Ron Paul: Romney should release more tax returns

Ron Paul

/ Photo by T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images

Updated: 2:09 p.m.

(CBS News) With pressure building on Mitt Romney to release more of his past tax returns, Ron Paul on Tuesday added his voice to the chorus of people - including some Republicans - who say Romney should just bite the bullet and release the returns, according to Politico. 

"Politically, I think that would help him," said Paul, Romney's former Republican presidential rival, in an interview with Politico. "In the scheme of things politically, you know, it looks like releasing tax returns is what the people want."

Democrats and the Obama campaign have relentlessly hammered Romney in recent days for his decision to make public just two years' worth of returns in the lead-up to November's election, collectively releasing a slew of campaign videos Tuesday questioning Romney's motives.

"Romney admits that over the last two years he's paid less than 15 percent in taxes on $43 million in income," a narrator intones in a new ad from the Obama campaign. "Makes you wonder if some years he paid any taxes at all." 

An ad from the DNC released Tuesday also suggested that the content of Romney's tax returns -- many of which John McCain had access to when he was vetting Romney to be his running mate -- were so damaging that it dissuaded McCain from choosing him as his VP.

McCain dismissed that notion Tuesday, telling Politico that Palin was merely a "better candidate."

Asked if the Romney's tax history had disqualified him from the running, McCain said "of course not."

"I don't know what depths these people won't reach. Obviously, it's just outrageous. That's just outrageous. It shows the - it's so disgraceful for them to allege something that they have absolutely no knowledge of," he said in the Politico interview. "We thought that Sarah Palin was the better candidate."

The Obama campaign was quick to seize on Paul's remarks Tuesday, blasting the Politico article out in a mass email.

Paul is not the only Republican politician to urge Romney to reconsider his position- former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is among them - but the former Massachusetts governor suggested Tuesday he had no plans to change course.

"My tax returns that have already been released number into the hundreds of pages. And we will be releasing tax returns for the most current year as soon as those are prepared," he told the National Review in a Tuesday interview. "In the political environment that exists today, the opposition research of the Obama campaign is looking for anything they can use to distract from the failure of the president to reignite our economy. And I'm simply not enthusiastic about giving them hundreds or thousands of more pages to pick through, distort, and lie about."

[crayme]

Did anyone catch that bit from McCain? "Palin was a better candidate"? This speaks volumes about any of this unified Conservative/Republican support for Romney. Jesus! If Palin set a higher bar, Romney must be a complete mistake as Palin was probably the biggest joke in politics since Dan Quayle.

[sweetcakesmaria]

It's very telling that John McCain stated that Sarah Palin was simply a better candidate than Mitt Romney in 2008. Sarah Palin was better. Well we know what a prize Sarah turned out to be. Jeez Mitt, people are going to have to start looking at you in a different light if Sarah Palin was a better candidate than you.

[lg144]

Mr Romney seeks to benefit from living in the United States while he shelters his money offshore. He's duplicitous and wants to have it both ways. He's the worst sort of swine.

[TimeToEvolve]

Robme is a male Sarah Palin. Maybe a little smarter but a whole lot more slimy and sneaky.

[gabel87]

I don't know DJ, Robme does seem more accurate, or no wait... is it Rmoney? I could swear I remember his kids spelling that way.

[steeepe]

If McCain thinks Palin is a better candidate than Romney, Romney must really stink. Palin was about the worst imaginable candidate, but maybe Romney is worse yet.

[TimeToEvolve]

Maybe even the libertarian wacko Ron Paul is looking good compared to the cheating, lying, money hoarding scum of Nit Wit Mitt.

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

saber72 July 17, 2012 3:25 PM EDT
McCain: "Palin was 'better candidate' than Romney"

Lol, I just love that. This is hilarious... Romney wasn't good enough to beat Palin as VP candidate, but now he is good enough to be President. Yeesh.
------------------------
Romney couldn't beat McCain - and McCain lost to Obama! ; )

[TimeToEvolve]

Maybe the failed and obsolete Republicon Party of dopes needs a new candidate for pResident. With the Wall Street billionaires behind it they could probably appoint a monkey's butt. Or maybe something even more ignorant like Sarah Palin. Can you believe there were people fawning over that airhead?

[rksharma-2009]

Sarah Palin was a better candidate than Romney, according to John McCain. Knowing how much republican love John McCain, this endorsement from him Romney speaks volumes as we all know how smart Sarah Palin really is. Knowing her level of intellect, what makes her a better candidate than Romney, this question needs to be asked. I guess she must not have cheated on her taxes or she was what you see what you get that made her a better candidate than Romney. John McCain do you agree with this conclusion?

[RollotheNorman]

Papa Paul has spoken! All the Aynroids pay attention!

[moxyclod]

Look how Romney (and the RNC) resorted to fraud and cheating in each and every caucus to date. Just his way of getting things done. So it should come as no surprise if he did the same with his taxes. Ron Paul should be leading the chorus calling for disclosure.