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brooklynite

(94,383 posts)
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 06:53 PM Sep 2012

REID STATEMENT ON GOVENOR ROMNEY’S TAX RETURNS

Source: Office of Senator Harry Reid

Washington, D.C.—Nevada Senator Harry Reid issued the following statement after Mitt Romney released today one year worth of tax returns, showing he paid a lower tax rate than most middle class Americans:
"The information released today reveals that Mitt Romney manipulated one of the only two years of tax returns he's seen fit to show the American people – and then only to ‘conform’ with his public statements. That raises the question: what else in those returns has Romney manipulated? We already know Romney has money in tax havens in Switzerland, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. What we don't know is why he refuses to be straight with the American people about the choices he's made in his financial life. When will the American people see the returns he filed before he was running for president? Governor Romney is showing us what he does when the public is looking. The true test of his character would be to show what he did when everyone was not looking at his taxes.

"It’s also galling to see the creative accounting Mitt Romney applied to his own tax returns only days after learning of his insulting comments that seniors, soldiers and hard-working parents don’t pay enough taxes. Once again, we see Mitt Romney is out of touch with middle class families, who don’t have the luxury of accounting wizards and foreign tax shelters. It’s obvious he believes in two sets of rules: one for him, and one for the middle class. He says he wants to be president for only half the people but he acts like he only cares for the top two percent. Despite the fiscal cliff looming in just over three months, Mitt Romney refuses to explain the details of his tax policy. Will the policies he proposes benefit all Americans, or only multi-millionaires like him?"


Read more: http://www.reid.senate.gov/newsroom/pr_9-21-2012.cfm



Why do I think this story isn't going away?
50 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
REID STATEMENT ON GOVENOR ROMNEY’S TAX RETURNS (Original Post) brooklynite Sep 2012 OP
Thank you Harry!! He is saying exactly what I'd hope would be said. nt progressivebydesign Sep 2012 #1
It would seem mitt so desperately Cha Sep 2012 #2
I want Harry Reid on all the news shows, shouting it from the rooftops. Press releases are nice, Tarheel_Dem Sep 2012 #3
good luck getting the msm to book him! he's been right all along, hasn't he? eom ellenfl Sep 2012 #20
He has indeed been right, which is why I was so disappointed in Jon Stewart's attack on him. Tarheel_Dem Sep 2012 #31
stewart is a little TOO egalitarian for me sometimes. eom ellenfl Sep 2012 #44
Thanks brooklynite and Harry Reid! Cha Sep 2012 #4
...and still many are going to vote for him lexw Sep 2012 #13
K&R! myrna minx Sep 2012 #5
Gee Harry! You sure speak for me. Took thre words right out of my head. nt Auntie Bush Sep 2012 #6
LMFAO! JRLeft Sep 2012 #7
They can write anything in a summary. Show your tax forms! alfredo Sep 2012 #8
Hey, can we send the IRS a summary next year too? calimary Sep 2012 #47
Sure, do it. I never mention my Swiss accounts. alfredo Sep 2012 #49
kick defacto7 Sep 2012 #9
True test of his character, implies he has any tomm2thumbs Sep 2012 #10
EVERYDAY! lexw Sep 2012 #11
Agreed toman911 Sep 2012 #18
Hmmm. 14%. Half what I pay in federal income taxes. bluerum Sep 2012 #12
If 28% is your effective federal rate you are well paid. former9thward Sep 2012 #23
k & r SoapBox Sep 2012 #14
thats why it was released on friday PatrynXX Sep 2012 #15
work the body! frylock Sep 2012 #16
Box on, Senator Reid. Mira Sep 2012 #17
On Tuesday I Suggested Romney Should Release His 2011 Tax Returns DallasNE Sep 2012 #19
You certainly did call that one. Spitfire of ATJ Sep 2012 #22
I don't believe these are his actual taxes AT ALL. Spitfire of ATJ Sep 2012 #21
"Tossed together"? JohnnyRingo Sep 2012 #28
Trust me,...they screwed it up. Spitfire of ATJ Sep 2012 #29
How do we know anybody's returns are actual? marshall Sep 2012 #48
I have a very funny feeling we will find out soon. Spitfire of ATJ Sep 2012 #50
It'll go away in November after the landslide. tridim Sep 2012 #24
As The Great Sly Stone once said: "BOOM! Shacka-lacka-lacka" stlsaxman Sep 2012 #25
And doesn't romney have three years spartan61 Sep 2012 #26
Yup. truebluegreen Sep 2012 #39
There's your apology Mitt. JohnnyRingo Sep 2012 #27
This message was self-deleted by its author Phaerisee Sep 2012 #30
One delayed return isn"t raining taxes sellitman Sep 2012 #35
Welcome to DU, Phaerisee! calimary Sep 2012 #45
Good response to Mitt the Moocher, paying 14% (maybe) while the rest of us pay much more than that wordpix Sep 2012 #32
I've always paid 25-30% total midnight armadillo Sep 2012 #40
Here's the thing though tavalon Sep 2012 #33
Of course, people are no longer talking about what a tool RMoney is justiceischeap Sep 2012 #34
Reid should be all over the networks about this ProfessionalLeftist Sep 2012 #36
Since a presumption of innocence sulphurdunn Sep 2012 #37
Believability Issue With Romney DallasNE Sep 2012 #38
Why should he only pay 14% and I have to pay more than 20% Rosa Luxemburg Sep 2012 #41
Next year, he can file an amended return ThoughtCriminal Sep 2012 #42
Thank you Senator Reid saidsimplesimon Sep 2012 #43
Welcome to DU, saidsimplesimon! calimary Sep 2012 #46

