Ed Morrissey @ Hot Air:
Good question. I can think of three answers:
- Obama and his campaign asked Reid to make the attacks in order to get the smear out without having Obama’s/Team Obama’s own fingerprints on it
- Obama didn’t initiate it, but he’s comfortable with the smear and desperate to get some traction on Romney
- Obama’s afraid to tell Reid to stop, and risk angering his class-warfare base
The last one is a little difficult to believe, especially with prominent progressives in the media scolding Harry Reid for his baseless attacks and ridiculous, changing explanation of his source(s). Obama could use this as the nearly-proverbial “Sister Souljah” moment and recapture the high ground on Hope and Change by telling Reid publicly to either produce real evidence or stay out of the presidential race altogether. If Option 3 is really the truth, then Obama’s silence on this issue is a damning indictment of his leadership in political reform. And if it’s not, then Options 1 and 2 are even more damning of his leadership and promises of healing the partisan rancor in the nation.
Obama’s official opinion?
If it is a smear, there’s a simple and obvious way for Romney to prove that it is.
Answer 4#: The accusation originated from an Obama appointed IRS official who examined Romney’s tax reports, found something that could be used in a class warfare attack on Romney, and illegally provided the information to the Obama Campaign. (Team Obama can not themselves release Romney’s tax reports without also proving that they illegally used a government agency [the IRS] to get dirt on an opponent. So they need to get Romney to release the records himself.)
@Ditto, #3:
Douglas Shulman, the current IRS commissioner, was appointed by George W. Bush.
@Greg:
What kind of f**king idiot would demand that someone need to prove himself innocent of every fabricated assertion thrown his way?
Greg lures gay men into alleys and beats them senseless. I heard this from someone. Really. Let Greg prove otherwise.
People expect candidates for the presidency to make their tax returns public these days. Romney knew that. Do you think he would have attained the status of presumptive republican nominee if he’d publicly announced he had no intention of doing that?
I doubt if he would have even made it through the primaries.
@Greg:
Whether or not that is the case is entirely beside the point, Greg. Reid had no business making an accusation like that, and then demanding that Romney “prove” his innocence.
Maybe one of us should accuse you of being a meth drug kingpin, going so far as to alert the local paper where you live, or write a scathing editorial to the paper about your criminal activities, and demand that you prove your innocence. You’d be ok with that, right? I mean, you are ok with it happening to Romney, why not yourself?
@Greg:
People also expect a candidate to release their medical records like McCain did going all the way back to his Annapolis days, unlike Obama who provided a one page “he’s OK” from a doctor. And what about those college transcripts, Greg?
@Greg:
Do you think Obama would have been elected had he been truthful about the personal mandate or about penalizing those who would not buy insurance??
I can do this all day. Give me a freaking break.
@retire05:
I really thought it was funny that McCain had no reluctance to release his college transcripts.
When you consider he graduated next to the bottom in his class, that is.
LOL!
Obama is scared $#!+less to release HIS college records.
Heck, he even rewarded his secret-keeper from Harvard with a spot on the Supreme Court!
Reid has obliterated the dignity of his office. He is pond scum. I would expect this kind of garbage from David Aholerod but not from the Senate majority leader.
@Greg:
That does not disprove the possibility that someone is using an agency position for political means. We know that Romney contributors are being targeted by the IRS. You know full well that if it was a Republican administration and a Democratic candidate, that you and your fellow Dems would be screaming bloody murder. And you would be right to do so.
@Nan G: Their release would show that Obama applied as a foreign student. No doubt about it.
@Greg: Greg you are still an idiot. Harry made the accusation and he needs to prove it, not Romney you twit!!
@retire05: Greg is a hopeless twit who on numerous occaisions has been requested to prove his position and every time he has failed!! He is a wasted casue and his carbon footprint is a total waste.
@Common Sense, #15:
Prominent conservatives have stated that Romney should release his returns: George Will; Bill Kristol; the editors of the National Review–these are very smart people. They know the issue won’t just go away.
I thought I heard or read the other day that barry is not going to run debasing/negative ads any longer. obvious another lie.
the DEMOCRATS ARE COVERING OBAMA BY TRYING TO DEMOLISH MITT ROMNEY,
they want to save their party , which OBAMA sink in the mud,
they are desperate, and will do anything to win.
who need a WHITE HOUSE run by gutless leadership,afraid of their own.
many are leaving the group now, they want their voters to know
they don’t agree with OBAMA. but they are part of it, and too afraid to stand up to the people and tell
what is going on is wrong.
