The political heat and corresponding political stakes are rising rapidly over Romney's taxes. Originally the issue was basic transparency and appropriate consideration that releasing more than one (not two, 2011 is merely an estimate and can and will be amended, therefore much can and will be hidden until those returns are released if at all), tax return does not reach the level of expected transparency. Then by not releasing his taxes natural speculation arose, some appropriately provided by the Democratic opposition (which is the purpose of an opposition) and some by the press which is all about examining everything they think is both newsworthy (attention getting) and fulfilling their role as the appointed inquisitor of power in our society. The speculation goes to the fact that human nature is fairly known and that any person or constituency that seeks to hide personal matters that normally are revealed that then to quote George Will; (Link to quote)
“must have calculated that there are higher costs in releasing them”.
Essentially that was I wrote in our local weekly independent newspaper (
Colorado Springs Independent Link titled "What is Mitt Hiding")
This week my wife and I had to submit our previous year's tax return to the University of Colorado's financial aid office for our children's scholarships and grants approval. This is reasonable in that they must verify our children's qualifications for financial assistance.
When they were admitted to CU we had to submit Colorado tax returns and motor vehicle registration records verifying that we were residents of the state so they would receive in-state tuition.
In years past when seeking business loans, auto loans and a home mortgage we were asked to submit multiple-year tax returns to verify income and financial assets. Verifying financial records is a common practice, especially among the middle working classes. It has also become expected for politicians seeking elected office.
But the presumptive Republican presidential nominee refuses to release (therefore verify) his federal tax records previous to 2010, and 2011's is still being administered and may not be released until just before or after the election. One tax return for the public (yes, us, the "you people" in the Romney household), because the presumptive nominee fears opposition research from the Democratic incumbent's campaign will find something. Huh?
The U.S. electorate has come to know that verifying the income and wealth of presidential candidates (and whether he or she has paid all taxes) is part of the process even if they are super-rich or think they live by another set of social and legal rules. "Stated income" does not qualify in this matter. If it was good for the father to release a dozen years of taxes, it is good for the son. Let us see what really is in those returns.
— Bob Nemanich
Colorado Springs
That might have been the end of it but the Republicans could not resist and escalated the issue. Below the squiggles I will expand upon the issue as to what is really being waged.
Backgorund
National political campaigns are essentially a contest of psychological warfare. Emotions, prejudices, culture, ideology, religion, demographics, economics, class, constituencies, regionalism, all are game but the American presidency is about who leads the 21st Century Global Empire known as the USA. In a republic where democracy is practiced the entire person-hood of the candidate is fair game as we all know it is highly unlikely to predict the future, especially dynamic events like Arab Spring or the Gulf BP Disaster. But of course there are also the stated agenda's like Obama when he lynch-pinned his first term on Healthcare Reform or how Romney has staked his agenda on his tax plan.
Dick Morris, Clinton's campaign mechanic of 1996 held that a national campaign is akin to a national conversation where in the tit-for-tat exchange of issues, characterizations, personalities, narratives, political dynamics the nation is able to witness the most complete flushing out of those seeking the office. Ultimately national campaigns often come down to a few overarching images that seem to define the candidates and their campaign themes and administrations. 2008 saw McCain's candidacy defined by his decision to go bold with Sarah Palin and then make a fateful statement on the morning of September 15th when the financial markets began their free fall by saying America's economic fundamentals remained strong. Soon thereafter McCain attempted to regain the leadership initiative by "suspending his campaign" and go back to DC to lead an already emerging bail out. All three decisions showed McCain's presidential flaws of not properly vetting Palin where he unpresidential abilities were quickly exposed, followed up by clearly demonstrating he was out of touch with economic realities closing with a desperate move that he had not measured or prepared to lead. He was doing what he knew, being a fighter pilot winging it as he went along.
Obama on the other hand built an populist volunteer organization that was historic or epic, maintained a big picture campaign and seemed to be ahead of the curve at each turn. My old friend, Bob Knight the basketball coach told me often that the difference between winning and losing is often decided by which side makes the least amount of mistakes. Just ask McKayla Maroney who fell to a silver by making mistakes.
So now back to Romney and taxes. Fine my two week old letter to the editor where I expressed that is is quite normal that the middle and working class folks submit their taxes for a myriad of verification's from collegiate student aide to business or personal loans to even employment. Inferred is that one, your tax returns are honest. Two, the accurately purport your financial station and verify you are eligible what you are seeking. But as Glenn Greenwald has so expertly expressed in his latest book; "With Liberty and Justice for Some" (Link to interview) where it is described as:
"[A] scathing critique of what he calls the two-tiered system of justice that ensures the political and financial class is virtually immune from prosecution in the United States. Greenwald explores how the media, both political parties, and the courts have abetted a process that has produced torture, war crimes, domestic spying, financial fraud, and even the assassination of U.S citizens."