Cha

(296,881 posts)
2. It would seem mitt so desperately
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 06:57 PM
Sep 2012

wanted to change the subject that he is Making Sure It Does Not Go Away!

Tarheel_Dem

(31,222 posts)
3. I want Harry Reid on all the news shows, shouting it from the rooftops. Press releases are nice,
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 06:59 PM
Sep 2012

but not a lot of the American people are gonna read this. The DNC should insist he make the rounds on all the cable news shows. This is a legitimate issue, and it needs fleshing out before the American people make a huge mistake.

Tarheel_Dem

(31,222 posts)
31. He has indeed been right, which is why I was so disappointed in Jon Stewart's attack on him.
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 12:38 AM
Sep 2012

But I want Harry back out there.

Cha

(296,881 posts)
4. Thanks brooklynite and Harry Reid!
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 07:02 PM
Sep 2012
He says he wants to be president for only half the people but he acts like he only cares for the top two percent. Despite the fiscal cliff looming in just over three months, Mitt Romney refuses to explain the details of his tax policy. Will the policies he proposes benefit all Americans, or only multi-millionaires like him?"

tomm2thumbs

(13,297 posts)
10. True test of his character, implies he has any
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 07:31 PM
Sep 2012

but still - fave line:

Governor Romney is showing us what he does when the public is looking. The true test of his character would be to show what he did when everyone was not looking...

PatrynXX

(5,668 posts)
15. thats why it was released on friday
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 07:43 PM
Sep 2012

yawn. so when is your 2010 taxes coming out when people weren't looking. after having 4 years of idiots still claim Obama was born in Kenya, one should expect we'll be just as stubborn over partially released tax record. I think everyone knew if it took this long to put out 2011 it would be doctored. or something to make it look good.

Mira

(22,380 posts)
17. Box on, Senator Reid.
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 07:54 PM
Sep 2012

I'm very grateful for you having courage along with wit and, thank God, power.

DallasNE

(7,402 posts)
19. On Tuesday I Suggested Romney Should Release His 2011 Tax Returns
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 08:07 PM
Sep 2012

"Today" to change the subject away from his disasterous Florida fund raiser last May. Obviously Friday is a slow news day so this is the exact date I had in mind when I said "today". Predictable and predicted.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=235431

 

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)
22. You certainly did call that one.
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 08:20 PM
Sep 2012

Of course it wasn't the actual taxes he filed, but it made the media look at the shiny object.

 

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)
21. I don't believe these are his actual taxes AT ALL.
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 08:18 PM
Sep 2012

This is something he had tossed together by his consultants just in case they needed a major distraction.

JohnnyRingo

(18,619 posts)
28. "Tossed together"?
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 08:56 PM
Sep 2012

It took the better part of three months to craft this masterpiece of accounting artwork.

