Romney to Harry Reid: I pay "a lot of taxes"
(CBS News) Mitt Romney pays "a lot of taxes" every year, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee told reporters Friday in an attempt to quell the accusation from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who said that Romney hasn't paid taxes in 10 years.
"Harry Reid really has to put up or shut up," Romney said following a speech in North Las Vegas, repeating a line he used Thursday in response to Reid's insistence that he has it from an anonymous but "extremely credible" source that Romney's been using his wealth to sidestep having to pay taxes for the past decade. "So Harry, who are your sources?"
Starting Thursday, Reid called on Romney to release more of his tax returns to help clear up questions about his offshore accounts and to "prove" he's been paying taxes. To date, Romney has released his 2010 tax return and an estimate for 2011. He promised Friday to release the most recent return as soon as it's available.
"Let me also say, categorically, I have paid taxes every year - and a lot of taxes," Romney said. "So Harry is simply wrong. And that is why I am so anxious for him to give us the names of the people who put this forward. I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear the names are people from the White House or the Obama campaign."
Romney said he suspects Reid is "trying to throw anything up on the screen" to deflect attention from the July jobs report, which showed an uptick in employment.
Popular in Politics
- Obama on NSA programs: Americans "not getting the complete story" 127 Comments
- Snowden: U.S. gov't destroyed my chance for fair trial 292 Comments
- McCain demands answers from Obama on "secret" email accounts 94 Comments
- Supreme Court strikes down Arizona voting law 691 Comments
- Amnesty Int'l calls for arrest of George W. Bush
- Obama in Europe for G8 as Syria crisis looms large
- On Syria, U.S. and Russia have different perspectives, says Obama
- Report: Obama's Africa trip could cost $60-100 million
You can get back to work now. I just heard from a reliable source that Gov Romney is clean as a whistle.
Oh by the way, the next time you decide to slander show enough courage to do it away from the Senate floor, where you have immunity. Yes that's rite: Immunity
Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution provides senators and representatives the privilege of immunity, or freedom from arrest. This does not mean that members of Congress may commit crimes with impunity. It does mean, however, that senators and representatives have absolute freedom of speech while conducting congressional business. Members of Congress cannot be sued for libel or slander regarding any statements made on the floor of the House or Senate or in official reports.
So.... Harry, I hear-by deem you a coward for abusing the constitution.
Nice political rhetoric from the republicans that just went on a 5-week vacation, and have obstructed EVERY JOBS BILL just like the latest Senate republican filibuster of Senate Bill 3364 -- "Bring Jobs Home" from overseas!
The republicans just have to admit that the addition of 172,000 jobs in July is quite good, considering their endless partisan OBSTRUCTION over the past 3 & 1/2 years!
Is ignorant speculation and conjecture all republicans have today?
Maybe you should research how much the BLUE STATES subsidize the RED STATE REDNECKS through federal dollars, before making such ignorant and delusional statements!
No wonder we have had such a severe revenue problem since 2001, when the GOP saw the need to lower the tax rates of the wealthiest Americans from 39.6% (remember when the budget was balanced under Clinton and he even handed bush a $236 Billion budget surplus?) down to less than 15% -- giving people like willard a 66% drop in taxes over the past decade!
And you delusional republicans call it a "spending problem"!! LOL!
=====
jgg000010: "for starters, you might want to compare government spending in 1964 to what it is today. Why don't we revert to what the government spent in 1964"?
=====
Ooooops, is that username indicative of your IQ, or do you always just have a reading comprehension problem? Not once did I say anything about reverting to 1964 spending or revenue like YOU DID, just historically what the top marginal rate was in 1964, compared to today. As I said, the top marginal rate in 1964 was 91% and yet today plutocrats like willard romney are paying less than 14% on income of over $22 Million. No wonder we have such a severe revenue problem today!
As for our budget, our total federal revenue in 1964 was $112.6 Billion; our federal deficit was $5.9 Billion; and our national debt was $316 Billion.
Do you want to guess what our national security/defense spending was in 1964? It surely was not close to the $1.3+ Trillion today!!!
The republicans are screeching about a mandatory $100 Billion CUT in defense spending next year, when in 1964, our total revenue was barely over that amount!
The problem really is ALL the monstrous republican tax cuts since 1964, that have given us such a severe revenue shortfall, where the uber-wealthy like willard are paying next to nothing in income tax!
Second, you show a great deal of ignorance and foolish gullibility to believe "what people say". Did you ask any of these people if they were present when what they say happened? Were they in the Oval Office with Obama? Or perhaps the Rose Garden? Were they at the White House by invitation? Or did they just hear a malicious rumor from another foolish, ignorant, and gullible person?
Exactly! Until we can balance our federal budget in order to pay down our debt, the plutocrats like willard roMONEY need to ante up a bit more, since their top marginal rate has apparently been reduced from 91% in 1964, all the way down to 13.9% in 2010 according to the only tax return mitt roMONEY wants to share with the "common people".
No wonder we have had such a severe revenue problem since 2001, when the GOP saw the need to lower the tax rates of the wealthiest Americans from 39.6% (remember when the budget was balanced under Clinton and he even handed bush a $236 Billion budget surplus?) down to less than 15% -- giving people like willard a 66% drop in taxes over the past decade!
And you delusional republicans call it a "spending problem"!! LOL!
Of course someone as wealthy as mitt roMONEY will never be able to connect with middle class Americans, which is why he continues to look completely out of touch with those that earn less than what he gets for tax breaks for his "dressage horse".
Just show us the tax returns mitt -- put up or shut up!!
Reid is Right as Rain: and Willard is all Wet.
Confession is good for the soul Mitt. So Release your Romney Returns ...OR... just go back to playing "dressage" with your pet ponies Mitt! We'll understand. 'Cause we all have a damn RIGHT to see a Presidential Candidate's tax returns! Unless... perhaps....just perhaps...you're hiding something dear Willard? Just asking.
P.S. Sooo Mitt, just how DID you manage to stuff all those millions into your tax-loophole IRA account?... while the rest of us poor smucks have strict limits? Inquiring minds want to know. And you want even MORE tax cuts for you and your rich buddies, Mitt? WHAT GALL! These fat cats aren't satisfied- they want it ALL! ...EVERYTHING! Mitt baby -please- take my advice: if you want to run for dog-catcher THEN keep your precious returns, ... and just clean off your car roof. :-) OTHERWISE, put up, ...or shut up and go away ....preferably BEFORE the convention. The super-rich think that they have the God-given right to do anything they want in this great country -while the REST of us get screwed! ENOUGH!!! The divine right of kings ended a long long time ago Mitt. And so should your so-called candidacy.
Yes, inquiring minds do want to know why the plutocrats don't have to play by the same rules as the rest of Americans!