I Can’t Believe I’m Siding With Rush Limbaugh

A few days ago Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke to the Huffington Post about presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s refusal to release more than a year’s tax returns and a call Reid claimed to have received from a Bain Capital investor.

“Harry, he didn’t pay any taxes for 10 years,” Reid recounted the person as saying.

“He didn’t pay taxes for 10 years! Now, do I know that that’s true? Well, I’m not certain,” said Reid. “But obviously he can’t release those tax returns. How would it look?

Reid is taking advantage of Romney’s refusal to release, but this is bull! As Jon Stewart pointed out last night, if you have to say “Now, do I know that that’s true,” it’s not true.

Today Rush Limbaugh piled on. There’s a small chorus of conservatives who’ve been calling on Preident Obama to release his college transcripts. Maybe he said he’s Kenyan? Maybe he had awful grades? Maybe… who knows. The president refuses.

“Somebody, I don’t know, said they went to school with Barack Obama at Harvard,” said Limbaugh. “And the guy told me that Obama got the lowest grades that any Harvard graduate ever got and that a bunch of professors gave him B’s and C’s when he didn’t even show up to class.”

Limbaugh said that the source hung up right after relating this information.

“Now, this guy from Harvard said lowest grades anybody ever got at Harvard and professors covered for him when he wasn’t even there,” Limbaugh continued. He said that he asked the source if there was any proof that could confirm the charge, but he was told that there was none.

“So, I am calling on Barack Obama to release his Harvard transcripts,” said Limbaugh. “Based on this – I got a call.”

“I don’t have to prove anything here,” Limbaugh continued. “The burden is on Obama. He’s the one that I’ve alleged got the worst grades in the history of Harvard.”

Touche! If Reid can say what he’s saying then Limbaugh can certainly do the same. It pains me, but what’s fair is fair.

I really don’t care about President Obama’s transcripts, but as I’ve blogged before I do want to see Governor Romney’s tax forms. I hope Harry Reid hasn’t made that less likely.

17 thoughts on “I Can’t Believe I’m Siding With Rush Limbaugh”

  1. Yah, know, it may not have been the right thing to do, but you cannot compare the two in importance. Lets face it, Romney is hiding something and his refusal is just not worthy of Rush’s comments on what Reid said. Too many secrets on the part of Romney. I am an independent and vote according to what I feel they can do for the whole country, not just the chosen few. However, the refusal to show his taxes, the botched trip to foreign countries and never mind his party’s war against women. Nah, don’t think he’ll get my vote. It’s what comes out of Romney’s mouth, or labe thereof that makes a difference to me. What Rush or anyone else says is just gibberish.

  2. Why should he release his tax returns? Obama never released his real birth certificate! As far as Obama’s college transcripts, they don’t say he’s Kenyan, they say he’s Indonesian. Apparently our boob in chief applied to Occidental College as a foreign student in order to increase his financial aid. This is a problem for two reasons, first he would have to submit a copy of his Indonesian passport which if he had (and he did as a child) would disqualify him from being president, and second it would prove what we all know – that Obama is a liar.

    You should be less concerned with how much money Romney makes (we already know he is 1000 times more generous to charity than Obama)and more concerned with a sitting president who believes that the rules of this country are for the other guy.

    1. Tracy – As I said in my earlier entry, I have no problem with people making lots of money. My problem is our tax code favoring investors over entrepreneurs. When Bain bought a business their partners paid taxes at a lower rate than the folks who originally built it! It would also give us all a better understanding of how our tax code benefits the rich over the poor… or not.

  3. And of course, all that posturing by republicans about whether or not there was a conspiracy some 40-odd years ago to fake President Obama’s birth certificate (because they knew he’d become President? I want that crystal ball!) and calling on him to show his “original” even after he had was for what? The Repubs totally did the same thing by saying President Obama had a Kenyan father….we don’t have any proof, but hmmm, maybe he faked his birth certificate and isn’t a citizen. Many presidents and presidential candidates have been asked and have shown their tax returns. NONE before President Obama was asked to prove he was a citizen. I will not vote for Romney either. I agree with Pamela. Too many secrets and too much sidestepping the questions not to mention the foreign flubs and his stated policies on issues.

  4. How many times does he have to release his birth certificate? Rules of the country are for the other guy? Not concerned how much money he makes but rather what countries he is hiding it in in order to avoid paying taxes. I don’t care if he makes trillions, but I do care if he is not paying his fair share of taxes by putting the money in offshore accounts. I have yet (and anyone else for that matter) heard what charities he gives to? That again is another “?”. Why not spew to the world how much you gave and who you gave it to? Why the secrets?

  5. Geoff, do you suspect that Romney has cheated on his taxes or do you have a problem with the tax code? Two different things.

    Barb, Obama’s father was born in Afica, that has never been contested. Look it up, Google is your friend.

    Pam, again, Google is your friend, type “Mitt Romney charitable giving” in your search field and then just like magic many articles on his very generous giving will pop up! The charities he gives to have never been secret.

    McD, Did you even read your link? It kind of proves MY point. LOL

  6. Tracy, did you read the link? I did, it prints the erroneous article where this information came from and sites below by Snopes with references why it is a known hoax.

    1. OK — no more ad hominen attacks. Address the facts without addressing each other, please.

      Tracy, here is what I wrote last month:

      As Governor Romney has said, he pays what he owes and not a penny more. Hey, that’s just like you and me.

      The difference is there are more ways for high income families to shelter their money from taxes. The Romney tax forms would make additional or even continued tax relief for high income earners a lot more difficult to sell.

  7. Geoff I am suspicious of your zeal to expose/change the tax code on the back of Mitt Romney during an election year when he is running against your guy!

    But I agree it needs changing – to a flat tax.

    1. Seriously, I’ve got nine years of my ramblings here. You’ll find I am consistent.

      Our nation’s greatest growth took place when the tax burden fell most on those who could best afford it: progressive tax.

  8. Can you make the connection for me on how increasing taxes helps us? What do higher taxes provide that you see as a benefit to the average American?

    1. Sure – we owe a lot of money. We need to begin to pay down that debt. Right now I only wish to increase taxes on those who can afford it. That’s probably me, but no one wants to start that low.

      We also need to fix our tax code so people who buy businesses don’t get a tax break unavailable to those who build businesses! Who thought that was a good idea? (hint: presidential candidate)

      Might I point out that anti-tax advocates used to point to the successes of both Iceland and Ireland. No one points there anymore.

  9. To me Obama showed the Ultimate arrogance when He appointed a known Tax Evader (Geithner, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123187503629378119.html as the Treasury Secretary. Geithner DID NOT pay His Own taxes, that were DUE !! Now Geithner is in charge of the IRS.

    I really doubt that Mitt failed to pay all taxes that were OWED. The Tax Code has provisions that some disagree with, but Mitt is certainly entited to utiize them to his benefit!

    BTW: When will Obama be providing his health records, as have all other recent President’s? What else is he Hiding ?? Surely the press gives Obama another “pass”, unlike any Republican.

    don

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