Posted on 07/16/2012 3:12:06 PM PDT by Kaslin
In an interview with Republican strategist Steve Schmidt on Monday's NBC Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie portrayed Mitt Romney's decision not to release more tax returns as a sign of guilt: "Mitt Romney is within the letter of the law, but he's on the low end of the norm. Do you think that he's left the impression with voters that perhaps he does have something to hide?"
A list appeared on screen of the amount of tax returns released by other presidential candidates in past years as Schmidt provided a bland response that only reinforced Guthrie's assertion: "...when you don't disclose something, one side is demanding you disclose it. People in your own party are saying you ought to disclose it. I think the American people look at it and they go immediately to, 'What's he hiding?' Whether that's a fair conclusion or not."
> On this issue of Bain Capital, it seems that the Obama campaign is trying to turn this major credential that Romney has to run for president into a liability. Have they been successful at doing that?> In one sense, are you surprised that the Romney campaign isn't better prepared for these attacks? It's well-known that this was the Obama campaign's plan to go after him in this way and Newt Gingrich did it during the primary?
Guthrie rounded out the series of anti-Romney questions by wondering: "Real quickly, Romney asked the President to apologize for these attacks. Was that smart?"
Schmidt took the bait and ripped the Romney camp:
No, I don't think it was a particularly smart thing to do. For one, Mitt Romney's not a particularly sympathetic character on this front. No one feels sorry for him. The race is about the American people. It's not about Mitt Romney. It's not about Mitt Romney's feelings on an issue like this. So Mitt Romney would have been much better off, I think, hitting back, pivoting, pivoting to a contrast on the economy, and begin taking the fight to the President.
Here is a full transcript of the July 16 interview:
7:06AM ETSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Steve Schmidt is an MSNBC political analyst and served as senior advisor to John McCain's campaign in 2008. Steve, good morning to you.
STEVE SCHMIDT: Good morning, Savannah.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Decision 2012; Obama Doubles Down on Bain Attack as Romney Fights Back]
GUTHRIE: Let's start on this issue of the tax returns. If you look at what presidential candidates have turned over in the last few years, you see that, of course, Mitt Romney is within the letter of the law, but he's on the low end of the norm. Do you think that he's left the impression with voters that perhaps he does have something to hide?
SCHMIDT: Well, I think one of the things that characterizes our politics today, Savannah, is the collapse of trust in institutions of government by the American people. So when you don't disclose something, one side is demanding you disclose it. People in your own party are saying you ought to disclose it. I think the American people look at it and they go immediately to, "What's he hiding?" Whether that's a fair conclusion or not.
GUTHRIE: And so you think he should just go ahead, turn it over, just to make this issue go away?
SCHMIDT: I think it's a very difficult issue going forward. And you know, it's really a – you know they have a big decision to make. If they're going to fold on this and they're going to release more, they should do it now. If they're going to dig in on it, they need to make sure that they're going to dig in on it permanently and they're going to ride out all the bad press that's going to come from it.
GUTHRIE: On this issue of Bain Capital, it seems that the Obama campaign is trying to turn this major credential that Romney has to run for president into a liability. Have they been successful at doing that?
SCHMIDT: Well, they haven't been successful so far when you look at the polls. It remains a very, very close race. But there's no doubt that they're trying to knock down one of the central pillars of Romney's candidacy, which is his ability to give a critique of the President on the economy from his private sector experience. And the Obama campaign is going at that very, very hard right now.
GUTHRIE: If nothing else, Romney is now on the Obama campaign's agenda. He scheduled five network interviews late last week to respond to these issues. In one sense, are you surprised that the Romney campaign isn't better prepared for these attacks? It's well-known that this was the Obama campaign's plan to go after him in this way and Newt Gingrich did it during the primary?
SCHMIDT: Look, these Bain attacks have been a centerpiece of attacks against Mitt Romney since 1994 when he ran for office. They knew it was coming. I think that this is much more part of the rhythm of a presidential campaign. This is Mitt Romney's first real defensive posture since he's won the Republican nomination. Both campaigns go through this. And it's the campaigns that are best able to handle the down cycles that wind up on top in November.
