Here we go. Don't know if it's that great of an idea. They already got their pitch forks and torches out and he's a marked man for the looney left. Even he releases these latest tax returns, what do you want to bet, the left will not be satisfied, NEVER, they will want more and more evidence, he can give them 25 years and either the left will complain and say, NOT enough or try to find something within those returns to try to stick him with something. I can hear Reid and Pelosi screeching now. But it's expected from liberals, that is the only arsenal they have, it takes the focus off the Obama's failed economy and falling/failing unemployment.

Say what you will but Romney clearly plays by a different set of rules than every other presidential candidate for the last thirty years, all of whom lived up to the standard of transparency set by his own father, George Romney. At the very least Mitt needs to stop embarrassing himself with the excuses and “trust me” comments.

I'm sure there's not only an army of accountants massaging, amending and revising his returns but a few political spin doctors giving advise and input to make them look as good as possible. Of course, it's more difficult to amends returns going back many,many years and that's why they'll never see the light of day.

Release all of them for God's sake! I'm sick and tired of the rich living in a different moral universe and telling us to keep our noses out of possible tax evasion. Come on Mitt - set an example.

When is Obama going to release his plan to get America back to work?

Obama getting the rope-a-dope from Romney.

Meanwhile, Bass continues to support the evasiveness, stonewalling and deception of Mitt Romney.

Is Mitt hiding something? The only way to find out is for Mitt to release his tax returns. His advisors should be sacked - the longer this dodging charade continues, the worse Mitt is going to look.

Except, of course, in the eyes of folks like Bass, who, for some strange reason, seem to "trust" a candidate who has already shown he stashes his money in overseas tax havens. 

Not illegal, sure, but he should have known better and  if he and his advisors had any functioning braincells between them they would have ensured Mitt had moved all his money out of the tax havens and into America before he started running for president.

How can we find out?

We can't.

Unless Mitt releases his returns.

Bass would rather the evasiveness and secrecy rumble on and slams those who genuinely want to know.

Americans deserve better.

Serrano - "When is Obama going to release his plan to get America back to work?"

He has. Multiple times.

But the anti-America Party of No that you support has blocked any and all progress.

Question for you is: When are you going start supporting your country and your president's jobs initiatives?

Because asking "where are the jobs" while not supporting jobs bills simply shows you have no interest whatsoever in your country's future.

But people here on JT have known about your strong anti-American views for almost a decade now.

How can we find out? We can't.

So don't vote for Romney.

It's that simple.

Speaking of stonewalling though, why can't sushi answer the questions put to him here? How many of your relatives are on Medicare? What was last experience in an American hospital like? You talk about instances of voter "oppression" by Republicans but you give no details. What state, sushi ?

When is Obama going to explain why both he and his wife are no longer allowed to practice law in the State of Illinois? Were they disbarred ?

Obama has already submitted 12 years his tax returns while Romney only released 2 years. He is not releasing as he has something to hide. More than 62$ Americans want to see his tax returns as he will be a Chief Executive of fiscal policy of United States of America. Hope he will be able to do this sooner. More longer he resists, more people will move away from Romney. Show us that he is a man of integrity, honesty and ethiccs to lead this country. If he does not, he is sending a wrong message to American public. Romney is saying that he hs been cheating the government, so you can do it too. Let's cheat the government and let's avoid it all.

Sen. Reid is protecting a "Deep Throut" from public and he has the "Proof" that Romney hasn't paid fed. income taxes.
We will see.

If Romney hasn't paid his taxes wouldn't the IRS have been on it. The IRS has had an unprecedented hiring spree in the Obama years, since liberals love levying taxes more than anything. Doesn't inspire much confidence in these supposedly selfless bureaucrats, does it.

Il babuino, your first 2 questions are irrelevant.

About voter suppression - read this:

Dubdubdub.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/08/18/republican-voter-suppression-early-votingn1766172.html

Oh well, I forgot to add this on my previous post.

In my state, if you are applying for managerial position in public sector, you are required to submit 5 years tax retuns to the hiring panels; We do all background checks including criminal record and credit scores.

If you are applying for managerial positions in private sector, many organizations will check your crimina, academic, past hemployment history and financial records including credit scores with no hesitations. This is a common employment screening process.

In summary, Low score means that you are a high risk for employment. FYI

The Obama campaign has said that if Romney releases five years of returns, they will not call for anything more.

That means the two years he is in the process of revealing (2011-12) plus three more (2008-10). Romney has refused to even consider this.

