Romney To GOP: I Won’t Release More Tax Returns (updated)

[ProSense]

Last edited Wed Jul 18, 2012, 09:16 AM - Edit history (2)

Romney To GOP: I Won’t Release More Tax Returns

MItt Romney brushed off calls from within his own party to release additional years of tax returns on Tuesday, explaining again that Democrats would use such information to distort his record.

Via the Huffington Post:

“Oh, I think people in my party just say, ‘Look, this is a non-issue, just release the returns and it will all go away.’ My experience is that the Democratic Party these days has approached taxes in a very different way than in the past,” Romney told WPXI, an NBC Affiliate in Pittsburgh. “Their opposition people look for anything they can find to distort, to twist, and to try and make negative, and I want to make this a campaign about the economy and creating jobs. And they want to make this campaign about attacking people and diverting attention from our job picture in this country.”

Romney addressed the issue in a taped interview, meaning it was delivered before Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) suggested the former Massachusetts governor release them, notes Huffington Post’s Sam Stein.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/romney-to-gop-i-wont-release-more-tax

Updated to add this from Steve Benen:

<...>

Of course, by that logic, Romney shouldn't give speeches or do interviews, either, since those rascally Democrats might try to distort, twist, and make negative the things he says out loud. This is not, in other words, much of an excuse for indefinite secrecy.

The Washington Post, meanwhile, reports today that while there are clear divisions within the Republican Party over Romney's handling of the issue, there are also divisions among the candidate's own staffers.

The political pressure on Mitt Romney to release more of his personal income tax returns is causing some divisions inside the GOP presidential candidate's camp, according to a Republican strategist close to the campaign.

Although some advisers are arguing privately that Romney needs to release additional filings to curb the political fallout, others are resisting that suggestion, reflecting the candidate's longtime reluctance to publicly disclose information about his personal finances.

For what it's worth, Matthew Dowd, a strategist with the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign, said on NPR yesterday that Romney would have to do something to deal with his Bain/disclosure problems "within 48 hours."

And what happens if Romney doesn't? Dowd didn't say, but the implication seemed to be that the damage to the Republican's campaign would be lasting and significant.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/18/12809264-romney-rejects-gop-calls-for-more-disclosure

[Politicalboi]

1. But yet this asshole pals around with

The Donald who says Obama wasn't born here. Talk about distort. And it's only one page.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. "They're threatening to distort my tax evasion into something bad. Wahhh"

[progressivebydesign]

11. the thing is that tax forms are (unless he lied) FACTS.

Once it's on the page, it's there for the world to see. So his bogus claims that they'll "demonize" him, means that there is something very very bad on there. Otherwise, no one could demonize him or distort anything. But America wants to know how much they paid with their taxes for his dressage horse's outfits. That's all..

[Cracklin Charlie]

16. Well there's your problem!

Mittens doesn't do facts.

[liberal N proud]

3. He has something hiding in those documents.

[Marooned]

4. Looks like he's afraid of what those tax returns will show

[MrSlayer]

5. He said "Democratic Party".

Someone is going to slap him for that.

[morningfog]

6. "anything they can find to distort, to twist, and to try and make negative" He's conceding there

is much there to work with.

[emulatorloo]

7. Seems like he's projecting too. That's Romney's campaign strategy.

Describes every statement he has made about Obama.

[ProSense]

32. Yeah, he's

apparently oblivious to bleeding. He's already getting his ass kicked for lying.

Yes, Romney Perjured Himself
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002960206

[Angry Dragon]

8. I would like Willard to spell out what the republican job picture is in this country

[MichiganVote]

9. So sayeth a very guilty man. Guys dirty.

[progressivebydesign]

10. Wow. So he's battling his OWN party now??

It's not like the guy has every really been a GOP team player to begin with. This is very very bad for him.

My take is that Romney and is yes-men are saying "we can bullshit our way through this." They're going to double-down on the personal attacks.. the new meme seems to be that the President is "unAmerican" and "Foreign" And that the only reason he wants the returns is because he HATES successful people, and hates the American Dream. Oh and that the Democrats are going to try and make him look bad..

As they say.. "he can do bad all by himself."

This is unprecedented. Something BIIIIIIG has got to be in those returns!!!

[Cracklin Charlie]

18. He shouldn't have been such a bully in the primaries

They're gonna let this guy twist in the wind until November. Is anyone defending him anymore, who doesn't work on his "campaign"?

[spanone]

12. spanone to romney...

[IMG][/IMG]

[lonestarnot]

13. Tee hee. If that is what he wants to stick with and does stick with, he is already throwing in the

towel. Richers will be spending billions for nada. Shit no one is paying attention to anyway unless they own material he keeps trying to make off with in one of his lye ads.

[Ruby the Liberal]

14. Excellent!

I see he got my letter from earlier.

Good job, Willard. No worries, I am sure this will all just blow over in another day or so and you can move on to your plans to provide health insurance to everyone and fix the economy.

[Smilo]

15. Here comes Rmoney's replacement...............

[flying_wahini]

17. WONDERFUL News.....! Hope he holds out for at least another couple of months....

He is such an arrogant fuck that he thinks that this will just fade away.

[Cracklin Charlie]

20. The RNC can not be liking this

He's in real trouble. I think he's been so mean to everyone, that they will leave him to face the music all alone. There are months to go, and already this is getting almost painful to watch.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

[coalition_unwilling]

23. If I knew how to get my webcam to capture sound and image (I don't), I'd

record my re-make of 'Blowin' in the Wind'.

Somthing along the lines of this:

"The Mittster, my friend,
Is twistin' in the wind.
The Mittster is twistin' in the wind."

[The_Casual_Observer]

19. Then he will have to step down because this will only get worse.

[JohnnyRingo]

21. And now... Watch me pull a rabbit out of this hat!

Awww... That old trick never works, Bullwinkle.

[WinstonSmith4740]

24. No doubt about it...

I've gotta get another hat.

[JohnnyRingo]

31. LOL...

I forgot about that line.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

22. People in his party say release the tax returns forthwith

it is a yes-issue

[mchill]

25. I think he has little respect for the voter, but the LDS church...

another story. It is serious offense to lie about tithing. So much so, one can lose their temple status if they don't give their 10%.

[Tarheel_Dem]

26. Did any of his opponents ask him to release during the primaries? If so, it would be great to.....

have video of it. Rmoney's hoping that he can stop the bleeding by showing up at the Olympics, and glad handing in Israel. If he does release a couple of years, I think it'll be about the same time he announces his VP pick, hoping to bury this nagging story. He's crafty, and he's a lying POS. I just hope the M$M won't play along.

[oldtime dfl_er]

27. Just today

I saw Michael Steele, George Will and maybe one other Repug tell the guy to release his taxes. Something doesn't pass the smell test here.

Any chance Mittens could NOT be the Repub nominee? (please say no)

[AtheistCrusader]

28. Why would a Wookiee, an eight-foot tall Wookiee, want to live on Endor

with a bunch of two foot tall Ewoks? It doesn't make any sense!

[Arugula Latte]

29. He's a' skeered!

Hey, Mitt, whadareya -- yella?

[jmowreader]

30. If he knew anything about creating jobs, that is...

This is the fucker who liked to buy a company on Monday and fire everyone who worked there on Tuesday. He's also the fucker whose state was 47th in job creation when he was governor of it. AND he's the asshole who pioneered the use of high-risk CDOs to fund his corporate raids--which is exactly why we're in the economic situation we're in now.

What's Romney going to say? "I know only how to trash the economy and fire people; vote for me so I can finish what I started"?