The point is that there are two America's made up of two classes. In this national conversation Romney is expressing that he is part of the other class where "stated income and trust me" is all he is accountable for. His reasoning is that McCain only provided two years of taxes though leaving out that McCain is required by Senate rules to submit a financial report each year that essentially releases the financial information that is on his taxes. Therefore the press has had decades of McCain financials. Rachel Maddow did a great job going over Romney's political history regarding hiding his taxes and even openly lying about them in 2002,
(Link here) .
But essentially we have moved beyond transparency to a level beyond that where Romney is now becoming the poster boy for the stealth class war that was waged since the Reagan Revolution where the rich pay less than the rest. In fact, the rich and the politically privileged have different rules and different laws (if they are ever enforced) than the rest of us---including new statutes for Romney as in retroactive retirement and retroactive residencies. Like I said earlier this is psychological warfare in the realm of the Art of War where Obama and the Democrats have now put in play part of the Republican's base who have voted against their economic position because of a psychological prompt. Millionaires who are actually billionaires is one thing, but billionaires or almost billionaires who have not had to pay income taxes for a decade is another thing, especially when they were hiding assets off-shore for a long time and took a tax amnesty once it was revealed that one Swiss Bank was going to release the names of their account holders.
But what is going on here is a big trap in that it fits nicely into the the big picture that Romney actually proposed a tax plan that would lower his taxes even more. Back in the beginning of July when the tax flap rose Michael Steele the former RNC Chairman said that Romney had fallen into well crafted trap in not releasing his taxes. But that was not really the trap, it was only political bait to bring in the Republicans closer. Much like how inadvertently Meade and the Union Army sucked in Lee's Army of the Virginia at Gettysburg. Reid's move was not by accident---nothing in a national campaign is by accident when initiated by political leaders this was measured and calibrated---even timed to hold Romney to the fire once he returned from an ill fated trip abroad. But that is the obvious the plan was always to have the Republicans openly engage and try to make Reid and others the issue. Sun Tzu in the Art of War:
Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.
Hence that general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.
If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.
I will always recall that even Rush Limbaugh maintained that the Obama Campaign wanted to run against Romney all the way back in October 2011. (
Limbaugh in his own words link)
"One meeting, NBC News reports, 'was in the Oval Office and presided over by Barack Obama.' Jon Gruber, one of the advisers who attended the Obama meeting, said that the White House 'really wanted to know how we can take that same approach we used in Massachusetts and turn that into a national model.'" Okay, so obviously now somebody is leaking this; and it's curious to me because I'm convinced the White House wants to run against Romney for this very reason. They hope to be able to discredit and destroy Romney by simply tying him to Obamacare, but leaking this story is gonna give some problems to Romney. Now, let's put this in perspective. If you want the straight scoop, here you go, and listen up: Romney is gonna get this nomination if nothing changes as of today. (Bold added)
But that was deception the real reason is that the Obama Campaign knew that the campaign was not going to be about healthcare reform, it was going to be about taxes and class. And if you are to know your enemy you would know that going back to 1994 Romney was always weak on his personal taxes and if he were weak than what is the weakness. Here is one thing I have come to know, once you release information regardless to whomever it has a way of surfacing, especially if it is coveted and important.
The trap is that as this personal brew-ha-ha grows you don't think that careful and quiet Senator Harry Reid had in his cards that his source would when (not if, but when) needed would come forward. So after coming out like how Confederate Lieutenant General Richard Ewell did on day one, Reince Priebus did yesterday when he called Harry Reid a "dirty liar". (ABC link)
Now when not if, when the anonymous comes forward than what? The entire RNC and Romney/Far Right including Fox will come down on this person like hyenas on a wounded zebra. But as the RNC approaches the last week of August and Tampa the entire press will focus on Romney's taxes and the charge that he had not paid any taxes for a decade. In the meantime the Obama campaign will turn up the heat on how Romney's tax proposal will benefit the the upper class.
This is how warfare is waged in politics and how political traps are set and hatched. What I find fascinating is that the Republicans are so unsophisticated and reactionary. They believe that the political situation is static, that all they have to do is assert that the economy is bad and that they will do better, (after they had wrecked it beforehand). They believe that voters have short memories and in the past we did. But before we did not witness neighbor, family member or even self foreclosed, savings ravaged and employment prospects lost for self and children.
The issue is that even the ads are reactionary and not forward thought through. Obama's campaign has deftly pivoted to positive ads while still attacking while Romney still attacks the sorry and tired message of the last year. This will be fascinating how this turns for I really think if there is more than merely a business partner saying that Romney told him that he didn't pay taxes for ten years but offers some substantiation than I think Romney's very nomination might be placed in jeopardy. Imagine a convention fight on the floor by Republicans? I can