Many analysts have speculated that Romney paid not taxes in 2008 due to plunging stock values. There is nothing illegal about this (though morals are a different story). Still, Romney is now on record stating he paid somewhere in the vicinity of 13% yearly over the past ten years.

Seems the poor man may well have caught himself in a lie - and the lie is worse than the action.

"Adviser says Romney to release 2011 tax return by Oct 15"

By October 15? Mitt's charade is going from stupid to ridiculous.

If he's got nothing to hide, put them out there and show it.

Some conservatives have been mumbling that the Dems will take Mitt's tax returns apart.  If they're worried about that, they are more than free to pick apart the president's tax returns - all 8(?) years of them.  I presume they did long ago - and found nothing that would create suspicion?

And yet the conservatives let their guy get away with continuing to hide, dodge, weave and suppress his tax returns?

Why the huge double standards?

It's pretty clear now - the conservatives who support Mitt's continuing stonewalling must also know their candidate has something to hide and that if could blow up in his face.

Really, at the end of the day, I personally don't see it's going to male much difference. Mitt's going to lose in November anyway.

One thing's sure about the conservatives clamoring to keep Mitt Romney's tax returns hidden from the American people - you can smell their fear from here. :-)

Of course, it's more difficult to amends returns going back many,many years and that's why they'll never see the light of day.

This is a very similar drawn-out debate to 2002 when Romney ran for governor on a platform of refusing to release his state tax returns -- even while calling on his opponent in the race to release her husband's returns.There were even legitimate questions at the time about his residency status and filing for dual returns in both Massachusetts and Utah. Not to mention 1994, when Romney agreed to release his own taxes once his opponents did the same, but then backtracked on his end of the bargain. The entire mindset reveals even more characteristics of an oligarchic elite that believes itself above the law than anything they might be hiding.

So Mitt's hidden his tax returns before?

How can the conservative types support this?

Mitt clearly thinks "We The People" are nothing more than tools he can manipulate in his shameless grab for power.

It's kind of ironic that the people who clearly have no shame at all are those who are vainly trying to support Mitt's suppression of his tax returns.

Nice try, Mitt. You're just lucky you're running for control of a country containing so many folks who can be so easily fooled.

[Ed Gillespie, a senior Romney adviser] said Americans will have “ample information” about Romney’s taxes with the disclosure of the 2010 return and the planned release of the 2011 return.

Just 2 years worth? Ample information?? What does Ed Gillespie think Americans are - stupid?

Thank god Global Liberals are demanding more transparency. 

As for the conservative types who actively support Mitt's continuing stone-walling, it seems Ed Gillespie realizes the conservative base can be fooled at the drop of a hat.

That's pretty funny. :-)

As of today per CNN, GOP raised 110 millions (1/3 from America for Prosperity -The Koch Brothers and 2/3 frm the Wall Street) while Obama raised only 75 millions mostly from the middle class Americans. This is a clear choice election and the most important one in history of US.

I have not forgotten what had happened to stock market in 2008. Thank god, our social security and medicare were not in hands of the Wall Street at that time.

GOP believes everything has to be privatized except US military. They have alredy successfully trying to convert public schools to K12 school voucher programs. What's next? What about FCC, FDIC, OSHA, State Parks, Police, Fire fighters........furthermore, they want to abolish function of FED, and UN

Romeny has confirmed that Paul Ryan and Romney has the exact the same plan.

I know what Paul Ryan believes. He had a love affair with the "Fountainhead". He strongly belives that only function of government is for Military. Everything else goes to Privatization and Voucher systems. There are three sectors in society" The Public, The Private and The Individual. Every sector has a certain oblications to society. In Paul Ryan's book, there are only two sectors; The Private and The Individual.

He believes that Government has no important role in society except Military. How does it work? I am not sure if he understands Economic #101. I strongly disagree with this man Paul Ryan. If we send this guy to Washington, I will pull all my money from the Wall Street as there will be NO regulations governing banks and the US financial market. Many world investors will pull money from US too.
.

It would be nice if Obama would release his college transcripts, which are more relevant than someone's tax returns. Could you imagine applying for a job and telling a prospective employer that they cannot have a copy of your college transcripts. If Romney did something illegal I'm sure the IRS would have pounced on him and it would have been in the news. As long as he paid the legally required amount of taxes, his finances are his business only, not the losers who keep harping on him to release them.

Tatanka - "It would be nice if Obama would release his college transcripts, which are more relevant than someone's tax returns."

