Herman Cain was the one with pizzazz. Godfather’s Pizzazz.
He’s a political hack idiot. Its funny that you look down on people who listen to Rush, and yet you listen to and believe the liberal version of the same thing… 
[quote=“Tigerman”]
He’s a political hack idiot. Its funny that you look down on people who listen to Rush, and yet you listen to and believe the liberal version of the same thing… 
[/quote]
He was completely on the money in that video I thought. The issues he mentions are going to hurt Romney, no doubt.
Here’s Rush’s take:
Not very compelling. Admittedly, I couldn’t listen past 3:10.
[quote=“Tempo Gain”]
He was completely on the money in that video I thought. [/quote]
The US tax code is extremely complicated. To me, when a candidate goes after tax issues (which the electorate knows are complicated and Byzantine in nature), it represents desperation. The Obama economic record definitely requires such tactics be used but I think the public will see it for what it is.
Of course, when you have spent your whole working career as a community activist 
turned politician, the tax filing is much more simpler. 
He’s a political hack idiot. Its funny that you look down on people who listen to Rush, and yet you listen to and believe the liberal version of the same thing… [/quote]
I look down on Rush because he’s a liar and is working to make the world a worse place. I look down on the dittoheads because they’re stupid enough to believe what Rush says.
Cenk, however, tells the truth.
[quote=“ChewDawg”]
The US tax code is extremely complicated. To me, when a candidate goes after tax issues (which the electorate knows are complicated and Byzantine in nature), it represents desperation. The Obama economic record definitely requires such tactics be used but I think the public will see it for what it is.[/quote]
How complicated the us tax code is is not in question here. What is interesting is that Romney is unwilling to release his returns. There’s nothing Byzantine about that–I would think even small children could grasp the significance of the issue quite easily.
[quote=“Tempo Gain”][quote=“ChewDawg”]
The US tax code is extremely complicated. To me, when a candidate goes after tax issues (which the electorate knows are complicated and Byzantine in nature), it represents desperation. The Obama economic record definitely requires such tactics be used but I think the public will see it for what it is.[/quote]
How complicated the us tax code is is not in question here. What is interesting is that Romney is unwilling to release his returns. There’s nothing Byzantine about that–I would think even small children could grasp the significance of the issue quite easily.[/quote]
Why should he? Anyone with an IQ above that of a mosquito knows that tax forms are much more complicated for business owners. Releasing more years will just provide more ammo for the Dimocrats—a party with a history of punishing wealth creators and propping up community activists, trial lawyers, teachers unions and other leeches. The IRS, to my knowledge was/is fine with his filings. The important point here is that they (the Romneys) released their 2010 tax return and an estimate of their 2011 return, thus offering extensive information about their personal finances.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, has not released transcripts for his grades from Occidental College, Columbia University and Harvard Law. He has also not released his SATS. In terms of transparency and openness, don’t you see this as being slightly hypocritical?
I admire Obama for becoming a community activist in his adopted hometown of Chicago when he could easily have landed a lucrative job on Wall Street. Given the choice, I’d have taken Wall Street. What is so terrible about choosing to help a poverty stricken area? Sure, it doesn’t qualify one to be a president, but how about spending 8 years in the state senate and one term as a US senator? Not to mention 10 years as a constitutional law professor?
Obama’s opponents seem to have little substantative criticism of his performance as president. Oppositionism and obstructionism are treated as substitutes for honest debate. Do you have a specific objection to any of Obama’s policies?
I agree that Obama should release his school transcripts, but tax returns are in a different category than report cards. Even Republican leaders are calling for Romney to release his tax returns. He’s released 2010 but that’s it. Governor Rick Perry just publicly renewed his call for Romney to release his tax returns (the first time was during the primary).
[quote=“ChewDawg”]
Why should he? Anyone with an IQ above that of a mosquito knows that tax forms are much more complicated for business owners. Releasing more years will just provide more ammo for the Dimocrats—a party with a history of punishing wealth creators and propping up community activists, trial lawyers, teachers unions and other leeches. The IRS, to my knowledge was/is fine with his filings. The important point here is that they (the Romneys) released their 2010 tax return and an estimate of their 2011 return, thus offering extensive information about their personal finances.[/quote]
Again, it’s not about how complicated they are. People know how complicated tax returns are, but they also know there are a bevy of experts who are going to analyze them and translate them. You seem to think the average American will say “A mosquito-brain like me will never understand that guy’s tax return! He’s a BUSINESS OWNER for Christ’s sake! We’ll just let him worry about that, eh?” I think you’re mistaken. People are going to wonder why he just doesn’t release them. The obvious conclusion is that he’s hiding something. He’s going to be hammered on this repeatedly until he does, in an area that drives at an obvious weak point, so you would think he would just want to get it out of the way.
No. If he were criticizing Romney on that basis, it would be hypocritical. Clearly the issues are not comparable as demonstrated by the lack of public interest in it.
