–Mitt Romney, speaking to reporters at a press conference in Greer, S.C.
“I did go back and look at my taxes, and over the past 10 years I never paid less than 13%.”
36 comments
For me, the interest in Mitt's taxes is not because I think he has cheated or broken the law. The point is that the tax code is radically slanted toward the rich like him who pay lower taxes that the rest of us who work for wages. So I think this revelation is almost as good as seeing the returns. The returns would reveal the mechanisms used to get rates that low when you are making 20 million a year, but simply the fact that it's possible to do so legally (presumably) points to a broken system. And the fact that under Ryan's plan his taxes might be closer to 1% points out they want to break it even further in his direction.
On MSNBC today, a typical Beltway talking head (in this case, Chris Cilliza), ignored entirely that most of America is likely to be outraged by a 13% tax rate (if it's even true), and instead expressed (rather vehemently) that this DOES put the tax issue to rest, because it HAS to be true, because otherwise it means that Mitt is lying to us, which no man in his exalted position would do. That was his argument: That nobody running for president would dare lie to the public.
Amazing. Like Mittens isn't the most meretricious candidate in my lifetime. These guys don't cover politicians, they worship them.
Exactly.
Also, will we ever hear the explanation for why, when he's only paying 13% in taxes (if true), he needs for rich people like himself to have their taxes lowered even more before they'll grace the rest of us with their 'job creating' wonderfulness?
Did anyone else notice that he didn't say income taxes? So he paid 13 % tax on a funny hat cuz Ann says he's wild and crazy?
I posted this in a response on MMR, but rusty and paulejb were already there so it might be scrolled over. Since Ann Romney's comment was mentioned, Digby had an experience with it yesterday.
Mitt "says" a lot of things. He doesn't do well on the "proving" end. I sure don't trust him. On twitter MS is all "please stop now" as though this is trustworthy.
Both Romney's keep digging deeper by stonewalling AND making claims without proof. If they were consistent they'd say in unison, "this is a private matter and it's none of your damn business, regardless of what Dad did years ago." Of course, that would NOT establish any trust with us and it'd fail to show how he would govern / tax policy (other than his rote tax cut TP's). Yet more reasons to avoid him and vote for Obama.
We saw this four years ago when Scherer had the McCain beat.
To me it's funnier more than anything.
I note Scherer's tweets on the left helpfully point out that this is just like Trumps birtherism.
Scherer's quite the political mind.
And yes it is apples to oranges to compare it with Trump's nonsense, not LEAST of which we have PROOF of citizenship (well before the WHCD) and PROOF of his presence AND SUCCESS in school. All we have from Mitt is "because I said so".
No, no everything is equal! For example this new one from MS (I really have to stop looking to the left!) illustrating that MSNBC and FNC are the same-
AndrewStilesWFB: Right now on @msnbc: Former DNC spox interviewing a former WH staffer and the director of a liberal Super PAC.
Does this remind anyone else of the "drip... drip... drip" series of releases and revelations surrounding Watergate? UPDATE: filmnoia did.... beat me to it.
The consensus afterward was that Nixon should have just destroyed the tapes and ridden out the repercussions.
Big diff here is that Romney, Inc. can't destroy the evidence in this case. But the strategy adopted (and the apparent effect on the person) is very similar.
During the Nixon admin a phrase was coined - "modified, limited, hangout."
This is Willard's M/L/HO. His haus frau spilled the beans when she said they wouldn't release any more taxes because it give the other side ammunition. If there's nothing there, the ammo becomes blanks and they shouldn't harm you.
I didn't even have this antipathy towards Bush 2 in 2000. Willard is the most loathsome party nominee in my lifetime. George Romney was a straight up guy, so when is Willard going to show us his adoption papers?
So put your money where your mouth is Mitt and relase those tax returns. I know you have a lot of money, but you also have a big mouth.
"This might not be as helpful to his case . . ." OMG. They DO think this is a good thing - they're bragging about it at National Review. This week on Fox I've heard a panel discuss how we might be heading to France's 75 percent tax for the wealthy as another panel claimed the rich pay 45 percent . . .
and they think it's a good thing Romney pays 13 percent? Crazy.
I bet most regular folks wish they had it as good. It's like they don't know how regular people think.
Or maybe Mitt did so bad investing during the Recession (caital losses) that he practically made minimum wage. A burger flipper at min. wage pays taxes in the ball park of Mitt's self-confessed rate. Is that what Mitt did for a living between 2008 and now? Amazing. (disgusting too)
Even Swamplanders are falling for it. It's not whether he paid nothing in taxes - it's that he clearly gets to brag he paid 13 percent. Lots of firefighters, military, teachers, reporters, etc. would love to brag they paid 13 percent.
It as bad as paying nothing when you're as wealthy as he is. It's not something to brag about.
He was damned either way. But that's not much worse than his last batch of taxes info so....
Actually, now that I think about it, it probably doesn't hurt him at all. The outrage of the 14% tax rate from last round already happened. Him paying 13% tax rate a few more years doesn't really add new fuel. It just reburns the old fuel.
This.
Again, is anyone (I'm looking at you, Middle Class American) paying attention that someone who makes that much money is paying such a small percentage? Oh, he never paid less than 13% ? I've never (as an adult) paid as *little* as 13%--and I can assure you, I can only dream about the kind of money Romney makes in a month, much less a year.
And, of course, since he says so, Scouts Honor, this is a non-issue now--right? ;)
PS--help me out here, doesn't Discus take standard html tags?
Yes, it does. I do imagine that there are some they've disabled, though. I doubt it's wide open to whatever you want to do.
"I can assure the American public that I've paid at least 35% of what I should be paying in taxes. Really. Trust me, I swear."
Well apparently he did say every year. So I was wrong.
"“I did go back and look at my taxes, and, over the past 10 years, I never paid less than 13 percent,” he said, later adding: “Every year, I paid at least 13 percent, and if you add in, in addition, the amount that goes to charity, the number gets well above 20 percent.”
Since when is charity a tax? If he got a break because he could afford big donations tgatvis NOT part of what he paid or would pay. Not in reality. Probably would shuttle it to his "blind trust". The point is WHAT DID YOU PAY MITT?
Well, that settles it...
Might as well go ahead and hold the election today... after all, the guy's NEVER lied about anything else, has he?
I'm not a tax guy and even I can spot the "loopholes" in that statement big enough to drive a campaign bus through...
That... and Ann's statement that , if they release any more returns, they'll just get hammered more about them.
Honestly, kids, just pile them up and hang a big sign on them that announces "Danger: Politically Toxic Waste".... then STFU... because every proclamation you make just deepens and widens the hole you've dug.
Under Ryan's plan he'll pay less than one percent. Who say's the guys not fiscally on top of the issues? He's got got his own back covered.