I heard obama likes to get coked up and have guys give him blow jobs in limousines. Oh wait that wasn’t an anonymous phone caller.
OBAMA AND REID HAVE TO BE STUPID TO ACCUSE MITT ROMNEY,
DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE GONE SO FAR IF HE HAD SOMETHING TO HIDE,
WELL IT WORKED FOR OBAMA, BUT NOT EVERYONE IS CORRUPT IN THIS AMERICA,
AND AFTER THE VETTING WHICH ROMNEY CAME OUT CLEAN OF IT,
HE DOESN’T OW NOTHING TO OBAMA OR REID FOR THEM TO TWIST,
HE ONLY WILL TELL THE PEOPLE, WHEN HE HAS CHOSEN THE TIME TO PRODUCE IT,
HEY HOW ABOUT OBAMA ANSWERING QUESTIONS, HE HAS NEVER BEEN VETTED,
AND VOTED BY A CROWD RENDERED ECSTATIC BY THE ONE WITH TINGLES ON HIS LEG,
THE CROWD WAS TO MUCH CABALISTIC TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS, WHICH OBAMA COULD NOT
HAVE ANSWERED, HE WAS TOO EMBARRASS WITH THOSE ANSWERS,
AND HE SURELY HAD SOMETHING TO HIDE THEN, AND EVEN MORE NOW.
@GregSucks, #19:
Maybe you should consider changing the social circles you’re moving in, if that sort of thing is the normal topic of conversation. Unless, of course, you feel at home and fit right in.
GregSucks
now that you mention it,
I had read of similar event in 2009, but that was them group in a massage busyness,
located in CHICAGO, where the GAYS hang out, he use to enjoy going.
Hey Greg,
When did you stop beating your wife?
@Greg: Greg, since when is providing your tax returns required?? As usual I will ask you for the proof and you will not provide it but rather come back with some dribble. Reid has made a disgusting accusation that is baseless unless he proves his source. The burden of proof is on Reid not Romney.
As Political’s spokesman said on Morning Joe just minutes ago President Obama “hates” Mitt Romney. Even Morning Joe picked up on the “hate” word as a bad thing…
Think about it… Obama, who says he is a uniter, hates his opponent!! Not an action taught by any legitimate Christian denomination who preach to “love your enemies; Pray for those who despitefully use you!”
Obama actions are more in line with the actions of Arafat and the Muslim Brotherhood than Christian
It’s also possible the Obama believes Reid. The ultra-conservatives often make this logical error: Not listing all the choices possible, and then accepting their preferred conclusion.
@Liberal1 (objectivity): Prove your point!! Do you, Reid, or 0-bama have any proof to your accusations?? If hot all you’re doing is being a monkey on a string with no safety net!! Until anyone shows proof, Romney doesn’t need to show anything!! Secondly show me the statute that itemizes what must be provided by a Presidential candidate or specifically cite the portion of that statute the specifically requires tax returns!! Or, as I suspect you will come back with pure liberal wacho BS just like you messiahs.
Liberal1[objectivity]
how can anyone believe REID, HE HAS NOT EVEN DONE HIS JOB TO BRING ON A BUDGET SINCE OBAMA WON.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE LAW BEING LAUGH AT BY THE DEMOCRATS THEY LIKE TO GET THEIR PAY CHECKS FROM THE PEOPLE, AND THEY DON’T WORK FOR IT, BUT THE PEOPLE WORK FOR THEIR MONEY, THE PEOPLE NEED FOR REID TO PRODUCE OR GET OUT,
GET THOSE DEMOCRATS OUT IN NOVEMBER,
Well Greg has admitted that homosexual behavior is not normal. Greg, does the name Larry Sinclaire ring a bell?
@Greg
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Surprised you didn’t toss-in David Brooks! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Obama distanced himself from Reid……
Now, those who have tied themselves into human pretzels trying to stand with Reid….how do YOU feel?
Thrown under the bus much?
@Nan G:
“Good morning, Mr. Reid. Your mission, Harry, should you choose to accept it, is to make false accusations to goad Mitt Romney into releasing all his tax returns. As always should any member of your accusation force be caught or killed, the president and treasury secretary will disavow all knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck Harry.”