Clinton Resists Call To Reveal Tax Returns

Says Income Tax Records Would Be Public Upon Nomination; Blasts Obama's Transparency

(CBS/AP)  Resisting calls from Barack Obama to release her income tax returns, Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday she would only do so if she secures the Democratic presidential nomination and contended her rival had been less than candid about his relationship with major campaign contributors.

In a televised interview Monday with Politico.com and local television station WJLA, Sen. Clinton said her financial holdings had been disclosed in her Senate ethics filings and that she had liquidated all her assets when she became a presidential candidate so her investments would not present a conflict of interest.

After the former first lady acknowledged she had lent her campaign $5 million in personal funds, Sen. Obama suggested she release her tax records as he has done to give voters a better accounting of where her money comes from.

The Clintons have become wealthy since leaving the White House in 2001, largely through Bill Clinton's consulting and speaking fees and the couple's lucrative book deals.

The New York senator shot back at Obama's suggestion, saying such transparency should apply to other aspects of his life.

"Senator Obama has some questions to answer about his dealings with one of his biggest contributors, Exelon - apparently he cut some deals behind closed doors to prevent them from full disclosure," Clinton said. "We still don't have answers about Senator Obama and his dealings with Mr. Rezko."

Obama has faced questions about his relationship with Chicago businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who raised money for past Obama political campaigns and played a role in the purchase of the Illinois senator's home. Obama has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with felony fraud charges against Rezko.

Clinton and Obama tangled over Rezko at a televised debate in South Carolina, where she referred to Rezko as a "slum landlord."

Executives and employees of Exelon Corp., a Chicago-based energy giant and nuclear plant operator, have contributed more than $200,000 to Obama's campaigns since 2004. This month, The New York Times examined whether Obama, at the behest of Exelon lobbyists, had watered down legislation aimed at tightening regulations on the nuclear industry.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton noted that Sen. Clinton had co-sponsored the nuclear regulatory legislation she now criticizes.

"Instead of playing the same Washington games that people are sick of, Senator Clinton should prove how fully vetted she is by finally releasing her tax returns so that voters can see where the millions of dollars she's dropped into her campaign are coming from," Burton said.

Clinton gave the interview on the eve of the so-called "Potomac Primary," in which Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia hold contests. She is expected to lose all three to Obama, adding to her weekend losses to him in contests in Nebraska, Washington state, Louisiana, Maine and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In the interview, Clinton also was asked whether a "business or personal scandal" involving her husband could emerge and derail her candidacy.

"That's not going to happen," she said, adding "None of us can predict the future ... I'm very confident that will not happen.

Earlier Monday, the New York senator denied that her campaign is in trouble after the string of losses and her campaign manager's departure.

"I'm still ahead in the popular vote and in delegates," Clinton said, though the numbers do not fully support that statement.

Delegate estimates compiled by CBS News gave Obama a slim lead after a string of convincing weekend victories in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington, the Virgin Islands and Maine. Including superdelegates, the Democratic elected officials and party leaders who have a vote at the party's convention, Obama has 1,139 delegates while Clinton has 1,132. A candidate needs 2,025 delegates to secure the nomination. (View the Democratic delegate scorecard.)

Clinton and Obama largely agree on the major issues, so both are increasingly emphasizing who would be the stronger candidate in the general election against Republican front-runner Sen. John McCain.

An Associated Press-Ipsos poll shows Obama would narrowly defeat McCain if the presidential election were being held now. If Clinton were the Democratic nominee, she and McCain would run about even.

Speaking to reporters, Clinton said she feels very good about the state of the race, even though she is not expected to win between now and March 4, when voters in Texas and Ohio cast ballots.

"We had a great night on Super Tuesday," Clinton said, referring to the 22 states that voted Feb. 5. Clinton won eight states to Obama's 13 but scored in many of the biggest contests including New York, California, Massachusetts and New Jersey. And they divided the delegates almost evenly.

The former first lady said the decision by Patti Solis Doyle to step down as campaign manager was personal and reflected the toll of the long campaign, not a problem with her job performance.

"I have the greatest respect and affection for her," Clinton said. "I'm grateful for the enormously successful job that she's done."

She said Solis Doyle would remain a senior adviser. Maggie Williams, a longtime Clinton confidante and former chief of staff from Clinton's days as first lady, replaced Solis Doyle.

She noted that the states she won on Super Tuesday were all states Democrats must win to succeed in the general election. Many of the states Obama won that night, such as Alaska and North Dakota, would not be competitive for Democrats next November, she said.

Clinton also dismissed concern that Obama had all the momentum going into the next round of contests. Besides Tuesday's primaries, he's favored to win contests next week in Wisconsin and Hawaii.

"Before Super Tuesday you all were reporting on all the momentum. It didn't turn out to be true," she said. "Let's have the elections. Instead of talking about them, pontificating and punditing, let's let people actually vote."

[boricua234]

I can''t believe people can''t see how crooked she is. She has talked about having a ''transparent'' government, but she won''t even release her tax records??? No wonder it''s only the uneducated ignoramuses who vote for her, they must not read the news! If they did, they would see that her economic stimulus plan was blasted by economists because a lot of it sounded good, but was a complete fairy tale (like freezing interest rates for five years- how was she going to do that? If economists can''t figure it out, how can she?)
And her health care plan cracks me up. I live in MA where we already have a mandate that penalizes you if you can''t afford the astronomical costs of health insurance; therefore, you are broke and STILL don''t have health care. I don''t see how that solves the problem. All it does is force people to pay these atrocious costs, to make all of her health care and pharmaceutical friends even more filthy rich.
Sure, I know, Hillary would never do that! (That is, until you see how much money the woman has taken from that industry...)
Learn how to read, Hillary supporters!!!! That explains why I am an HISPANIC...FEMALE... who would never ever vote for her.
Adios!

