Ann Romney dismissed concerns about her husband’s tax returns Thursday, contending that the two of them have “given all you people need to know.â€
“You know, you should really look at where Mitt has led his life, and where he’s been financially,†the potential first lady said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.†“He’s a very generous person. We give 10 percent of our income to our church every year. Do you think that is the kind of person who is trying to hide things, or do things? No. He is so good about it. Then, when he was governor of Massachusetts, didn’t take a salary for four years.â€
“We’ve given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and how we live our life,†she added later.
Excuse me?
“You people”?
(Let us pause now to speculate on the megatonnage of faux-outrage that would be unleashed if Michelle Obama referred to the rest of us as “you people.” Fifteen more milligrams, and Rush’d be on the moon.)
Tell me again that this whole political mess isn’t about the fact that Willard doesn’t think conventional rules apply to him, that he never has thought conventional rules applied to him, and that he doesn’t go to bed every night cursing the Founders for not making the presidency a legacy position.
The Politico article linked at the top of the post says that Mormons are required to give ten percent of their income to the Church. Is there any indication that the Romneys support any other nonprofit or charity? Not that I’ve seen.
And I think Charles Pierce is right that Romney doesn’t think the rules apply to him. In all the speculating about what Mittens might be hiding in his tax returns, I want to add one more possibility — that he isn’t hiding anything that we already don’t know or suspect. He just doesn’t think his money is anybody else’s business. A Huffington Post report by Ryan Grim and Abby Hunstman seems to support that conclusion.
Mitt Romney has been determined to resist releasing his tax returns at least since his bid for Massachusetts governor in 2002 and has been confident that he will never be forced to do so, several current and former Bain executives tell The Huffington Post. Had he thought otherwise, say the sources based on their longtime understanding of Romney, he never would have gone forward with his run for president.
Bain executives say they’ve been instructed to keep company and Romney-specific information completely confidential, tightening the lockdown on an already closed company.
Marty Kaplan says it’s not the tax returns; it’s the arrogance.
Romney reeks of entitlement. He thinks it’s up to him to decide whether his financial life should be transparent. It doesn’t even occur to him that he owes this to voters — that it’s an obligation, not an option.
Mr. and Mrs. Mittens seem to think they are entitled to live in the White House just because, and they don’t have to explain why we should trust them. Mittens doesn’t even think he has to present a coherent plan that explains how he intends to govern. We’re just suppose to be able to tell that he’s the superior candidate, somehow.
Mittens gives me the willies.
Dear Mr. Romney: Be advised that thorough financial disclosure is a precondition for employment in the position that you seek. We will also require a medical examination, and at least two references; specifically from the State of Massachusetts and from Bain Capital. We hear that you worked there, and we wonder why you do not mention what you did there.
And a drug test; you pay for it, we’ll reimburse you if you pass.
He really has no choice. What’ll he do if he’s standing across from Obama in the debates and is still hiding his tax returns? He’ll be torn to shreds.
No jobs plan, no immigration plan, no plan on how to improve or replace ACA.
Up until now, we’ve been told to just trust Mitt to do a better job than Obama, because Mitt was a successful businessman. But no, you (little) people can’t see his tax returns. It’s none of your business. Everyone is just going to have to take Mitt’s word on . . . well, whatever.
Is it just me, or is there a faint whiff of arrogance drifting from the Romney camp?
….shouldn’t that be “a case of the willards”?
For those of us that lived in Massachusetts during the 1994 Romney challenge for Teddy’s seat, Ann’s little truth bubble is no surprise. Back then she let slip that when they were struggling students, they had to sell stock to get by. The horror!
BTW it just came out the the 2010 returns that Mittens released do not include all of the pertinent info re the Swiss accts.
They’re right, little people like us (me) don’t understand the economy. One of the things we “don’t understand” is the loopholes and tax dodges available once you have surplus income, and if you have enough surplus income, you can get the cost of various things offset by tax breaks. The dressage horse is a perfect example. A 70K tax break for keeping a horse is really outside of most people’s experience. It’s one thing to talk idly about closing loopholes, but if the average person actually got a glimpse at the various ways in which wealthy people can dodge taxes and the conversation began to get specific, it would mean trouble. I don’t think the Romneys have done anything illegal, but, to the average person, their methods of avoiding taxes would seem alien. It would be a view through the looking glass into the strange world of the very rich.
I wonder if the 70K tax break offset things like travel costs for the times that Ann Romney flew out to ride her horse.
“You People”?
I thought it was “yous guys”.
“You people”? All right then, we’re people. But then what is she?
“Mittens gives me the willies”
Me too, sometimes he has a look in his eyes that just aint right, his stare is colder than my mother-in-law’s kiss, he aint playing with a full deck, half a bubble off, a pinky short of five, you get the picture.
It’s not “you people,” it’s “We the people,” Mitt.
And “we the people” DO need to know how ethical you are if we’re to have you as our leader.
“We” deserve that – “you” don’t deserve the Presidency – you earn it with respect and votes. And you’re treating us as if we’re some kind of fools.
Well, you ain’t foolin’ a lot of us. For someone from the party of Lincoln, you should know that ‘you can’t fool all of the people all of the time’ – just the usual fools – Conservatives. And even THEY want you to show your returns.
Don’t be a fool, Mitt. Or, is that WHY you’re not showing them to us – there’s something to hide.
What?
Like years with NO taxes paid?
That’s MY bet.