Harry Reid is a sneaky bastard.

[madaboutharry]

Mild mannered Harry seems to have upped the ante. He is daring Mitt to release the tax returns and prove him wrong.

"Harry, he didn't pay any taxes for 10 years," Reid recounted the person as saying.

"He didn't pay taxes for 10 years! Now, do I know that that's true? Well, I'm not certain," said Reid. "But obviously he can't release those tax returns. How would it look?

[Blue Meany]

1. The LBJ approach - make him deny it n/t

[1StrongBlackMan]

2. And the romney response will be ...

"I will not dignify that scurrilous lie with a response."

And gop supporters will all say, "Yeah!"

And my question for gop supporters will be, "But I thought you have said about people that settle criminal and civil suits, 'He MUST be guilty cuz if he wasn't, he wouldn't have settled ... he would've proved his case. What happened?"

[Dont call me Shirley]

10. And Ann Romney's response will be "you people...".

[Raven]

3. The.Gloves.Are.Off. n/t

[laundry_queen]

4. Yep, smart move.

Finally they are playing the game normally only played by the other side. It's a lose-lose for Romney. If he doesn't release the tax returns, everyone will think this is why. If this really IS why he hasn't released them yet, then he cannot release them (ie the downside of not releasing them is smaller than everyone knowing he really didn't pay any taxes) and if this isn't true and he releases them to prove he DID pay taxes, because of how rich he is and how many loopholes there are, there is going to be SOMETHING in there that will piss some people off. He's screwed.

[HopeHoops]

5. It is a good move. And he's right that rMoney couldn't get through a confirmation hearing.

[Motown_Johnny]

6. The question is, which ten years?

Even if Rmoney released some more returns Reid can claim it must have been different years in which no taxes were paid.

[ryan_cats]

7. I know I'll get crap for this but...

I know I'll get crap for this but, what will you say when they use 'unnamed' sources to slur Obama or other dems?

They pull this crap with the b/c kerfuffle and everyone is apoplectic, but it's OK when we do it?

I hope he's pulling rmoney's chain by using unnamed sources so rmoney denies it and then he pulls out the documentation, that would work swimmingly.

[enough]

8. Not crap, I see your point. And in normal circumstances I would agree,

but I think the fact that Romney is withholding the usual information somewhat changes the situation. He's trying to play the game with an unfair advantage of secrecy, to play by a different set of rules. In this case, I think we get to use somewhat different rules also.

Although just writing this out, it occurs to me that it's sort of absurd to talk about any kind of rules at all when dealing with the current Republicans.

[RagAss]

9. The rules went out the window in 2000 !

[edhopper]

15. For three years we have had

repukes saying they "believe" Obama is a Christian, but don't know for sure.
Sauce for the goose. Besides it is a story that Mittens can easily refute by releasing his taxes.

[alittlelark]

23. +100

Easy to refute... it shouldn't be a story unless IT IS.

[karynnj]

17. If it were a Democrat, (I would have already been saying the income tax forms need to be out

I agree that Reid is quoting an unnamed source who likely would not have first hand information - but it is stated that way.

The Republican party has questioned the official documents that WERE released by Democrats in the last two elections. Here, unlike Obama with his birth certificate and Kerry with his Navy records, Romney has not released these official records -- and his party has pretty much called putting out official, public records from the SEC and FEC.

[jeff47]

20. They already do.

So why, exactly, shouldn't we? Ask Gore and Kerry how taking the high road works.

[Ruby the Liberal]

22. You mean like calling him a socialist, muslim, nazi?

Mitt can clear this up yesterday. All he has to do is back the truck up to the DNC loading dock and drop off the taxes.

[bayareaboy]

11. I'll bet Harry is one hell of a poker player ...

He took this shit from Mitman for a while, then figured that all Mitt has to do is show his hand.

Ya got to show them cards if you want the pot.

[sa2968]

12. Harry!!!

I didn't know you had it in ya! Now, if we can just get the rest of the Democrats to continue this line we can all sit back and watch Romneydouche squirm, whine, and cry.

[longship]

13. Rope-a-dope from boxer Harry

He was a golden gloves.

[ejbr]

14. I am ASHAMED of Harry Reid!!

He obviously has been watching too much Fox News with their "some people say" scenarios....

[panader0]

16. I'd give my eye teeth to listen in on some Dem strategy sessions

What to to say and when and by whom. I feel that a lot of this is a slow planned release by the Obama camp.
Fuckin great!

[spanone]

18. one thing for sure...whatever mitt is hiding must be worse than this daily beating he is taking

one can only imagine

[Odin2005]

19. Fun Fact: Reid was a boxer when he was young.

[flamingdem]

21. They call him the "Backroom Brawler"

Just spoken on msnbc, go Harry!

[jmondine]

24. He is a sneaky bastard. Glad he's on our side.