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Hillary's Unreleased Tax Returns Now Make Her Riskiest Candidate for November
Bill Clinton is fond of injecting doubt about Barack Obama's ability to weather radical right wing attacks in the general election. After all, his argument goes, Hillary has been completely vetted, and is still standing. Why then, he continues, take the risk of an Obama candidacy?
Obama's victories suggest that Bill Clinton's arguments have not been widely embraced. For one thing Bill Clinton is not exactly the perfect vehicle for delivering that message, having shown himself to be a risk to her campaign by his own misstatements.
The last debate, however, pointed to a risk of a Clinton candidacy even larger than Bill himself. Asked whether she would release her tax returns, Hillary waffled, finally agreeing to do so prior to the nomination, but not before Ohio/Texas primary day. Her excuse: she is too busy on the campaign trail to collect all those documents.
Huh? Her tax returns are already done and submitted to the IRS. She does not have to collect papers. All she need do is leave her accountant a voice mail (about 15 seconds), and have him hit the "send" button on his computer that stores her returns. If she can watch Saturday Night Live and MSNBC (she referred to her having watched them during the debate), then she certainly has 15 seconds to provide her accountant instructions to send out her tax returns.
Then, today, we are told by the campaign that there will be no tax returns released until after she secures the nomination.
Let us agree with Hillary that the American people care about their jobs, their children's education, the Iraq War, healthcare, and other issues that directly impact them, and not candidates' tax returns.
Nonetheless, it is hard to listen to the waffling, and then the redrawn line-in-the-sand, without assuming that there must be some very embarrassing information in those returns that would turn off voters. Why else would she just not release them, and remove doubt?
If this information were minor embarrassments, she would have released the returns months ago when she was still the overwhelming frontrunner, let the news cycle a few days, and then die a death of boredom. It cannot be embarrassment at their wealth or income, because that is obvious -- one does not loan a campaign their last $5 million.
Thus, the Clintons are asking voters -- most immediately in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont -- to take the risk that tax returns that they are keeping secret, seemingly at all costs, do not trip them up miserably in a general election.
Waffle, promise and then withdrawal of that promise... it is not the press, not the Obama campaign, not even the radical rightwing, but the Clinton campaign, in another tactical blunder, that has succeeded in raising the stakes on this matter.
Is Hillary, as she claims, completely vetted? Not, anymore, without release of those tax returns.
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Does anyone remember when Baby Bush signed his first executive order? Executive Order 13233... . I am more curious now if Hillary would be signing a similar executive order. I am also now wondering if that whole Peter Paul the alleged whistle-blower thing actually has some substance.
So with respect to the tax records... . Why isn't it mandatory that all public officials working with tax dollars or the influence of the their office release their tax records to the public? I mean they are public officials, they chose this line of work to be public servants. Showing what they got and how they get it should be a matter of public record, you know to show their is no shady dealing going on.
I dunno. I just really am suspect of someone that wants me to trust them at face value when they refuse to honor a simple request.
How do the people demand that Hillary Clinton release her tax returns now? Perhaps Moveon.org is the only organization with a loud enough voice to be heard on this? I think the best way to reach the most people would be a TV ad buy in March 4th states. Newspaper ads would be missed. Send moveon.org a message at their site, and/or contact any other organization that has ad-buying power.
She was also asked about 8 years of papers accumulated at the Clinton library about 10 debates ago. Her waffle then and again tuesday nite combined with refusal to release tax info shows Hillary doesn't want the public to know about her "experience" as First Lady, nor the flow of funds to Bill allowing her to loan her campaign $5 million. She is already accumulated too much Sleaze for me to ever vote for her. Her Idea of transparency indicates she is no better than Bush.
As for her latest excuse on not releasing papers from the Clinton Library, her attempt to pin that on Bush fell flat when Bush stated today , Clintons were holding up this release not him.
She's hiding something......
"Her tax returns are already done and submitted to the IRS. She does not have to collect papers."
