FU - FairAndUNbalanced.com

In response to Ryan's
The Romney Standard: He Can Stay Ahead of the Law

He criticizes Obama's economic policies while keeping the details of his own plans secret. He is running on "Reduce the deficit, lower taxes, and promote the free market." In short, he is comparing a charming non-record to Obama's record. That's fine, but we can't really have a debate unless he tells us exactly what he intends to do and how he intends to do it. In the absence of such details, it is reasonable for Obama to focus on other matters. This particular matter is relevant either way.

- Ryan, August 18, 2012

Note that I doubt that Romney has broken the law. He has been in the public eye too often for that and I have no reason to believe that he has an inclination toward such behavior in the first place. Nevertheless, a higher standard is justified. It also wouldn't hurt to be able to compare his tax rates to his rhetoric.

- Ryan

Ryan, you are correct that Romney could release more of his tax records and perhaps negate this single distraction. However, the strong possibility also exists that after Romney released more of his records that Obama or his surrogates would demand some other irrelevant demand be met. At what point does it stop? Again, if there was some evidence of impropriety or even a credible suggestion of some irregularity, then I could see the reasoning behind this Democrat-manufactured tempest in a teapot. The fact is that no evidence whatsoever exists.

Romney has spent the better part of the last decade, perhaps even the entirety of his life, grooming himself for this run at the presidency. Do you honestly expect him to have done anything illegal or immoral with his taxes since he ran for office in 2008 or governor of Massachusetts before that? John McCain released only two years of his tax returns before the 2008 elections and nothing was ever said about it in the media. Why is this an issue now when there is nothing to suggest wrong-doing on Romney’s behalf besides the unsubstantiated lies of the dissembling Harry Reid from some “unnamed source”?

Again, I submit to you that the reason is because Obama cannot run on his record and must therefore deflect attention from it by trying anything he can to discredit his opponent. The fact that some people are concerned about it instead of his nearly $6 trillion added to the national debt and his consistent unemployment rate north of 8% for the economy for nearly all of his presidency shows that there are those that can be easily distracted and that this is a good political strategy. Never mind the mendacity behind it.

The only ones that care about Romney’s tax records are those that very likely have no intention of voting for him anyways. Romney gains nothing by releasing them and only invites more of these type of distractions by doing so.

I do agree with you that Romney needs to offer specifics with his economic plans so that a real debate can ensue between the two different visions for how to guide our country. Right now, I will take Romney’s generalities though over Obama’s failed specifics.

Regarding your fair question of whether I would be concerned if the tables were turned and Obama was the one failing to release more than two years of tax records, I can honestly say that I would not have a problem with that, assuming there weren’t credible allegations of wrongdoing. The difference with Obama’s college records is that there are numerous questions raised that circumstantial evidence highly suggests the possibility of impropriety on Obama’s behalf. Doesn’t that concern you at all, sir?

Lastly, in all sincerity, I laughed out loud at your very humorous retort to my Funk & Wagnells snarky comment sir. Kudos on your riposte.

In addition to his gentlemanly efforts here, T. Paine writes for his own site, where conservatism is constant and riposte is effortless.

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