Oh, the desperation is painful.

So, are you saying the president's history and other grades are more important than whether he paid tax due?

I don't believe you are serious.

There's a simple reason Romney doesnt release his tax returns- they are nobody's damn business but his. IF there is any evidence that he broke the law, bring it on. I'm sure he has passed IRA scrutiny many times.

Would you Obama supporters be content if an independent auditor reviewed Romney's tax returns and certified that they were all above board, without releasing the details? Anything more is just jealousy and finger pointing. Democrats demagoguing and avoiding the real issues in the election.

I expected better from President Obama, I really did. He has become just another Washington hack.

Good to see the Sunday morning political talk shows quoted here on this whole tax return Obama distraction. To bad they didn't include The Today Show qoute though from this guy in the article.

Time Magazine’s very own Mark Halperin delivered a rather frank assessment of the state of media coverage of the White House this weekend during an appearance on The Today Show.

“The Obama folks clearly know they’ve found some traction on this tax return issue with Romney,” said NBC’s Lester Holt. “And then of course late in the week comes this challenge–’give us a little more and we won’t complain anymore.’ Has this issue come to the point it’s jumped the shark?”

“I think the press still likes this story a lot, the media is very susceptible to doing what the Obama campaign wants, which is to focus on this,” said Halperin.

Vast - "Would you Obama supporters be content if an independent auditor reviewed Romney's tax returns and certified that they were all above board, without releasing the details?"

Nice try, but Romney hasn't released his tax returns so I don't see how the idea is going to fly.

Vast - "Anything more is just jealousy and finger pointing. Democrats demagoguing and avoiding the real issues in the election."

Complete rubbish. It's just that folks like you can't hide your fear that Romney might be hiding something that could tank his election prospects.

I don't think the conservative types have a clue about the precedent that would be set if Romney doesn't release his tax returns - a precedent that in future would mean presidential candidates could do whatever corrupt stuff they like as long as the last 2 years of their tax returns don't show it.

No, Romney has to release more years of his returns - just like his father and every other presidential candidate since.

Saying it's "nobody's damn business" does one thing - it encourages secrecy, it encourages cover-ups, it encourages stone-walling.

Sure seems like Vast thinks this kind of behavior is ok.

It's not.

Romney needs to man up and wise up and front up to the people he wants to represent.

If anyone is "leading from behind," it's Romney.

The advice he is receiving is terrible: If he's hiding anything, he should get it out, have the debate, and put the issue to bed, even if some people decide not to vote for him as a result. 

Anything less and the suspicion and doubts will drag and linger, and potentially snowball.

Vast - "I'm sure he has passed IRA scrutiny many times."

What? You're saying Romney's palin' around with terrorists?

I didn't know that....

Sail, do you also support Romney's stone-walling?

Care to explain why, and why Romney shouldn't front up with his tax returns like others before him have?

Or perhaps you think Mitt Romney, with all his wealth, is above "We the People" and should live by different standards??

@Sushi

Care to explain why, and why Romney shouldn't front up with his tax returns like others before him have?

Because he simply doesn't have to. You guys are so itchin' to find anything on him to further demonize him. And he would be a fool to do otherwise, why would he want to fall into that liberal trap?

Or perhaps you think Mitt Romney, with all his wealth, is above "We the People" and should live by different standards??

No, you got him confused with Obama, that what he and how most liberals think.

@Sushi

Meanwhile, Bass continues to support the evasiveness, stonewalling and deception of Mitt Romney.

Nope, just know exactly what would happen if he does. Obama can't run on the economy, so Mitt and his taxes are a great distraction and it is working, Obama gets a point on that one.

Is Mitt hiding something? The only way to find out is for Mitt to release his tax returns. His advisors should be sacked - the longer this dodging charade continues, the worse Mitt is going to look.

You liberals are ok with Obama claiming executive privileges in backing Holder in the Fast Furious program. Where is the outrage on that?

Except, of course, in the eyes of folks like Bass, who, for some strange reason, seem to "trust" a candidate who has already shown he stashes his money in overseas tax havens.

I wouldn't go so far as to say, "I trust" a politician or ANY politician for that matter, but when it comes to handling the economy and someone that really loves their country and will not bow down and or apologize for who we are as a people and a nation, that person will get my trust and I would vote for that person. Obama is NOT one of them.

Not illegal, sure, but he should have known better and if he and his advisors had any functioning braincells between them they would have ensured Mitt had moved all his money out of the tax havens and into America before he started running for president.