I'm pleased to see I wasn't the only one to have that immediate reaction to her claims. Her excuse, more than anything else, more than seeing her returns, is what bothers me.
Frankly, the Obama campaign has to get better at "showing distinctions." Highlighting your own strengths is great. But it is also his job to frame his opponent. All of her scurrilous attacks, hedges, secrecy, lies can and should be front and center. That's his job as a candidate. He's brilliant enough to find a way to do that that isn't defensive, but it is his job to make sure the public knows his opponent.
If she wins the nomination by ugliness and lies, this will permanently become an America I no longer recognize. We've endured 7 years of an administration run by blindness, cynicism and an obsession with power that has inflicted deep wounds. I am devastated that the Clintons gleefully take us down that same path.
Obama's campaign should be SCREAMING about this.
She was never going to release her tax records after the nomination. She would've just stalled again if she won the primary, citing any number of reasons, such as minor errors or corrections, privacy or even security reasons ( that one works the best it seems).
The reason?
It looks fishy, but unless you can prove it's fishy the issue becomes minor. It would be swept away in the tidal wave of an election for first female president of the USA.
Enough with the tax records bulls***!!!
Marrob,
You are right, this tax thing is such a ploy by Hillary Haters! But consider how much everyone will make of the bulls***. Of course the press could be expected to try to embarrass her by focusing on such a minor thing. Hillary is very smart and so are her advisors. Why allow this even to become an issue? Why not just release the tax info and get on with the campaign?! Hillary doesn't need to be distracted by this pesky little matter. Why let it fester when she can end it simply and quickly? You and I both know that she has nothing to hide, and that this whole matter is bulls***. All she has to do is release the info to put the nasty suppositions of the Hillary haters to rest. There are too many important issues she needs to focus on for this to be a distraction. Please, Hillary release the info and silence these trolls!
And, of course we know that if it had been Obama not releasing his tax returns while Hillary released hers, it would be a whole different matter. Hillary could and would very rightfully make this a campaign issue. Because the only reason for him not to release his returns would be that he has something to hide that might cost him votes, the cad!
How is is not important to see what kind of financial deals Bill is making? Some have been reported already -- huge windfalls. Greasing palms with Kazakhstan dictators and uranium miners, and then getting huge donations. How in the world can you not see that there are potential conflicts of interest and opportunities for campaign laundering that will distract the Clintons -- again -- from doing the peoples' business? Shouldn't we know that now?
You cannot say you're fully vetted and then not let us see what you've been doing for the last 7 years. It's ridiculous.
Especially if the returns have already been filed. Then she's just lying about how busy she is to get this done.
I wasn't a Clinton Hater. I was a Clinton lover for years and years. Defended them over and over again. They turned me against them, all by themselves.
And frankly, even at what they say they believe in, they did a bad job: Would it have been so terrible to say "You don't get NAFTA unless we get healthcare?" No. They just caved. And failed. They repealed Glass-Steagall which took away important banking regulations, and we headed down the subprime crisis road. Bill was totally happy signing the Telecommunications bill, and got nothing for it in return. that's what I don't get about those of you who tout their experience: THEY NEVER GOT US ANYTHING WE REALLY NEEDED OR WANTED. They just caved, expecting the republicans to just be nice. Does Hillary honestly think by proposing a flag burning amendment, republicans are going to vote for her? How naive is that? What kind of wisdom is that? What does that say about all your experience? That it has ruined your judgment instead of developing it.
I'm hoping the American people see through this. George Bush appealed to our basest instincts. Hillary is now doing the same: hope is bad, words are bad, convincing people of your policies is for high school debates. We'll see what she is able to accomplish with that brittle approach. However, all her experience tells me is that she'll cave -- again.
But I'm still betting on the American people to pick a better candidate this time.
I early voted here in Texas to REJECT Hillary. On March 4th, I will caucus to DENOUNCE Hillary. Lovin' every minute of it!