[demwatcher]

Since when has a Clinton been honest with America?

Obama shows his ignorance by even attempting a stunt like that.

A criminal or an idiot. Which one will you Liberals choose?

You''ve already tossed aside the only Democratic candidates you had that had REAL experience.

Ya''ll as SOOOOOO dumb!

And your mother dresses you funny.

[fettkonserv]

What are you smoking? If the kids that like Obama so much come out to vote in November.
Your FatA$$ Nazi Republicons will never bother anyone ever again.

McCain WILL beat Obama or Clinton. Obama & Clinton have no experiance, are as phoney as all celebriies and all they do is make grand promises of change and illusions of big dreams that they think will make everyone happy. WRONG. Deal with what the issues are, stop hiding behind rose colored glasses for once. Be adult and be responsible for yourself. Obama or Clinton will not hold your hand, but raise taxes and make enormous mistakes. We don''''t need more mistakes, we need to finish the war correctly, we need not have our taxes raised, and we do not need socialism in this country. WAKE UP.


Posted by jack3213 at 11:46 AM : Feb 13, 2008

[klingon69]

Tax return are just more of the same Tom-foolery from the Billary clan. Classy!
Posted by OxfordDen at 08:13 AM : Feb 12, 2008
reminiscent of the Ferrarra(sp) tax returns fiasco in the second Reagan election. She was the VP running mate of the democrat that time, but didn''t want her tax returns released.

[jack3213]

McCain WILL beat Obama or Clinton. Obama & Clinton have no experiance, are as phoney as all celebriies and all they do is make grand promises of change and illusions of big dreams that they think will make everyone happy. WRONG. Deal with what the issues are, stop hiding behind rose colored glasses for once. Be adult and be responsible for yourself. Obama or Clinton will not hold your hand, but raise taxes and make enormous mistakes. We don''t need more mistakes, we need to finish the war correctly, we need not have our taxes raised, and we do not need socialism in this country. WAKE UP.

[b-easy63]

We%u2019re going to sweep across Texas in the next three weeks, bringing our message about what we need in America: The kind of president that will be required on day one to be commander in chief, to turn the economy around,%u201D Clinton told a crowd of thousands in El Paso Thursday night. %u201CI%u2019m tested. I%u2019m ready. Let%u2019s make this happen."


Hilary: "yeah, I''''m tested and I''''m ready!! so what if I can''''t manage my campaign and my core group is splintering...so what if I can''''t manage the campaign money and have to lend myself millions to survive one month? I SWEAR I''''ll do better, when it''''s the entire country and YOUR money, I get to manage--honest"

You have a point Hilary. Bush had ''''experience'''' and it showed he ran all businesses he owned into the ground and had to be bailed out (then he did it on the macro scale with the country) now you are showing that with your experience--you can''''t call a war right, don''''t know how to back off of torture, can''''t release your finances and can''''t even run or direct a Presidential campaign. We gave Bush a shot--why not you?


Why not, indeed.

[b-easy63]

don''''t blame her for not releasing them. Even if there is nothing wrong with them...someone will find something to ALLEGE is wrong, and then she''''ll have to spend campaign time defending it instead of concentrating on getting out her message about what she can do.

Go Hillary! Keep up the good fight!

Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 10:56 PM : Feb 12, 2008


Maybe you should find a different cheer for your candidate instead of telling her to go--because it seems she is doing just that --G O I N G

D
O
W
N

T
H
E

D
R
A
I
N!!!

ROTFLMAO.

[b-easy63]

What might also be interesting would be if the Obama campaigns'''' National Finance Chair, Penny Pritzker, disclosed the number of financially reckless subprime mortgage loans the Superior Bank made when she was a member of Superior Bank''''s board of directors, before this S&L collapsed in July 2001? And how many millions of dollars were lost by U.S. taxpayers or bank depositors as a result of the Pritzkers'''' private bank being mismanaged by its board during the 1990s?

Posted by pritzwatch at 07:50 PM : Feb 12, 2008


Yeah. It might be REALLY interesting--IF Pritzker''s was running for President--but she''s not, so it isn''t. Maybe to YOU--but then if you can''t attack the man--then go after the people around him...and what does that say about you? About Obama? That one of his people was involved in the Sub prime mess? Okay...but Obama is still the candidate--so what would it mean?


You must know that there is a reason Hilary does not attack in certain areas--she does a cost/risk analysis. Meaning , if she has financial /ethical skeletons in her own closet--she dares not dig up bones of anyone else--because he who slings dirt first, loses if we find out they are covered in mud--themselves.

[b-easy63]

"I''m still ahead in the popular vote and in delegates," Clinton said, though the numbers do not fully support that statement. "

Nope. You trail in the popular vote and in delegates now, Hilary. Come on, fess up--you look like you have something to hide and are trying to deflect--We''ll get to Obama''s secret life--but first things first. He''s shown us his tax return, now...WHAT''S IN YOUR WALLET?

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHO PUT IT THERE?

AND FINALLY, WHEN YOU SAY YOU RAISED 6 MILLION DOLLARS SINCE SUPER TUESDAY, DOESN''T THAT MEAN YOU ONLY RAISED 1 MILLION, SINCE 5 OF IT IS OWED TO YOU PRIVATELY? LMAO

[adastra8]

I don''t understand how Clinton can claim to be the "vetted" candidate without releasing the most basic kind of information. What does she have to be afraid of?