Romney Campaign Vetters Examined “Several” Years Of Veep Pick Tax Returns
When Mitt Romney was vetted by John McCain’s campaign for the Vice-Presidency in 2008, he reportedly provided 23 years of tax returns as part of the process. During it’s own vetting process, the Romney campaign didn’t ask its potential running mates for quite that many returns, but it seems pretty clear that they received more than what Romney himself has made public to date:
DULLES, Va. — A top aide to Mitt Romney said that the campaign had obtained “several years” of income tax returns from potential running mates – suggesting that Representative Paul D. Ryan had produced tax returns for a greater number of years than Mr. Romney has in his run for the White House.
Mitt Romney has repeatedly refused to disclose tax returns for any years but 2010 and 2011, stirring criticism that he is shielding his finances from public view.
But on Saturday, the Romney adviser who oversaw the vice-presidential search, Beth Myers, said that she had requested “several years” of returns from Mr. Ryan. When pressed on precisely how many she had received, she declined to elaborate.
But her choice of words, however vague, was telling: she said “several,” not two, or a couple. (Technically, several refers to more than two.)
President Obama’s re-election campaign has hammered Mr. Romney for not releasing enough of his tax returns, attempting to portray him as a calculating businessman set on hiding his wealth and tax rate. Because Mr. Romney earned much of his money through something known as carried interest – a form of return on investments – when at Bain Capital, he paid a lower tax rate than he might have had he worked in a different profession.
I’ve been saying for weeks now that the VP pick would not put the tax return issue behind the Romney campaign, because the first question the press would ask is how many years of returns the campaign requested during the vetting process. Indeed, just moments ago, George Stephanopoulos asked Tim Pawlenty on This Week how many years of returns he had provided during the vetting process. An obviously uncomfortable T-Paw responded “several” and clearly didn’t want to commit on how many years of returns it actually was. Expect this to come up the first time the press is able to ask Ryan questions.
Yep. This leaves Mr. Romney claiming that he needs to know more about his running mate than we need to know about the possible leader of the free world. It is logically untenable.
Of course it makes perfect sense if you’re a smug, elitist dick who doesn’t give a damn about the American people.
@michael reynolds:
Of course that is all true but he’s not releasing them because he can’t – there is something really toxic there.
It would really surprise me at this point if the Romney/Ryan campaign can dig themselves back out. The opposition has kept Romney on his back foot, kept him from advancing, by naming (authentic) negatives.
Romney actually picked a guy tailor-made for that Democratic strategy, rather than a guy to break it.
Ryan has (authentic) negatives up the wazoo. I mean, once you use up (is that even possible?) the free ride for the rich and tough love (minus the love) for the elderly, you’ve still got climate denial, and extreme positions on abortion.
I’ve already seen one article …
Ryan Skips Florida, Will Focus On Great Lakes States
Heh, I guess he thinks Florida would be a little hot for him.
Team Romney is so country club inept they might not fully grasp the irony.
It is unfortunate that they can only afford one sport coat and tie between the two of them, and have to share in the picture above.
Their taxes need to be lowered so they can afford formal wear.
I think multiple people have confirmed the campaign asked for “several years” now, so there’s no reason not to keep pressing Romney on his taxes. It does show that Romney thinks he is entitled to see what in several years of taxes, but not the rest of use.
@john personna:
“Climate”, means you refer to the Global Warming Theory that has been shot out of the water for some time now – which is why it is not even talked about in this election campaign, and rightly so. My faith in any common sense left in the species homo sapiens has been reduced by someone acknowledging that they believe in such nonsense and even call someone “climate denier” …
All that is truly important is once again shelved – people are arguing about the marriage issue, when in fact the Constitution does not give the federal government any power whatsoever concerning such a private issue that should be always turned over to state government decision, and who should then turn it over to let the religious entities decide. In reality, marriage would be less argued over if there was a tax system that doesn’t give married persons better deals than unmarried – another con against the unfair and intrusive income tax system.