That is just absurd.

How can we find out? We can't.

Exactly! That's right!

Unless Mitt releases his returns.

He will and that should be the end of the discussion, put it to rest after that.

Bass would rather the evasiveness and secrecy rumble on and slams those who genuinely want to know.

From his enemies, YES! Without a doubt!

Americans deserve better.

I agree, the last 4 years was a total chaotic hyperbolic liberal Nightmare!

Bass, Obama's team even offered Romney a chance to see whether Mitt would go only half way to meeting the tax return practices of presidential candidates of the last 30 years.

5 years.

And Mitt can't even manage that!

I have no idea why you support such spineless actions on the part of Romney

SS3: Is there a legal requirement for all candidates to release their tax returns?

    Do you have any evidence that Romney has broken the law regarding his tax filings?

It's painfully obvious the Democratic strategy. Try and paint Romney as an uncaring rich guy who 'takes advantage' of the tax system. That's why I suggest an audit by a neutral party. Someone who could confirm that nothing illegal happened. Perhaps the IRS could confirm that all was filed correctly and legally.

The Dems are trying to distract from the feeble economy, terrible deficit, and high unemployment.

Romney will release his tax returns when he's good and ready - after he's cooked them, ha ha!

And Obama will unleash Obamacare on all of us who can't afford to pay for medical services, and continue to balloon the deficit..

Sail, do you also support Romney's stone-walling?

Yes

Care to explain why, and why Romney shouldn't front up with his tax returns like others before him have?

Romney's Tax returns are a complicated mess in direct response to the complicated mess that is the current U.S tax code all 7000 plus pages of it. I could care less who you or other Liberals will regale me if he releases his past tax forms that in 2008 page 34 schedule F/ C Pizza home delivery deduction tips over 10 percent is tax deductible or not.

Or perhaps you think Mitt Romney, with all his wealth, is above "We the People" and should live by different standards??

No, I think his taxes are a complicated mess and the standards used by folks such as yourself will be to take every legal deduction that he used to paint him as the very essence of evil itself.

No, I think his taxes are a complicated mess and the standards used by folks such as yourself will be to take every legal deduction that he used to paint him as the very essence of evil itself.

Sail, Romney has set up shell companies abroad to avoid paying US taxes. It is all perfectly legal, of course - but is it ethical? The US tax code is certainly not easy, but Romney has clearly gone out of his way to make his transactions as complicated as possible. It does not look good; Americans are correct in being suspicious of it; nothing conservatives say can explain it away. It is positively Nixonian. (Drip, drip, drip....)

A new theory is that Romney committed voter fraud by declaring his state of residency on his IRS forms as California yet still voting in Massachusetts elections. That would constitute voter fraud, which is a felony - and ironically one which is currently the darling of the conservative movement.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/17/mitt-romney-tax-returns-voter-fraud-theory?newsfeed=true

Something stinks with this. Romney can either come clean with it, or he will inevitably suffer what will be self-inflicted and entirely deserved waves of suspicion.

A new theory is that Romney committed voter fraud by declaring his state of residency on his IRS forms as California yet still voting in Massachusetts elections.

Laguna,

Just flat out call Romney a felon and get over it.

sailwind.

Laguna stated "A new theory is " there is no support that he believes it nor supports it, so why the personal attack? Sounds more like he is on your side from this end.

Being a non-american I can't weigh in on any side nor would it matter but I hate to see this whole bickering and personal attacks filling this forum.

...and get over it.

Get over it? I will not accuse him of being a felon - I personally doubt he is - but he is not helping his case in the least. How can one "get over" such a figure as a potential POTUS? Didn't the GOP vet this guy? Are these reasons McCain found Romney "less qualified" than whats-her-name? The questions keep building, that is for sure; at least we've got to thank Mitt for making this election interesting on many levels.

Laguna;

If you have evidence, then send it to the IRS. If you don't, then you are just blowing hot air. It reminds me of the whole "birther" thing. Badgering the president to prove his birthplace when it was just another form of harassment and BS designed to detract from the real issues. All speculation with no facts whatsoever.

Besides, from what I've learned, most of Romney's assets are tied up in a blind trust. He really doesn't have much day to day control over them.

Now, if we could only get back to the real issues that should be driving the election.... no more dogs, chains, forms, or birth records. How about fiscal policy, deficit management, and spending controls?

Didn't the GOP vet this guy?

GOP Primaries.