I agree. I think he’s hiding something. I don’t know if he received an amnesty for his foreign bank accounts or what, but it sure seems like he doesn’t want the public to know SOMETHING. The decision he’s facing is whether to reveal whatever he’s hiding and deal with the fallout, or, as you say, keep hiding everything and get repeatedly hammered from Team Obama. Either way he’ll be facing a storm of criticism.
The Republican governor of Alabama, Robert Bentley, and the former Republican governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour, have joined the chorus of Republican leaders calling for Governor Romney to release his tax returns. And yet Mitt Romney still refuses to do so. What is the governor hiding?
Americans are asking where are the jobs, not tax returns! And instead of confronting this issue head on, Obama and his advisors are adopting “Chicago street fighting” tactics to change the issue. This is nothing but a side show to try and take the minds of Americans off the less than stellar job figures. Americans aren’t that stupid to be distracted by such cheap Chicago-based theatrics. This election will be won or lost on the economy and it ain’t looking good for Obama.
Nor is his crony style of capitalism that rewards donors and gives them huge tax-payer funded contracts, often in the alternative energies sector (e.g., Solyndra). That kind of crony capitalism belongs in Latin America or Africa 50 years ago, not in the US. Strange that Obama has practiced crony/gangster Chicago capitalism but has problems with legal accounting measures. Strange indeed. Guess it’s all part of the Chicago way!!!
[quote]And instead of confronting this issue head on, Obama and his advisors are adopting “Chicago street fighting” tactics to change the issue. This is nothing but a side show to try and take the minds of Americans off the less than stellar job figures. Americans aren’t that stupid to be distracted by such cheap Chicago-based theatrics. This election will be won or lost on the economy and it ain’t looking good for Obama.
Nor is his crony style of capitalism that rewards donors and gives them huge tax-payer funded contracts, often in the alternative energies sector (e.g., Solyndra). That kind of crony capitalism belongs in Latin America or Africa 50 years ago, not in the US. Strange that Obama has practiced crony/gangster Chicago capitalism but has problems with legal accounting measures. Strange indeed. Guess it’s all part of the Chicago way!!! [/quote]
Ah yes, the old canard about dirty Chicago style politics and Obama’s political upbringing. In fact, by the time Obama entered politics, Richard Daley, Jr. had taken over as mayor. Yes, he is Boss Daley’s son, but he was also committed to cleaning up the city government and after 20 years in office he had secured exactly 100 convictions for high ranking city officials. They all lost their jobs and many went to prison. This included close, personal friends of his father, who his father had put in office and kept in office despite their obvious venality. Obama grew up in political environment of strong anti-corruption, and he witnessed legitimacy restored to the Chicagoan government. On a side note, Daley Jr. also cleaned up the streets, posted dozens more police officers, and planted hundreds of trees and thousands of flowers. Chicago is a nice place now! My wife and I have taken two vacations there in as many years. You really should visit. 
In any case, one wonders if the Republicans governors and members of Congress who have publicly asked Governor Romney to release all of his tax returns are also dirty Chicago-style Democrats. 
Regarding Obama’s “crony capitalism”, you failed to mention that the Department of Energy also sent millions of dollars to companies who are Republican donors. And Romney’s latest attack add about Solyndra? FactCheck has stated that Romney “misrepresents Obama’s green-energy program using false and twisted facts”.
He shouldn’t release any more tax returns. It’s just more things for Dems to comb through and look for something to twist to their advantage. As was already said, the Dems hate wealth creation and anyone that creates it. They should be satisfied that he paid the taxes he was supposed to pay. If the IRS is happy with him, then that’s all that matters.
Barf. I could not vote for Obama in 2008 because he had been “nothing more tha a community organizer.”
Your choice.
What about the endless host of NGOs, community organizers or other grant lice do you think actually helps a poverty-stricken area? Show me ONE area where a community organizer has turned things around. I can show you thousands where a new business moving in or OUT for that matter has had a huge effect. Let’s compare Detroit and say a Southern state like Texas.
If you are going to cite the constitutional law professor portion, then that involves academic credentials and then you open yourself to the same problem that Mitt Romney has. IF you want to be judged on your academic record then turn over the GPA and transcripts and SAT scores. If you want to be judged as a businessman and an honest one at that, then turn over your tax records and any others that go directly to the point that you are trying to make. You can pick and choose but then you open yourself to being labeled disingenuous and/or dishonest and/or hypocritical.
What are you smoking? In ANY election, the economy, unemployment rate, government programs to address the same, government success in foreign policy and debt and deficit rates are the norm the usual barometer, the yardstick the measuring device. Increasing government involvement in the health care sector whether successful is still a source of contention and open to debate and criticism.