@Keith A. Lehman:
I sense that you hang in anti-intellectual circles, and within those groups you find a lot of confirmation for your beliefs.
I bet you think that NASA and the National Science Foundation have just been infiltrated, and that you don’t have to listen to them anymore. Never mind that the Japanese science foundations and the British Royal society come up with the same answer.
Basically, the only way to know the truth is to hunker down with young-earth evangelicals, right?
Research Links Extreme Summer Heat Events to Global Warming
That would be from NASA
@john personna: NASA is a 4 letter abbreviation, how much more obvious could it be that they are communists and can’t be trusted?
@michael reynolds: Of course it makes perfect sense if you’re a smug, elitist dick who doesn’t give a damn about the American people.
That’s precisely the guy Romney’s running to replace. Welcome to the right side!
@john personna:
NASA, et cetera is stating a scientific fact – we are going through a climate cycle, one that has occurred off and on all through this planet’s history.
If there is global warming, it is something that is caused by changes that has nothing to do with humans – provide me links where NASA shows this. By the way, in the big lie scandal, NASA was part of it because it was politically correct to do so.
Show me.
@Jenos Idanian #13:
And yet we have Mr. Obama’s tax returns, don’t we?
What is Mr. Romney hiding, Indiana Jones? You’re a fictional archeologist accustomed to tracking hidden treasures, maybe you could find them.
@Keith A. Lehman:
In the 1930s, there were similar conditions of drought, which added to the misery of the Great Depression. Funny, that wasn’t mentioned. It also wasn’t mentioned that the “global warming” effect was not caused by humans; since this has occurred long before there enough of them hanging around (your ancestors) in trees.
@Keith A. Lehman:
What can we do, exactly about the changing weather/climate?
Nothing.
Just prepare for it.
Thanks to alarmists, funds have been wasted as well as time that should be spent upon things we CAN change.
Ever hear of the serenity prayer?
Be wise enough to know what can be changed and what can be changed – and work at what can be changed.
@Keith A. Lehman:
No, that is not what NASA said.
@michael reynolds:
Where are his tax returns? What site were they printed or at least the results?
Democrats think if you use legal deductions it is a sin when you are wealthy. Why? If the system was fixed this issue would not be discussed. Democrats have NO accomplishments in the last four years, so they must deviate and get the useful idiots (apparently you) to concentrate on matters that do not address the issues under the agenda of solving them.
It is a Marxist ploy that is getting old.
Do we have the last ten years of Obama’s tax records?
Where are they? I searched the most notorious media networks and see none posted.
Where is Harry Reid’s? How about the Secretary of Treasury, who was being investigated for back taxes when he was chosen for the job? How about Pelosi? She has made a substantial financial plus since she’s been in office.
C’mon, don’t diss my favorite fictional hero – Indiana Jones!
I don’t really take Keith’s request for a link too seriously, just because it so easy to google and find, but I’ll be generous and post it:
That would be from NASA.
Now Keith, are you open minded? Or you you just deflect?
@Keith A. Lehman:
Here are the last 12 years of returns for both Obama and Biden.
@Keith A. Lehman:
Keep on convincing us that most Republican fan-boys are about 15 years old and ill-informed.
Actually most 15 year-olds do know how to Google Obama tax returns.
Unbelievable.
@Keith A. Lehman: Are you comfortable that the man has a $100+ million dollar IRA?
@john personna:
First of all, you are sticking up for the worst president in US history, maybe more corrupt than anyone.
Second, the point was what media network is nit-picking at those documents?
Notice the marked percentage difference between charity given by Obama the “rich” have to give more and what Romney contributed, as well. The documents are not very readable either.
For the record, I did not choose Romney in the primary election – but he is the lesser evil of what is polluting the Oval Office.
I am an independent, not a Republican or Libertarian, so keep your assumptions to yourself, democratic-socialist.
@john personna:
What is there to be open-minded about, you clown.
What Are YOU going to do about the warming trend, droughts and other anomalies of the weather-climate pattern, Mr. Big Government know it all?