I can only imagine what it cost, both for the creative math wizardry and their avowed silence.

marshall

(6,665 posts)
48. How do we know anybody's returns are actual?
Sun Sep 23, 2012, 09:03 AM
Sep 2012

Reid says they are fake, but doesn't say why. He needs to give more information so the public will know how to judge such things.

spartan61

(2,091 posts)
26. And doesn't romney have three years
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 08:52 PM
Sep 2012

to amend his 2011 taxes if he loses the election? Then he can take the extra deductions for charity that he didn't take (so it would go along with what he said about his taxes.) When he does that, his effective tax rate would only be in the 9% range. He is so slimy.

 

truebluegreen

(9,033 posts)
39. Yup.
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 03:21 PM
Sep 2012

Do you think he would really do that? Meh. I bet he'll do it even if he WINS--money is money!

(but he's not going to win).

JohnnyRingo

(18,619 posts)
27. There's your apology Mitt.
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 08:52 PM
Sep 2012

Take it or leave it, this is as close as it's going to get. If the candidate wants to hear more of the same from Reid, all he has to do is offer another prompt to the Senate leader. ...or... let us see your returns.

Give 'em hell, Harry.

Response to brooklynite (Original post)

calimary

(81,127 posts)
45. Welcome to DU, Phaerisee!
Sun Sep 23, 2012, 12:46 AM
Sep 2012

Glad you're with us! I like your verse there, too. We need you to help us nail this one down for President Obama!




Now get to work.

wordpix

(18,652 posts)
32. Good response to Mitt the Moocher, paying 14% (maybe) while the rest of us pay much more than that
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 12:41 AM
Sep 2012

Hell, what is the average payroll tax? I think it's at least 25-30%

midnight armadillo

(3,612 posts)
40. I've always paid 25-30% total
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 03:43 PM
Sep 2012

that's state & fed combined. As I've earned more $ I've also accumulated more deductions - kids, mortgage.It always seems to fall in that 25-30% total taxes range. But then I don't have an army of accountants at my disposal...

tavalon

(27,985 posts)
33. Here's the thing though
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 05:26 AM
Sep 2012

We could have banged the drum over and over and this might not have grown legs, but with Romney's stellar help, this has big, fat, hairy legs.

If I were an Obama adviser, I would advise him to suspend all advertising. Romney's got it covered.

And to think I thought I would miss Palin this time around.

justiceischeap

(14,040 posts)
34. Of course, people are no longer talking about what a tool RMoney is
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 06:25 AM
Sep 2012

they're talking about his taxes. Gotta say that was well-played by the RMoney team. You know his campaign is going so poorly when he rather talk about his taxes then anything else.

 

sulphurdunn

(6,891 posts)
37. Since a presumption of innocence
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 11:00 AM
Sep 2012

does not apply to presidential politics, it would not be unfair to infer that Romney was part of the massive UBS tax fraud amnesty the IRS gave to "job creators" like him who had buried billions of dollars in secret foreign bank accounts to evade US taxes. A revelation like that would be game over for the Mittster's presidential ambitions, would resurrect that shameful affair and shine a very bright on the financial shenanigans of the people who constitute his donor base.

DallasNE

(7,402 posts)
38. Believability Issue With Romney
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 12:16 PM
Sep 2012

Romney has previously said that he never paid less than 13% in income taxes yet 2011 would have come in at 9% had he taken all of his charitable contributions he was entitile to take this year. Now how believable is that? Not only would he have had 50% of his released returns under that amount, his average would below 13% as well. Does Romney even know how to tell the truth? I have my doubts.

Rosa Luxemburg

(28,627 posts)
41. Why should he only pay 14% and I have to pay more than 20%
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 03:49 PM
Sep 2012

he hides money offshore to evade American taxes which could be used for the American people!

ThoughtCriminal

(14,047 posts)
42. Next year, he can file an amended return
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 03:58 PM
Sep 2012

and get back the deductions he didn't use for 2011.

I wonder what he will spend the refund on?

saidsimplesimon

(7,888 posts)
43. Thank you Senator Reid
Sat Sep 22, 2012, 04:59 PM
Sep 2012

Mitt Romney may be a Bishop, and President of his Stake, however, he is not admired by some members of his faith. This story will play, where it counts.

calimary

(81,127 posts)
46. Welcome to DU, saidsimplesimon!
Sun Sep 23, 2012, 12:47 AM
Sep 2012

Glad you're here! We need you! And don't get complacent - we don't have this thing nailed down yet!







Now get to work.

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