This is a strawman and not worthy of further discussion. Obama had two plus years of unfettered control of all levers of government. He will and SHOULD be judged on those. Yes, we know that the economic and diplomatic factors involved are complicated. But I do not recall anyone asking for George W. to be judged less intensely and critically because he had a lot of difficult shit on his plate. What goes around comes around and now all of you can answer to a lot of the pointless, useless nattering that faced the Republican camp in 2000 and 2004 and again in 2008.
Do you think that the US has successfully dealt with the economic issues, including debt and deficits, and/or growth and unemployment in the past three to four years? This is a genuine subject of debate and it cannot be brushed away. I challenge you to find ONE presidential debate in the 20th century where this was not one of the key areas of debate and contention. Wake up and smell what you are shoveling. You can do better than this.
As to choosing Secretary Clinton for vice president… that would be enough to put this Republican vote into play… I could just about guarantee that I would vote for Obama if Clinton were VP. How’s that for Republican obstructionism?
It is laughable that the hardcore partisans are defending Romney NOT releasing his tax returns. This is going to hurt him with independents in the general. Republicans can defend him and the party faithful will certainly repeat the lines here, but no candidate has gotten away with providing so little financial information. The dems will certainly twist anything that comes out, but the twisting they are already doing is hurting him more. At least if he were to release and defend it, stick with his theme of being pro-wealth, and be candid (which would allow him to open up attacks on Obama’s transparency, which he can’t do now), he would end this part of the news cycle…unless, of course, there is some obviously damaging stuff in there. Right now, everyone is assuming there is damaging stuff and discussing worst case scenarios. If he would just get it over with, he could put a lid on it all eventually. By dragging it out, he is dragging out the speculation. This isn’t the Dems, it’s the media who are smelling blood. That has nothing to do with a liberal bias in the media…they do this to every candidate.
The partisan crowd makes me laugh…seeing the world through piss colored glasses. They will defend their candidate under any circumstance, even if what they are saying might damage him. What candidate for president has been able to release one year of tax returns? And while the Obama transcript issue is a total deflection, I agree that Obama should release his transcripts. Not doing so was a trend set by the guy who did coke throughout his Harvard MBA…not that he is someone to follow as a model for transparency.
I don’t think Obama has been a great president and I’m not excited about voting for him, but until I hear something substantial from Romney, there is no way he is getting my vote. Notice that almost no one comes here to defend him with anything substantial. He has no substance to defend…he has proposed NOTHING. He is talking a lot of empty rhetoric and betting that the public won’t notice. I’ve never though he will win, but my guess is after he gets his post convention bump, things will sharply turn downhill for him. Worst candidate since the last former MA governor for sure.
Nancy Pelosi Downplays Tax Return Demand
rollcall.com/news/nancy_pelo … ml?pos=hln
[quote]Facing questions about why she and other top Congressional officials won’t release their tax returns, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) downplayed her previous demands for presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to release his, calling the issue a distraction.
As recently as Wednesday, Pelosi had strongly urged Romney to provide further disclosure of his tax returns. But today, while maintaining Romney should release more documents because of “custom” and “tradition,” Pelosi said the issue was trivial compared with economic issues.
“We spent too much time on that. We should be talking about middle-income tax cuts,” Pelosi said after answering two questions about the issue.
The Minority Leader faced questions about the issue after a McClatchy News report showed only 17 of 535 Members released their tax returns when asked.[/quote]
Whoops. I guess hard core Republican partisan Nancy Pelosi should be taken to task for defending Romney.
Seriously? You folks can’t see that this is just a cheap political trick? Really?
Here’s Dem Nancy Pelosi admitting that this is just garbage politics, when the shoe is on the other foot, of course :
Nancy Pelosi Downplays Tax Return Demand
rollcall.com/news/nancy_pelo … ml?pos=hln
[quote]Facing questions about why she and other top Congressional officials won’t release their tax returns, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) downplayed her previous demands for presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to release his, calling the issue a distraction.
As recently as Wednesday, Pelosi had strongly urged Romney to provide further disclosure of his tax returns. But today, while maintaining Romney should release more documents because of “custom” and “tradition,” Pelosi said the issue was trivial compared with economic issues.
“We spent too much time on that. We should be talking about middle-income tax cuts,” Pelosi said after answering two questions about the issue.
The Minority Leader faced questions about the issue after a McClatchy News report showed only 17 of 535 Members released their tax returns when asked.[/quote]
Whoops. I guess hard core Republican partisan Nancy Pelosi should be taken to task for defending Romney. [/quote]
Her defense of Romney is obviously self-serving. She is one of the worst offenders in Washington of using her position for personal financial gain. She has been a target lately by the media and she should be. You can tell the right is getting desperate when they use Pelosi to defend Romney 
It’s not a distraction. I think it’s an important issue and both Romney and Pelosi need to be more forthcoming.
It is primarily a distraction. If the IRS accepted their tax filings, then what exactly is the issue? They’re wealthy?
Pelosi and Romny are not the only ones in high government positions who have not released their tax reports. If its really important, then we should legislate it, for all politicians of a certain position.