@rudderpedals:
Of course, I am comfortable – HE EARNED IT!
What part of your socialist brainwashed mind don’t you understand that people are successful if they work at what their agenda is in life, in his case he is a businessman and investor, et cetera.
You cannot diss his character – he was governor and also CEO for Olympics and would not accept payment.
What did your “community organizer” lawyer do?
Did he earn it? Did he work his way through college, or buck the system (one of the lawsuits against him) and cheated the taxpayer-funded education system?
You should be ashamed.
Hey, when you can’t be right, at least be angry, eh Keith?
@David M:
True, according to media. Romney knows that the media will nit pick, while saying nothing about Obama’s returns. Nothing said about ignoring a district court’s request in a legal case. Nothing said (very little, I should say) about Obama’s unconstitutional mandate against congressional legislation abusing his power of executive orders. Nothing is said that he published an executive order in Spanish (two of them actually) – so Americans can’t read them(?).
Promised a transparent, up-front government – it is totally the opposite.
@john personna:
Yeah right, you tell ME to have an “open mind” – and you still didn’t answer why you are sticking up for Obama and company.
I don’t like the GOP establishment and I am sick of choosing the lesser evil – I want constitutional statesmen and stateswomen. We are where we are because We the People allowed people like you to take control, and now that we finally rise up and say “Enough!” – you wonder why we get angry.
I guess it wasn’t “anger” that made you put me down as not intellectual, et cetera because I don’t like Obama and company,, I don’t trust them especially. As far as Romney, I knew he couldn’t take the hate-ads and other crap that Obama and company dish out, because they certainly cannot rely on issues like – What did Obama accomplish? What did Obama keep as campaign promises? Are things better or WORSE?
I am not happy with Romney not stepping forward to meet the unjustified garbage coming from the Senate and the Obama PAC team. I don’t care what club they belong to as long as they actually work at reform. And Climate Change or Climate Anomalies or whatever one wants to call it is something we cannot change – so let’s stick to what we can.
By the way, the climate anomalies go farther back than 1,300 years and the same thing happened in the middle ages – when population was less and there wasn’t industrialization and more trees in certain parts of the world.
Stick to the facts, not propaganda.
@Keith A. Lehman:
You poor guy. I accused you up above .. “I sense that you hang in anti-intellectual circles, and within those groups you find a lot of confirmation for your beliefs.”
Your Spanish executive order thing is just like that. It only takes a 15 second Google to get the straight scoop:
For 45 whole minutes the English version was missing. Man the lifeboats …
Seriously, do yourself a favor and start investigating this crap you are fed.
@Keith A. Lehman:
Dude, you’ve fed me 3 easily disproved delusions. And you ask me why I can’t take them?
Once you cut through that crap, your choice doesn’t look so good.
Mr. Personna is quite the heckler.
I invite any of you who think that anyone that makes more than you do is evil and should be punished to bring this rhetoric and attitude to your boss, CEO or owner of the establishment where you work.
If you want what Mr. Romney has or anyone else, do what he did to get it.
Asking the government to steal for you is just as bad as stealing it yourself.
If you want this issue resolved – change the tax system. Percentage rates work well – the more one makes, the more one spends, which is good for the economy – and the more one makes, the more one pays taxes. Why should anyone pay a higher rate just because they make a certain amount? Why steal from what we earn? Why not obtain government funds (that is what taxes are for, not punishment or social agendas) – through a consumption tax. Those that make less spend less. Of course, like in my state food products are exempt. In the case of personal dwellings, those purchases are exempt in the Fair Tax Act bill (HR 25).
We need people to address the issues, not side step and avoid them. That is the only concern I have about Romney, and yet his character and political record is still far better than the person illegally occupying the White House.
Check out what I am talking about – from sources that are reliable.
@john personna:
What you call crap is not.
Dude.
Go bother someone who cares about your socialist brainwashed mind.
You did a poor job of convincing anyone anything you said.
Dude.