Are these reasons McCain found Romney "less qualified" than whats-her-name?

HBO even called the Palin pick ...."Gamechanger" .....Romney would not have been.

@Sushi

Obama's team even offered Romney a chance to see whether Mitt would go only half way to meeting the tax return practices of presidential candidates of the last 30 years.

5 years.

And Mitt can't even manage that!

I have no idea why you support such spineless actions on the part of Romney

So because Obama offered, that means Romney has to do Obama's bidding and jump at every beck and whim? I said it again, Romney is NOT stupid and most conservatives know exactly where this will lead. You know if Romney would release 5 or 10 years even, liberals would scrutinize every bit of his tax returns to find something to get something on him. NOT spineless, it's called calling out Obama's bluff. I too, am waiting to know what happened with "Fast and Furious" wonder if Obama and Holder will ever give us a proper explanation as to what happen? I mean, fair is fair....

How about fiscal policy, deficit management, and spending controls?

Oh, we are in complete agreement there. How about the Romney/Ryan plan, which would reduce Romney's taxes to zero (based on their plan to zero-out capital gains taxes)? It would also potentially allow Romney to pass the 100 million in his IRA to his sons tax-free.

You see, his finances are intrinsically tied up with his personal finances, more so than any other presidential candidate in history. You may dislike the suspicion, the innuendo, and the ramifications, but they exist, and the only way to dispel them is disclosure, but that, apparently, is not coming. So: Drip, drip, drip.

Sorry - You see, his financial policies are intrinsically tied up with his personal finances

If you want to know what kind of man Mitt Romney is, the following story may help;

"It is 1996. Mitt Romney is the head of Bain Capital in Boston. One of his employees comes to him, utterly distraught. His 14-year-old daughter snuck out of the house to go to a rave in New York and has been missing for three days. One of her teen friends said he gave her ecstasy and that he last saw her partying under a bridge.

Did Romney offer sympathy and hope? Write a check for a private detective? Wait for the government to solve it? No -- he took responsibility. He took action. He shut down the firm and brought all the employees to New York. For 48 hours, they scoured the streets, going everywhere, asking teenagers if they'd seen the missing girl. Romney called on business associates to send more people to help until they numbered 200. He printed 300,000 fliers and got Duane Reade, one of Bain's success stories, to put fliers in every shopper's bag in their 52 stores. Romney set up a hotline. A broken-off phone call was traced; the girl was discovered in the basement of a house in New Jersey and reunited with her family.

"Mitt's done a lot of things that are nearly impossible, but for me the most important thing he's ever done was to help save my daughter," says the girl's father."

Cool! How 'bout telling us about the time Romney tried to pressure a Mormon woman under his diocese to reject an abortion that doctors had recommended as life-saving, saying, "My primary concern is that of the child."

Listen, no one is saying he is a bad man. He has certainly done good things in his life. If you read my previous posts, you will notice I give him his due; I do not slander him. He is, however, a prisoner of his party, a party which is growing radically conservative, far more so than the nation as a whole - and that is saying a lot, for the US is quite conservative.

In a vacuum, I might like the guy. As it is, he will lose, and deservedly so.

Sailwind,

"Or perhaps you think Mitt Romney, with all his wealth, is above "We the People" and should live by different standards??"

He is living by different standards.

That is the most charitable and easy-going answer to his absolute refusal to show transparency to the American people.

Then again, it could be he has paid no tax at all.

Until he comes clean he deserves every bit of criticism, and every allegation might just have some credence.

"No, I think his taxes are a complicated mess and the standards used by folks such as yourself will be to take every legal deduction that he used to paint him as the very essence of evil itself."

I'm in business and I make my accounts as complicated as possible to confuse the tax man, and to pay as little tax as possible. It's what business people do. We have few scruples.

It's not what politicians should do. I don't think being a good business man should be used as a credential when grooming yourself to office, after all, we are trying to squeeze as much money out of everyone we can whilst making them think they got something for their money.

Proving you pay your fair share is the minimum any patriotic politician should do. Enjoy the spread of the cancer until November, I told you this wasn't going away.

If Romney still pays only 13% in taxes, he is still paying millions and that is more than I will ever pay. Also, he gives about another 10-20% to charity, which in his case comes out to millions, again, more than I will ever give. So do I care if he releases his returns, no. At least he files them. Unlike the current Treasury Secretary who blamed his not filing taxes on his inability to work Turbo-Tax.

