You are shifting the burden of proof away from where it belongs. Reid is the one making claims about what we would see on Romney’s tax returns. And Reid claims he got the information from a Bain investor that Reid refuses to identify.
So Reid is the one who should back up his claims by giving up the name of his informant. Yet he refuses to do so.
It seems likely to the rest of you that Romney won’t disclose his tax returns because he has something to hide. It seems equally likely that Reid won’t disclose his informant’s name because Reid has something to hide.
Possibly Reid wants to hide that Reid never really talked to a Bain investor, or that he did and they never said anything of the sort, and that the whole thing is a smear some staffer made up and fed to Reid.
And Reid justifies it the way CBS did when they used forged documents in 2004 - it’s “really” true in some sense, and anyway ethical violations don’t count in the face of the overwhelming need to defeat a Republican.
It’s sort of the flip side of the outrage at the notion that the GOP wanted to make Obama a one-term President. That’s terrible and awful and evil and bad and horrid and rotten. But the Dems wanting to make Romney a no-term President, doing things that are equally or more sleazy than the filibuster - that doesn’t count nearly so much.
The two have nothing to do with each other. Wanting to make Obama a one-term president and ignoring their duties as representatives of the voters is reprehensible. Obama released years of tax returns. The Republicans can use that info however they see fit. Romney should likewise release his returns.
Um, dude? *Romney *is the one running for President. Not Reid, not Rather. Romney. *His *actions and motivations are the ones relevant to our decisions as to who to vote for.
:rolleyes: Oh, I see, because I intentionally stop an explanation at a specific point—and announce it—before moving on, in order to make sure we can get agreement to that particular point, you assume that when I say there’s more coming that the “more” doesn’t include the obvious information you felt so compelled to share. Hope you have your mouthguard in. I hear those jerking knees can knock out a tooth.
Reid has “evidence” that a citizen didn’t pay taxes for ten years. And a rich citizen at that! That’s unAmerican, especially since the government could really use that money. so the question is, why is Obama, Holder, and the head of the IRS not doing their job and launching an investigation into Romney’s ten year period of paying no taxes? Not doing so is dereliction of duty. It also send the message that none of us really have to pay our taxes. What the hell is wrong with Obama and his head of the IRS? Why don’t they do their jobs?!!!
[/QUOTE
I have already covered this, when I said that it is too bad that Nixon isn’t president.
First, hearsay is hardly a reason to begin a politically sensitive in public. And we don’t know that someone in the IRS isn’t looking already, but Romney’s returns are hardly something you skim over in a day.
Just because Republicans use government for blatantly political purpose (remember DoJ in Bush time?) doesn’t mean Dems will.
As for me, I’m betting they are legal but embarrassing.[/QUOTE]
And I’m betting they’re 100% legal and are not embarrassing but will be presented as if they are. The “he paid a lower rate than his secretary” is proof of the depths of stupidity the left will willingly wallow in.
You’re argument hinges on that one little word. And since it is not a given that they did both those things, your argument fails. First you’d have to satisfy that the conditional you put forth has, indeed, been met.
Um, dude? Reid is the one making the accusation. As the one making the accusation, it is incumbent upon Reid to substantiate it. That is what is relevant in determining the degree of credence we give the accusation.
Ha. Ha. Reid can share the name of the supposed person who gave him this “tip” about Romney. He can put up or shut up. I’m tickled that so many of you left-headed stalwarts are so okay with accusations like this being made. Some funny shit.
It’s funny because it’s not even an actual accusation. It’s just speculation. And it’s perfectly reasonable speculation, because there’s absolutely no rational reason that a presidential candidate would withhold his tax returns from the public. The whole situation was created by Romney.
And now when Romney does release them, I’m just waiting to demand the “long form.” Turnabout is fair play.
I suppose your point is that it is somehow hypocritical for a man who advocates higher individual tax rates for multimillionaires to be the chairman of a huge conglomerate that is in the process of settling a dispute over taxes.
I’m sure you’re aware that corporate tax law is very different from tax law for individuals, and that Buffett has an obligation to maximize profits for his stockholders.
What you may not be aware of is that Buffet does not fill out the thousands of pages of Berkshire Hathaway’s tax returns himself.
So, do you have any evidence that he is actively directing a policy of avoiding or delaying paying the taxes his company owes, or that he encourages shady accounting? Do you have any evidence that BH’s tax disputes are much more numerous or serious than those of other corporations of comparable size and complexity?
In short, do you have any idea whether your criticism is legitimate, or are you just throwing mud?
I agree with this. Surely you don’t expect either side to treat the other fairly, do you?
I am gratified to see the GOP fall right into Reid’s trap. The more they object, the longer the issue of Romney’s taxes stay in the headlines. Bravo, Harry; bravo.
Strangely enough, we can apparently answer this question. (I wonder why?) In 2011, Obama paid about 20 percentin federal taxes and his own spokeswoman used it as an opportunity to criticize tax policy that results in his paying a lower percentage than his own secretary.
In Obama’s case, this is not an unknowable fact. In 2011, he had a taxable income of $496,386, and paid $162.074 in income tax, for a tax rate of 32.65%.
Turnabout is fair play.