There’s a special approach that’s been developed just for special people like Keith: let me google that for you.
david:
Most people don’t even realize that the SA in NASA stands for Saul Alinsky.
@john personna:
I didn’t get it from any other source than the White House website of executive orders … 45 minutes? Look again. Unless enough people complained.
Why should we cater to another country and learn their language – do you go to other countries insisting they speak English? Do you go to other countries telling them they have stolen real estate?
The only ones who can claim stolen real estate are the Native Americans from that region – not hybrid Spanish-Aztec-Mayans.
Stick to the topic. We all know why politicians (both sides) cater to illegal immigrants – they want votes.
I am done here. You refuse to look up anything I talked about and your only thought is to put me down. I read those executive orders, but why should I use translation software to read documents from MY/OUR government. English was established unofficially – who would ever think back in the founding what would happen today.
You want to speak Spanish? You want everything bilingual – go to Canada, Mexico, Spain, wherever, and leave this country to Americans who want a constitutional republic, not something out of the pages of Marxism.
@Keith A. Lehman:
I live in one of those states with a Spanish name.
Maybe you should campaign to change it.
keith:
You should raise that question with Jefferson, who said this:
Sounds like “something out of the pages of Marxism.”
@john personna:
You are ridicuolous. Typical – make me look like a bigot because I believe we should speak English in terms of public documents, standardization – why change names – Spanish like all Latin based languages is beautiful.
Quit skirting the issue and quit attacking my character.
I am for a constitutional republic.
@john personna:
You are ridiculous. Typical – make me look like a bigot because I believe we should speak English in terms of public documents, standardization – why change names – Spanish like all Latin based languages is beautiful.
Quit skirting the issue and quit attacking my character.
I am for a constitutional republic.
keith:
I knew you didn’t mean that. None of your statements are credible, including that one.
Felonies tend to be clues about character problems. Mitt committed a felony. Proof. I’ve been trying to find someone who can explain away that proof. So far, no dice. Maybe you’re the one?
@john personna:
Look again moron – funny how the White House changes things after complaints. Hello? Anyone home? I looked and wrote about it and sent a message to the White House.
Haven’t seen the website recently, however, being truthful. Which is more than you are …
Funny how the media finds things about Romney and ignores Obama’s multitude of scandals … talk about “racism”.
The beltway is not proof, one media entity questions, but still does not have the facts – and all of a sudden he is a felon?
You talk big on a website, things said to someone to their face is different, isn’t it?
Can you read? I showed proof. I can’t find the part of your comment where you address that proof.
I love it when people on forums do this sort of shit tactic.
“Oh, I am smarter than you, but I will offer zero evidence of my stances. All the while I will question and mock any source your bring up because it does not align with my opinion. AND then I will tell you to bring up sources that I deem reliable, while I offer zero specifics of ANY sources that I deem credible/reliable”
LOL /facepalm
Republicans are impervious to facts, and Keith is providing a vivid demonstration. The inadvertent public service is considerable, so thank you.
@Keith A. Lehman: It should concern you. You me and everyone else who works just as hard but with no head start can only put awayo a couple of grand a year into these tax adantaged accounts.
This may come as a shock to some, but it appears our new guest Keith is a bit of a birther, explaining his imperviousness to facts.
Cute. At least Jen now has another moderate independent who just happens to accidentally believe any right-wing meme you care to name to play with.
@john personna:
I can just see him explaining his privatization of Medicare plan to senior in St. Pete, Miama, Sarasota, and Tampa:
“Look, you guys are grandfathered in, okay? So relax, it’s okay to vote for Mitt and I, after all, we’re Americans.”
@Keith A. Lehman:
Funny how conservatives whine about non-Fox News media incessantly. Conservatives are the most self-proclaimed victims in America today.
Who did Kieth use to be? I recognize the style!
@Keith A. Lehman: “Nothing is said that he published an executive order in Spanish (two of them actually) – so Americans can’t read them(?).”
Man, what a devilish plot. There would be absolutely no way any American could ever read this crucial document, since there isn’t a single American citizen who can read or understand or even translate that insanely obscure language called Spanish.