LOL
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
I like that! Use her own words against her!
Gotta be hiding big trouble in those tax records (not to mention the other records they can't seem to get organized enough to release).
Could this speak any louder that the Clintons are tainted goods and should be returned for a full refund and a free coupon?
Democrats will rue the day they let the Clintons take over the party again.
Obama must know some dirt. Why else would he press on the issue of transparency.
I doubt Obama knows much more than the rest of us do. Even if he did, one does not need special knowledge to know that we need to see a prospective president's tax returns. Bubba has been raking in the bucks overseas, and Sen. Clinton has acknowledged that $5 million of those bucks kept her campaign alive for a while. So, who are these overseas folks who have effectively been bankrolling a presidential campaign? It should not be a mystery where the POTUS's money has come from.
The author of this article is correct about the ease with which one can release a return. It is not time--as she states--that is stopping her. So, why is she lying about this and why are we letting her get away with it?
Following "clinton logic" there is something in the returns that will hurt her with the left but the right won't really care about but still make an issue of. That's why she'll wait for the general where she can play the victim. Then the dems will rally around her because she's being attacked and forget all about it. Typical clinton.
Bingo. It's all about the people who are picking on her.
True. Typical Hillary to play the victim. She wasn't complaining when she was doing well.
I wouldn't be so sure... some of us have had it with the DLC candidates and these games their consultants play.... don't thnk it's gonna work this time. If she wins the nomination, I thnk I will be out of the country on election day... sorry Hillary, won't have time to vote!
I'm so sick of the "feminist" playing the victim, over and over. And frankly, baffled by the feminists who follow her blindly.
Think of the women who truly made it on their own: didn't hitch their futures to their husbands and then use their husband's experience as their own. That is as anti-feminist as I've ever seen. Frankly, I just don't get it.
Well, I have never seen an onslaught on a candidate like I've seen the last few days. Karl Rove must be so proud. The Clintons are cynically counting on us voting for her anyway, because of the Supereme Court (that's my only reason at this point.). But I have come to distrust the Clintons so deeply, I don't think I can do that again. They have never carried through on their progressive promises anyway, so why should I believe her now? Show me a progressive cause they fought for against political will, and were successful? Show me one!
We've fielded safe, solid candidates and always lost. Can't you people see that? The only time it didn't work was Bill Clinton, because he had the abilities that Obama has, for God's sake. And HIllary does not. She cannot put Bill in front of the American people to give a nationwide address. It would be her job, and she cannot rally this country. She's had 35 years. She is what she is. And after months of lies, distortions, race baiting and demeaning behavior, I've had it.
So she LIED at the debate about this --
--why is this not getting more of an airing in the wider media????
That anti-Hillary bias makes it impossible for them to...wait....what the hell?
Because the Clintons intimidated the media. They won a very important battle. Any scrutiny of Hillary right now, and they scream "media bias". It's disgusting.
She lied about the tax returns. Yesterday she lied about healthcare, telling supporters "Obama doesn't want you to have healthcare. he just wants children to have healthcare" Isn't that a phrase that would make Karl Rove proud? Because Obama questions mandates, and the rest of their plans are 95% the same, they tar his entire healthcare plan as "not wanting you to have healthcare." That's Cheney-speak, for God's sake.
But the media is now cowed. And without the media asking decent, reasonable questions, I'm afraid of what might happen.
However, it's up to Obama to frame his candidate. I'm waiting for this to happen. It's got to be more than just extolling your own accomplishments. It's up to the Obama campaign to help us know HIllary Clinton.
The American people need to DEMAND that she relase those returns!
And her records from the white house too.
Even if Hillary has been thoroughly vetted (a debious proposition in itself) the fact is that Bill hasn't, and with Hillary, Bill counts too. I won't comment on his rumored love life since leaving office, but there are unseemly reports of Bill's post office dash for cash and the cuddling up to some of the nastiest of tyrants that has entailed.
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