As far as him paying a lower tax rate, I want those who are on the left in Hollywood to answer a simple question. Why is Hollywood and LA losing filming of TV shows to various locations in the US and Canada? The reason, these places offer lower taxes and incentives for them to film there. BIg studios and their heads go where they can get the best tax rate to film. So if it is good for big Hollywood, then why isn't it good for the rest of us ordinary Americans. There is nothing stopping Warren Buffet or those others who have millions from paying more taxes. They can write a check to the Treasury or better yet, don't claim any deductions and file away. If they can afford to do so, I applaud them. But don't try to raise my rates. I pay my fair share.

I'm no socialist, but I fail to see how the argument that Romney pays enough because he pays millions already.

He and the rest of the privileged American elite should pay at least as much as the average man.

Let's face it, the can afford it - and the US treasury needs it.

Even conservative voices are calling for Romney to fess up. Whilst I doubt Romney paid no taxes at all, I can only conclude the information in his returns must be far more damaging than a simple privileged rate for the Uber-millionaires Club.

The more this issue is in the headlines, the more Americans fighting the economic crisis will be wondering; what exactly is Mr Romney hiding?

@Mad

You say you are no socialist, but you are for Romney to pay more in taxes, he already pays more than his fair share, I heard about 15%, but don't quote me. It's not your business or call to tell me what and how much to pay! So how much is enough for you? Also, how can you say, what he can afford if or not.

Let's face it, the can afford it - and the US treasury needs it.

Statements like these are really what's wrong with looney liberalism.

Even conservative voices are calling for Romney to fess up

ALL OF THEM? I seriously doubt that.

I can only conclude the information in his returns must be far more damaging than a simple privileged rate for the Uber-millionaires Club.

You don't know that.

The more this issue is in the headlines, the more Americans fighting the economic crisis will be wondering; what exactly is Mr Romney hiding?

Who says he is hiding ANYTHING, you don't know that.

@bass

he already pays more than his fair share

Seeing as how he refuses to make public his tax returns, this is a pretty silly statement. Unless you have access to privileged information.... :)

@Luca

As I said before, why would Romney give something to his rival when he knows full well that it will be used against him, to be fair, any other situation, you can make that argument, maybe. But this is one of THE most serious elections ever, there is a lot a stake. The less your rival knows about you, the less he has the upper hand. So from a political POV this was a good strategic move.

Seeing as how he refuses to make public his tax returns, this is a pretty silly statement. Unless you have access to privileged information.... :)

I would imagine the one reason why he doesn't release his returns could be how the press would handle it. Remember awhile back during the primaries when he made a quote that "he was not too concerned with the very poor." The media took that to mean that he was heartless, but the rest of his statement that they chose not to run at the time was that there were safety nets in place that were there for those types of people, and he wouldn't take them away but would see where they could be improved. But for a few news cycles, al you could read and hear was that "Romney hates the very poor," etc, etc.

So if I were him, I wouldn't release either until my lead in the polls was a bit better.

Let's face it, the can afford it - and the US treasury needs it.

Once again, I will say it. If those who keep asking for higher taxes on the left that are the "rich and famous" and can afford to go to political fund raising dinners hosted by the Dems at $30,000 a plate, instead of eating a meal and taking a photo op, why don't you just give that money to the Treasury. Nothing stopping them from doing that. Also, they can also pay as much as they want to in Federal taxes as they wish.

Once I see one of those types who keep saying that they want the rest of us to pay higher taxes actually do that, I may reconsider my position on raising taxes. But until then, I think the tax rates should be lower.

"Mitt Romney"

"Barack Obama"

Cripes.

No one should have to release their tax returns to the public. If Romney broke the law the IRS have charged him with a crime. If he broke the law and the IRS didn't charge him with a crime, then they are incompetent. Like Obama, Romney is a millionaire/billionaire (as the Prez likes to call those rich folks like himself). Banks submit statements to the IRS on all of these guys and if their returns don't match up, they can charge them with a crime. The problem is not that Romney or Harry Reid are not releasing their tax returns for public inspection, the problem is the corruption that is the tax code itself. It is complicated and riddled with loopholes. Just make taxes simple. A flat tax on all income above the poverty level that everyone is subject to - with no deductions or other corrupting loopholes like business tax credits that allow companies like GE to pay an effective tax rate of 0%. A flat rate is perfectly progressive. If a person has an income that is 10 times higher than some other person, they will pay 10 times more in taxes. Simple, fair, and avoids the ability for companies to buy off politicians for tax breaks (think Solyndra).