in the transition from registered voter to likely voter polls, and our method now estimates that the gap will be slightly larger than that — 2.3 percentage points — this year.
So subtract roughly another two points from Mr. Obama’s lead. From the forecast model’s standpoint, therefore, the Pew poll is treated as a four-point lead for Mr. Obama after making these adjustments.
[...]
Pew is a pollster I have a lot of respect for, by the way. But polling elections is just not that easy in an environment where even the best pollsters get only about 1 in 10 people to complete their surveys. Gallup is another pollster I have a lot of respect for, yet their polls have been a few points Republican-leaning so far this cycle, relative the pollster consensus.
[...]
The RealClearPolitics method is highly useful to consumers precisely because of its simplicity and transparency. But, nevertheless, it sometimes conveys the sense that there is a change in the state of the race when there probably isn’t, just because a pollster with a pro-Obama or pro-Romney lean may happen to enter or exit the polling average on any given day.
But, as they say: Read the whole thing.
HDB
August 3rd, 2012
7:43 am
The Tax Policy Center examined whether the numbers add up in Romney’s tax plan as described on his Web site. Romney has not detailed how he would cut tax rates by 20 percent and yet eliminate enough tax loopholes to keep the plan revenue neutral.
The study essentially concludes that, no matter what choices are made, taxes will be lower for the very wealthy while raised for most middle and lower income taxpayers. That’s because there are not enough loopholes to close for the rich — and the real money available to boost revenue would come from getting rid of tax credits that mostly benefit middle-income taxpayers, such as the home mortgage deduction. The study came to this conclusion even after trying to grant every positive assumption to the Romney plan.
HDB
August 3rd, 2012
7:43 am
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/a-tough-new-obama-ad-that—-surprise—-is-accurate/2012/08/02/gJQAuigQSX_blog.html
Keep Up the Good Fight!
August 3rd, 2012
8:26 am
Looks like Romney is not much better than Reid: “Harry’s gonna have to describe who it is he spoke with because of course that’s totally and completely wrong,” Romney said Thursday in the radio interview. “It’s untrue, dishonest and inaccurate. It’s wrong. So I’m looking forward to have Harry reveal his sources and we’ll probably find out that it’s the White House”
Really Mitt? You got proof it’s the White House or you just making that up?
Thogwummpy
August 3rd, 2012
8:26 am
NOTE THIS: For a decade now we’ve had to listen to liberals jabber that the Bush tax cuts were “only for the rich”. Of course, those of us who pointed out that this claim was dishonest…well, we were silenced. BUT, now that they’re set to expire, and the Left knows that the middle class—who’s votes they need in the upcoming elections—are going to get slapped with a tax rise too….libtards all of a sudden contradict themselves and blabber admission that the middle class also benefited from the Bush tax cuts. LOOK…a Lefty is programmed to be a liar; they approach every topic childishly; and have no shame at spinning distortions. Sadly, a corrupt compliant journalist corps let’s them get away with it—instead of doing their job and smashing the lies. And that’s how we arrive at a really messed up country.
AU Liberal in ATL
August 3rd, 2012
8:29 am
Harry Reid reports that someone told him Romney paid no taxes for 10 years. How’s that a problem for Harry? Fox News regularly reports that “it’s been said”. I fail to see the difference. Romney is obviously hiding something. The idea that he paid no federal income taxes for 10 years sounds perfectly plausible to me. If that’s not it, it’s probably something worse.
Interested observer
August 3rd, 2012
8:29 am
Well, I’m an Obama supporter, but Harry Reid is and has been for some time a disgrace. There’s no need for his kind of rhetoric when Romney can tear himself down with no help from anyone.
Reid needs to retire.
Maintaining Sanity in Today's World
August 3rd, 2012
8:30 am
A discussion of the possibility/probability that he paid no taxes for 10 years is a good story for Romney?
In what alternate universe?
Eat a Peach
August 3rd, 2012
8:31 am
“well, we were silenced”
Have no choice but to call “lie” on that. No one has silenced you in your efforts to speak out against Obama, the Democrats or any of their policies.
To say say so is either being ignorant or disingenuous. You speak up all the time on the AJC blogs, so why even start the day with a whopper.
Numbers-R-US
August 3rd, 2012
8:32 am
Lil’ Barry Bailout – Vote American
August 2nd, 2012
5:57 pm
Try as I might, I have been unable to find a story from any mainstream news organization that backs up Numbers-R-US claim that the GOP is proposing to raise taxes on the middle class or poor in order to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.
