Posted on 08/05/2012 4:02:41 AM PDT by Kaslin
Earlier this morning, Karl Rove appeared on Fox & Friends to discuss Harry Reid's reckless accusations against Mitt Romney. In case you're just joining this controversy, the Senate Majority Leader has spent the last few days peddling a scurrilous and evidence-free claim that Romney is a serial tax evader. Rove wondered aloud why our fraudulent post-partisan prince of a president hasn't denounced Reid:
There's a pretty straightforward answer to this question. Obama isn't lifting a finger to put an end to this slanderous side-show because his campaign specifically gave Reid the green light to launch these baseless attacks. Politico reports:
The ruthless Senate majority leader sees political gold in his attack on Romney — and he’s got the blessing from President Barack Obama’s campaign for the attack, even if he lacks evidence on Romney’s failure to pay taxes. Reid has calculated that the frenzy created by his charge has accomplished exactly what he sought to do: Turn the focus back onto the GOP nominee’s unreleased tax returns, according to several people close to the leader and the campaign. For Reid, he’s got virtually nothing to lose: His approval ratings back home are still upside-down, and he may not even run for reelection when he’s up for a sixth term in 2016. On top of that, his aides say, Reid genuinely believes his source...
As far as Reid and Obama are concerned, the more we're discussing this foundationless rumor, the less we're discussing the president's egregious record of economic failure. Three quick points:
(1) Even if Reid has special "source" inside Bain, which I sincerely doubt, said informant would have no access to Romney's personal tax returns.
(2) A former McCain aide who vetted Romney as a potential Vice Presidential pick in 2008 has reviewed many years of the current presumptive nominee's tax returns. He says everything was totally in order, and if anything, Mitt overpaid.
(3) Here's a quote from a "top Reid confidant," explaining Democrats' thinking on this smear campaign:
“What Republicans don’t get is the more they fire back at Reid, the more he will fight, and in the end, what will the topic be? Romney and his taxes.”
How does one effectively combat an opponent with no shame, no decency, and not even a tenuous commitment to the truth? One option is to take the high road, fight the smears, and continue to push your message. For the record, this is the road I would personally recommend. ("Oh, that's interesting Harry -- get back to me when you have some evidence. Incidentally, have you seen the latest jobs report?") Another option is to get down into the Democrats' mud and fight dirty. As amusing as the Reid/pedophilia "accusation" saga is -- and we still haven't seen firm proof that the Senate Majority Leader doesn't fondle little boys -- it won't break through and capture the narrative spotlight. If Republicans are interested in getting nasty and force-feeding Democrats some of their own repulsive medicine, they would need to make it about Obama. Here's what they could do (not an endorsement, just an illustration): Get a senior and high-profile Republican member of Congress to give an on-the-record "scoop" to a site like, say, Townhall.com. Let's use Sen. John McCain as an example; as a former presidential nominee and a media fixture, he'd do the trick. McCain could say that he's heard from "a source" inside the Justice Department that President Obama exerted executive privilege in the Fast & Furious scandal because he didn't want the public to discover that he himself ordered the operation. McCain might add that he isn't totally sure if the leak is true, but he still believes it to be accurate -- and that it is up to Obama to release every single document pertaining to Fast & Furious to prove that he didn't directly order it. After all, the president has been extremely secretive about the program, even as hundreds of its murdered victims' families demand justice. Romney wouldn't have to comment on the allegation, aside from affirming that Americans "deserve answers" about the lethal gun-running operation. (The public agrees). McCain could keep making the allegation day after day, with Democrats rushing to condemn him. The truth wouldn't matter, though; the more they'd fire back at McCain, the more he'd fight, and in the end, what would the topic be? Barack Obama's bloody scandal that killed hundreds of innocent people, including a US border agent. See how this works?
The above scenario is a nearly perfect parallel to what Democrats are doing now, except Obama's scandal actually exists, and real blood has been spilled. The only stretch/fabrication would be Obama's direct involvement in it, rather than just his Attorney General. There are, of course, a few problems with this scenario: First, the media simply would not abide such tactics from Republicans (even as the cover Reid's lying buffoonery as a partisan squabble), and second, John McCain is an honorable man. Democrats are working with two insurmountable advantages here -- a press that covers for them, and a surplus of dishonorable actors.
I doubt you will ever hear Obama say anything about the need to disclose additional personal records. He absolutely can’t afford to do that. Deiberate use of ridiculous surrogates will be the SOP for the RATS
If Biden says anything you know it will have been published before by someone else.