Are you really this stupid, or are you playing games with us?
Anjin, is this really you?
@Keith A. Lehman: “If you want what Mr. Romney has or anyone else, do what he did to get it.”
Sorry, it’s a little late for me to be born to rich parents.
@Ron Beasley: “Who did Kieth use to be? I recognize the style! ”
Well, he’s functionally illiterate like GA, but he actually types things that have a vague similarity to actual sentences, so maybe not. Maybe this is GA when he’s sober.
@Keith A. Lehman: Come back, I didn’t notice you were a creationist. Talk to us. You’ll like it as an atheist middle of the road OTB-friendly social democrat, promise.
@wr:
Wasn’t born with “rich” parents – what bio did you read?
@wr:
Stick to the subject – and quite making stuff up – I will put it simple for your neanderthal-type brain … If you won a big lottery tomorrow, you will quickly understand why it is unfair for someone with money to have to pay for everyone who wants to be dependent upon government, rather than work for it themselves.
Welfare is supposed to be a “hands up” not a “handout”.
Get a life.
@rudderpedals:
When I find someone who willing to look at it from an objective perspective, I might answer that.
Way off the topic – but your kind like that in order to evade the truth.
@al-Ameda:
There’s more than Fox News – but then, like your sources, you ARE limited. Too bad politicians no longer pay attention to the Constitution and stick to its limitations of government.
What about the “Open minded” thing – open mindness to the Left is when people agree with them.
Mitt’s daddy became CEO of American Motors when Mitt was 7. If they weren’t rich at the time of his birth, they were rich soon after.
Still waiting for you to address Mitt’s felony. Also still laughing about this:
Promises, promises.
@wr:
Thank you for your qualified psychoanalysis … coming from someone who defends a narcissist, it really is substantial.
@David M:
“You can’t handle the truth”
@john personna:
Is that coming from “In the Issues”? or such a site?
Bills that pass through Congress are often voted against not just for one part of the content, but the entirety and its wording.
You must have been educated in public school 999.
Number of comments you have posted in this thread (so far): 24. Number which address the facts that have been pointed out to you: zero. Number which include any citations to support your claims: zero.
Would you like a thread of your own? Keep up the pace and your comment count is soon going to exceed everyone else combined.
@john personna:
I can’t argue that Romney is what the Democrats were hoping for – they ate him up the last time, and now the GOP establishment has produced another establishment poster boy.
I told you I did not choose Romney for the primaries.
Look, whatever side of the political aisle – WE the People have been voting for the same type of candidate instead of insisting upon constitutionally-minded individuals – whether they be black, white, blue, Mormon, Atheist, rich background or poor. Presently it would be good to have someone who is savvy in the world of economics and finance, or at least choose the right people to advise the next president.
@Keith A. Lehman:
For what it’s worth, this is the kind of article that shapes my opinion:
Romney’s budget plan doesn’t add up
If you read that you’ll find plenty of places where Romney is saying “trust me.” He isn’t offering specifics now, he wants to be elected first, and then he’ll tell us.
As a fiscal moderate I’m not going to take that deal. Obama’s budget for FY 2013 can be scored, and it isn’t that terrible. If could be better.
Perhaps if Romney had laid out something better I’d be in his camp, but as I say I’m not buying the “trust me.” I’m not enough of a hard core partisan to do that.
Here’s another one on “lack of plan.” I imagine it will be harder for you to get through, because it does come from a left tilt, but I think it is honest nonetheless.
@Keith A. Lehman: Well we actually agree on one thing even though you’re remarkably surly. An objective discussion of the $105M IRA is impossible without a full accounting of how the conscience-shocking lump got into an IRA without an IRS smackdown.
Lehman just confirmed for me what I believed: that most of the independents are really Republicans in all but name-and conservative Republicans at that.
Obama in 2008-2011 was chasing a will-o-wisp when he chased independents on the idea that they really were moderate and in the middle.