My previous statements regarding Numbers’ veracity stand unchallenged.
Lil’,
You might try a little harder. I found the information quite easily with the Google. Your previous statements are not withstanding the most basic scrutiny:
WASHINGTON (RNS) A coalition of liberal Christian leaders blasted a GOP budget plan that would extend Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy while slashing key provisions for the poor.
The bill, which is being used by both parties as part of election-year jockeying, would slash the Earned Income Tax Credit, which supplements wages of low-income workers, and the Child Tax Credit, which provides up to $1,000 financial support per child for poor working families.
At the same time, the bill would extend Bush-era tax cuts for the highest income earners: individuals earning over $200,000 a year and families earning over $250,000.
Lord Help Us
August 3rd, 2012
8:36 am
Payrolls up 163k…Wall Street likey…
Cons no likey…
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 3rd, 2012
8:37 am
Glad this post exists – it’s got both left and right talking about Mitt’s hidden agenda.
mwuahahahahahahaha
Maintaining Sanity in Today's World
August 3rd, 2012
8:41 am
“You see, in this country, the burden of proof is on the accuser.”
Except of course in the world of GOP voter purges.
md
August 3rd, 2012
8:43 am
“Payrolls up 163k…Wall Street likey…”
If all was as rosy as this would imply, I doubt we would be waiting for the ECB and Bernanke to do whatever they are about to do…….and QE3 will devalue the dollar even more, not too sure the street will like that.
md
August 3rd, 2012
8:44 am
“Except of course in the world of GOP voter purges.”
False flag considering they are using the administrations data from Homeland security……..
Eat a Peach
August 3rd, 2012
8:47 am
md
Was it a false flag when the GOP in PA told a court that they did not have ONE case of voter fraud to present?
stands for decibels
August 3rd, 2012
8:48 am
The folks that re-elected Reid are strange indeed.
Well, this IS Nevada we’re talking about–but, not as strange as the person actually running against Reid in 2010. Carrying on about the need for “2nd amendment solutions” to political problems might play well on AM talk radio, but among actual voters, not so much.
Eat a Peach
August 3rd, 2012
8:50 am
md
just saying
A court filing by the state of Pennsylvania, ahead of a trial starting later this week on a lawsuit filed by civil rights groups against the state’s new voter fraud law, contains an astounding admission:
The state signed a stipulation agreement with lawyers for the plaintiffs which acknowledges there “have been no investigations or prosecutions of in-person voter fraud in Pennsylvania; and the parties do not have direct personal knowledge of any such investigations or prosecutions in other states.”
In other words, the state knows that voter fraud is a nonexistent problem, but will nonetheless defend a law that could potentially disenfranchise a huge number of the state’s voters. Of course, it’s not hard to see why the state — and particularly its Republican governor — would continue to support the measure.
kayaker 71
August 3rd, 2012
8:51 am
Put up or shut up, Harry. Give us your source, if you have one or give it a rest. BTW, hacking someone elses tax returns in this country is a felony offense. Harry’s source is walking on thin ice.
Eat a Peach
August 3rd, 2012
8:51 am
md
Was PA who was defending the law also using the Administrations info?
stands for decibels
August 3rd, 2012
8:52 am
A discussion of the possibility/probability that he paid no taxes for 10 years is a good story for Romney?
In what alternate universe?
I have to say, Kyle’s headline did remind me of a running joke in the left blogosphere back in 2008…
But I didn’t think anyone would get it.
Eat a Peach
August 3rd, 2012
8:52 am
kayaker 71
Harry stepped in it. Doubt any “sources” will be named or come forward.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
August 3rd, 2012
8:53 am
hmmm… more demands about Harry “puttin up”, but the same putrage does not extend to Mitt’s claim that the White House is Harry’s source.
Another IOKIFYAR
Logic was never intended for libs
August 3rd, 2012
8:54 am
“I have already proved you wrong, Lil’.”
Here we go again.
Peadawg
August 3rd, 2012
8:55 am
“U.S. economy added 163,000 jobs in July, far more than analysts expected. Unemployment rate rose slightly to 8.3%. “
Logic was never intended for libs
August 3rd, 2012
8:56 am
“So now even the “much respected” Pew Research Center’s polls are biased and skewed. ”
Yeah, I pointed that out and not one left winger said anything about it.