Romney to Harry Reid on tax claims: Put up or shut up

posted at 8:19 pm on August 2, 2012 by Allahpundit

Via the Daily Caller, a nice answer to a question Romney was ready for. Fehrnstrom was ready too on Fox this morning:

“This reminds me of the McCarthy hearings back in the 1950s,” Eric Fehrnstrom said on Fox News. “And it was another son from Massachusetts, Joseph Welch, who finally asked the question that should be asked of Harry Reid, which is, ‘Have you no sense of decency, sir?’ Is there nothing that you won’t do in the name of dirty politics? I think it’s just shameful.”…

“I’m telling you, authoritatively, speaking on behalf of the governor, that those charges are untrue,” said Fehrnstrom, a longtime Romney aide. “They’re baseless.”

“Beneath the dignity of his office” is how Mitch McConnell described Reid’s floor speech this morning. One interesting footnote in all this: Unless I missed a story somewhere, no one of any consequence is defending Reid even though his point about Mitt’s tax returns is squarely in line with the White House’s basic messaging. I wonder if that’s because, with even famous liberals turning on him, there’s too much risk in taking his side or if it’s because Reid agreed behind closed doors to serve as lightning rod for the Dems in pushing this smear out there. As noted yesterday, he specializes in sleazy attacks during presidential campaigns. He’s probably enjoying this. Who needs allies in that case?

The other question: Is Romney right that the White House put Reid up to it? Probably, but like I say, Reid’s a rodent when it comes to this sort of thing. Axelrod probably figured that he’d find his way to a smear like this on his own, in due time. Hey, maybe Ax was the mysterious “Bain investor” who called Reid up and told him that Romney’s been ducking his tax obligations. That’d be all Dingy needs to go to the press with it.

Two clips here, one of Romney and the other via Mediaite of Rush Limbaugh having fun with Reid’s “logic.”


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davidk on May 20, 2013 at 6:20 AM

I’m starting to believe there isn’t anything too far fetched to believe with this administration. I remember the Jack Ryan incident. The crazy part? The Illinois GOP powers-that-be backed away and then destroyed their own candidate. The Dems play for keeps. The GOP doesn’t have the intestinal fortitude to fight them.

Ajackson, great information and analysis, as usual.

I still just sit here and shake my head. This is crazy, futuristic dystopian stuff going on in this administration and so many people are oblivious to all it. And, Obama’s minions find it “offensive” to challenge him. *shaking my head*

Fallon on May 20, 2013 at 8:31 AM

I’m starting to believe there isn’t anything too far fetched to believe with this administration.

Fallon on May 20, 2013 at 8:31 AM

Fast and Furious alone already told us this, and that’s just one head of 0dumba’s hydra!

Keep your popcorn ready – there’s more to come!

Anti-Control on May 20, 2013 at 8:36 AM

Senate Judiciary – Immigration amendments
http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/

House Gov. Reform Oversight Hearings – IRS Wed. 5/23
http://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-announces-irs-hearing-next-week/

Commerce (HHS)
http://energycommerce.house.gov/press-release/look-ahead-committee-announces-hearing-schedule-week-may-20

workingclass artist on May 20, 2013 at 8:45 AM

davidk on May 20, 2013 at 6:24 AM

Could Borowitz actually parody Zero with those QUOTES, and get away with it ?
Did Preezy truly say those things ?
Praps I need to suffer through the address, to know for sure ?

pambi on May 20, 2013 at 9:11 AM

Bingo: Obama and the IRS: The Smoking Gun?

According to the White House Visitors Log, provided here in searchable form by U.S. News and World Report, the president of the anti-Tea Party National Treasury Employees Union, Colleen Kelley, visited the White House at 12:30pm that Wednesday noon time of March 31st.

This scam is being run through the greedy-union management structure, which thanks to an Executive Order signed by the REB, cannot be FOIA’d.

The Republicans have to put the greedy-union org structure on the wall and work their way through it like Mafia investigators do.

slickwillie2001 on May 20, 2013 at 9:15 AM

President Obama’s professed ignorance of the targeting of conservatives by one government agency and his support of tracking journalists’ sources by another highlight one of the great paradoxes of his presidency: Sometimes he uses his office as aggressively as anyone who’s held it; other times he seems unacquainted with the work of his own administration.

I nominate this one for the Butterfield Effect award.

Maybe we should help the writer out?

It’s called plausible deniability. He uses the office more aggressively than anyone who’s ever held it, then pretends ignorance when caught. Fortunately, absolutely no one is so stupid as to buy the innocent act.

Oh, wait…..

There Goes the Neighborhood on May 20, 2013 at 10:19 AM

Just four months after his second inauguration, the president is buffeted by gushing investigations, smug and deranged Republicans, and cat-who-ate-the-canary conspiracists. The man who promised in 2008 to make government cool again is instead batting away charges that he has made government “Nixonian” again…

It turns out that Treasury officials knew during the 2012 campaign that an investigation into the targeting was going on. But, enhancing his image as a stranger in a strange land, the president said he learned about it from news reports on May 10. Then he waited three days to descend from the mountain and express outrage…

The president should try candid; wistful and petulant aren’t getting him anywhere. The Republicans who are putting partisan gain above solving the country’s problems deserve a smackdown.

Speaking of awards, this one ought to win Maureen Down an “unintentional humorist” award. The president targets his political enemies, and the only outrage she can muster is those nasty Republicans who are, in her mind, taking advantage of the scandal.

There Goes the Neighborhood on May 20, 2013 at 10:22 AM

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