GUTHRIE: Real quickly, Romney asked the President to apologize for these attacks. Was that smart?
SCHMIDT: No, I don't think it was a particularly smart thing to do. For one, Mitt Romney's not a particularly sympathetic character on this front. No one feels sorry for him. The race is about the American people. It's not about Mitt Romney. It's not about Mitt Romney's feelings on an issue like this. So Mitt Romney would have been much better off, I think, hitting back, pivoting, pivoting to a contrast on the economy, and begin taking the fight to the President.
GUTHRIE: And Steve, I can't let you go without asking about the VP selection process. You were the man who was integral in the selection of Sarah Palin back in 2008. Do you think the Romney campaign should go for a game change or play it safe?
SCHMIDT: No, I think it's a very different election cycle. You know, four years is a long time in politics. I think the Romney campaign has been very safe, very cautious, and I think you're going to see them look to a safe, very cautious pick in this race, because they're in a very close race and the fact is we weren't four years ago.
GUTHRIE: Alright, Steve Schmidt, great to get your perspective. Thank you very much.
SCHMIDT: Great. Good to be with you, Savannah. Thank you.
What a Schmidt-head........already Romney is a better candidate than McLame because Schmidt-Head isn’t running it.
Does the parent company of NBC, GE, have something to hide?
My, how quickly the MSM runs from “what is Holder hiding” WRT documents to the Issa committee, which ran for approximately 0 news cycles, to Romney’s tax returns, which is running for, what, scores of news cycles with no signs of abating...
It’s owned by Comcast now.
Has Steve ever come out of the closet?
When conservatives own the media this country will be more like the US it is supposed to be.
Romney has already released 2 years of tax returns, same as Juan McLame. The media loved Juan for the longest time - they should have no problem.
Lets see here,where is the:
birth certificate
sosh sec card
draft registration
high school records
passports (british and American)
college transcripts
medical records
Rezko brokered mortgage
commie pinko membership card
Damn, this list is getting longer. If I wasn’t tired, I could go on.
Thanks NBC!
..does ODUNGO have something to hide?
Tennessee, one address with a Social Security number beginning with 427
Colorado, one address, with a Social Security number beginning with 456.
Utah, two addresses, with two Social Security numbers beginning with 901 and 799.
Missouri has one address and one Social Security number beginning with 999.
Florida has two addresses listed for his him, three if you count one listed as “Barry Obama.” One is connected to a Social Security number beginning with 762.
In Georgia there are three addresses listed for him, all with different Social Security numbers: 579, 420, and 423.
In Texas there are four different addresses listed for him, one is connected to Social Security number 675.
There are two addresses listed for Barack Obama in Oregon and one address listed for him in the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Big softball for Romney. Will he hit it?
Mitt appears weak when he doesn’t stand his ground and say, “You release your transcripts, passports, college information,etc., and I’ll release my records, accordingly.”
Why doesn’t he say that? What are they all afraid of? What would that hurt?
Does Obama have something to hide, Considering he is hiding everything about his past. WAKE UP AMERICA, he spent over one million dollars to hide everything from us.
Has she explained why the Obama BC that she was given by the WH says “HUWAII” as the State?
Schmidt is a DEMOCRAT....he’s a DOUBLE AGENT!! He is WORSE than a traitor and ANY Republican that uses him is TOO STUPID ofr words!!! Mark McKinnon is ALSO a DEMOCRAT and proudly says so!!
Guthrie works for a terrorist organization. She has no real television talent but was hired because her hair is easy enough to give the “NBC swoosh”.
The only thing positive about her openong her mouth is that it blocks out her fellow terrorist, Matt Lauer’s, terrorist propoganda. May they all rot...
Guthrie works for a terrorist organization. She has no real television talent but was hired because her hair is easy enough to give the “NBC swoosh”.
The only thing positive about her openong her mouth is that it blocks out her fellow terrorist, Matt Lauer’s, terrorist propoganda. May they all rot...
Guthrie works for a terrorist organization. She has no real television talent but was hired because her hair is easy enough to give the “NBC swoosh”.
The only thing positive about her openong her mouth is that it blocks out her fellow terrorist, Matt Lauer’s, terrorist propoganda. May they all rot...
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