I doubt you will ever hear Obama say anything about the need to disclose additional personal records. He absolutely can’t afford to do that. Deiberate use of ridiculous surrogates will be the SOP for the RATS
If Biden says anything you know it will have been published before by someone else.
Your Romney hate is outrageous. If he operated legally why should any voter care how much tax he paid to the federal government? I know I’m happy to pay as little as possible and so is every red blooded American, including Obama’s supporters who pay nothing and GET money from the rest of us.
I admire Romney for being a smart businessman and following the tax code to his greatest advantage - exactly as the law was designed.
Reid has carefully made his statements on the Senate floor, or in his office inside the Capitol Building.
It could be libel, but it's not actionable.
Besides, Romney wouldn't sue Harry over it anyway ~ several reasons ~ (1) discovery ~ Romney isn't likely to want to defend his tax filings in court, (2) they are brother Mormons ~ who are expected to resolve disputes among themselves and not bother everybody else with their problems, (3) Romney wants to be President and Harry already is Senate majority leader ~ big jobs for big men eh? Or at least they want you to think that way. A trip to the courthouse with a petty matter like this is probably not in the cards.
These things, BTW, used to be settled in DUELS. Frankly, it's time to reconsider that practice as an option.
What Harry Reid did was the political equivalent of masturbating in public, thus affirming what we all know: He is a jerkoff. Harry must have mutual imaginary friends with Tom Daschel and Little Dick Gephart, or else it it those pesky voices in his head again.
This is modern America. NOBODY gets away without paying something somewhere.
One of your kind already did quite vile things to the pooch when he added, as an aside after his little tax rant that "only a fool would overpay his taxes". That's why my expressed concern in this matter is that ONLY by seeing those returns for the last 6 years can we determine if Romney is perhaps a FOOL who overpays his taxes.
Very true.Anyone who's seen the film "Casino" knows that it's an outstanding film based on an absolutely true story and on real people.There's one scene in which one of the main characters appears before a Nevada Gaming Commission board for approval of a license.He was assured before the meeting that the license would be approved but as soon as the meeting is called to order the Chairman calls for a vote and it's not approved.Long story short...the petitioner gets the Chairman,a Nevada State Senator,to basically admit to a form of corruption.That Senator,played by Tommy Smothers,was,in real life,none other than State Senator Harry Reid.
Crooked as a corkscrew out there in Nevada...be it Goodman,defense lawyer to the Mob before becoming Mayor of Las Vegas or be it State Senator Harry Reid.
And exactly how many tax returns is it that Reid's released during his stellar career? Nearly one IIRC.
That might prove difficult given that Reid's spending the recess as the guest of his good friend and confidant,Hugo Chavez.
He’s already done that.
I’m a fool and you are a conservative worrying about whether Romney overpaid his taxes? That’s your big issue? If I’m a fool I’m an old one and in all my years I’ve never worried about how much a presidential candidate paid in taxes. I’m so ditzy I worried about defense, terrorism, deficits, and so on.
save for later
It's actually very difficult to imagine how someone avoids paying something in taxes (unless you're Sean Hannity for example who thinks the only tax is the federal personal income tax )
Harry Reid is telling the story as if he got the information from one or several of Romney's former business associates ~ and he's not telling it outside of Congress ~ and he's not using the word "records" and there's a whole lot of other things he's not saying in this. It's a well rehearsed and evaluated one sided dialogue.
We can't even fairly infer from what Reid has said that Obama himself has called up Romney's tax filings and reviewed them. That's how carefully crafted this is.
I"m sure there are some other "Things avoided" and in figuring that part out we can see what the Obamistas want us to not demand of them.
At the same time I reserve judgment on Romney. I want to see if he's a fool who overpays taxes.
I am of the belief a fool like Obama should not be in charge, and also of the belief that if Romney is a fool who overpays his taxes he certainly shouldn't be in charge either.
Freaking amazing that you will stoop this low - why condone the spreading of lies if "the truth will set us all free"? Why be complicit in the purveyance of lies if your "truth" will stand on its own?
They would rather see that arrogant pos occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave get reelected and finish his destruction of this great nation
Romney has no business in this contest.
Desperate or not, it's working for them!!!
I can't for the life of me believe that the Dems have a monopoly on "dirty tricks" operatives. How is it possible that after years and years of working for a political crime syndicate, all these actors are so squeaky clean, not even one child molester or such among them???
The Democrats are not suspicious. Suspicion requires analytic thought. Democrats do not have analytic thought, since they come from the LEFT side of the Bell Curve. Remember the bullies in school who ended up in Special Ed? These bullies are prime examples of corrupt Democrats.
Obama and Reid are the unprincipled bullies of the political world.
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