Regarding Romney's taxes--do you realize...

[CoffeeCat]

...that Romney said he would release two year's worth of taxes--which is absolutely required by law for a Presidential candidate?

Romney still hasn't done that. He released one year, and a partial year.

The reason for that partial release is the same reason that we have not seen more years of tax returns. He's hiding damaging information that he knows will hurt his campaign.

But he has to release the remaining portion of that partially released return. That portion of Romney's return must be pretty damning, and it is quite clear that Romney was waiting to release this remaining portion of that return--at a more opportune moment. Perhaps Romney felt that he would wait unti his campaign had weakened Obama. Maybe after the anticipated Republican convention bounce?

How about after the Romney campaign had convinced the American people that Obama will raid Medicare? Or that Obama is gutting the welfare-work requirement? You can see where this is going.

The Romney campaign hasn't come to a point where they are operating from a position of strength. Their lies have been revealed as ridiculous. There was no convention bounce. Thay're sinking in the polls and Obama is rising.

It's clear after Romney's shameful foreign-policy failures today--that the Romney campaign may never find one day of solid ground from which to release the incendiary portion of his tax return.

The good news is--that Romney is running out of time--and he still has to release that unreleased portion of that return.

I seriously wonder if his campaign can survive this steady stream of gaffes, failures, lies, embarrassments--when they've got a huge body blow coming from the impending release of this potentially damaging tax return.

[gateley]

1. Who will enforce his compliance about the two year law?

[Xyzse]

8. I'd Love to Move Forward With This

Just not sure how to...

[Emit]

20. Was wondering the same n/t

[snooper2]

2. Isn't the last day he can file October 15th?

[Vincardog]

3. Robme Rmoneys' whole campaign is a joke. It makes you wonder why the Powers That Be

would allow such a joke to be on the ballot.

[elleng]

5. They're not Powers, repugs have no 'center.'

[Raster]

10. the republican powers that be have prostituted their party and their ideology to...

...the highest bidder in their quest for votes for years now, never considering the long-term ramifications. Now they're stuck with the Bachmans, the teabillies and the Rmoneys in their own big tented version of hell.

Enjoy. The only problem is that their mutant offspring now pose a threat to the rest of us.

[yellerpup]

4. Whether he knows it or not

Rmoney is engineering his own October Surprise by withholding his tax returns. He'll have to release them and I predict that all will see his lies for what they are.

[cbdo2007]

6. Nah, there's nothing damaging in there. He'll just file some bullshit return and then amend it with

the truth a few weeks later after he's lost the election.

[Faux pas]

7. He's got enough time and money

to fake the returns, unless the irs calls him on it.

[Ganja Ninja]

9. It's worse than that.

He's released an incomplete 2010 return and withheld the parts dealing with offshore accounts. And the 2011 return he released is not a return at all but an estimate. An incomplete return and an estimate of a return and that's it.

[PearliePoo2]

11. Yeah, well Sarah Moose-Killer HAD to release her medical records too. Did she?

Right before election day, she released a quickly written letter that said NOTHING...and she got away with it.
I don't think Mittens EVER intended to release what was required, but if he was forced into it, he most likely planned a late Monday night "dump". If he was ahead in the race at that point, any last minute damaging info in his returns would be too late to hurt him.
There's some real toxic, damaging shit in his taxes. I'm convinced of it.

[SnoopDog]

12. There is no 'requirement by law' to release tax records...

...for a Presidential candidate.

It is a custom that modern presidential candidates follow - usually several years worth.

Mittens says two only. I consider that unacceptable for a man in his position.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

13. Maybe he'll release it five minutes before the first polls close on election day

It wouldn't surprise me.

[Control-Z]

14. The way I had understood it,

Mitt has released one partial return, and a summary of another. So, he has not released even one complete tax return yet.

Otherwise I think you're on to something. We just have to make sure the pressure to release them is on - and all over the news.

[woodsprite]

15. Even the 2010 tax return he did release was incomplete.

What Does The Flap Over Romney's Tax Returns Suggest About Disclosure of His Swiss Account?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insider/2012/08/08/what-does-the-flap-over-romneys-tax-returns-suggest-about-disclosure-of-his-swiss-account/

Romney will release incomplete tax returns once his base is psychologically committed
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/17/1121418/-Romney-will-release-incomplete-tax-returns-once-his-base-is-psychologically-committed

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/07/19/romney-has-disclosed-zero-complete-tax-returns/

[RC]

16. Nope, there is no law that says they have to release their tax returns.

However...

Individual income tax returns — including those of public figures — are private information, protected by law from unauthorized disclosure. Indeed, the Internal Revenue Service is barred from releasing any taxpayer information whatsoever, except to authorized agencies and individuals.
Like all other citizens, U.S. presidents enjoy this protection of their privacy. Since the early 1970s, however, most presidents have chosen to release their returns publicly. In the hope of making this information more widely available, the Tax History Project at Tax Analysts has compiled an archive of presidential tax returns.


In addition, we have made available returns from recent candidates for president, including those running in party primaries. The Tax History Project is currently compiling a more complete archive of candidate returns, and we welcome suggestions on who to include and where to find additional returns.Individual income tax returns — including those of public figures — are private information, protected by law from unauthorized disclosure. Indeed, the Internal Revenue Service is barred from releasing any taxpayer information whatsoever, except to authorized agencies and individuals.
Like all other citizens, U.S. presidents enjoy this protection of their privacy. Since the early 1970s, however, most presidents have chosen to release their returns publicly. In the hope of making this information more widely available, the Tax History Project at Tax Analysts has compiled an archive of presidential tax returns.


In addition, we have made available returns from recent candidates for president, including those running in party primaries. The Tax History Project is currently compiling a more complete archive of candidate returns, and we welcome suggestions on who to include and where to find additional returns.

http://www.taxhistory.org/www/website.nsf/web/presidentialtaxreturns

[onenote]

17. Can you link to or cite the law to which you refer?

I've never seen any indication that there is such a law.

[CoffeeCat]

19. There is no law...

I read earlier that there was a law. I think it's clear from the many thoughtful replies, that there is no law requiring a presidential candidate to release two years of tax returns.

I was wrong and I regret the error. I should have looked it up!

[subterranean]

18. He said he'll release his 2011 tax return on October 15.

That way he'll be able to say he kept his promise to release two years of returns. Presumably he'll have had time to make sure the information in that one is less damaging than what's in the earlier returns that he refuses to release.