2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumWhich two presidential candidates share a secrecy problem? Hint: Neither is named Clinton.
Mr. Trumps refusal to release his tax returns has been much discussed. Despite repeated promises to show his returns to voters, as every candidate of the modern era has done, he has found excuse after excuse to delay or deny the need to do so. The returns are under audit, he says which does not prevent him from releasing what he submitted and swore was true. Tax returns do not show very much, he says which makes us wonder why he is spending so much time and rhetorical effort keeping them hidden. Theories abound: He pays little or no tax; he does not have the income one would expect for someone who claims to be so successful; he gives little or nothing to charity.
Mr. Sanderss stinginess with information has received less attention, but not because he has been much more forthcoming. The senator from Vermont has released a single years tax return for 2014 and only then after pressure from reporters. Before releasing his full 2014 return, he argued that his tax information is not particularly interesting. As with Mr. Trump, this has given rise to speculation about possible reasons for the delay and limited openness. Is Mr. Sanders, for example, attempting to avoid more scrutiny of his wifes severance package from Burlington College? The liberal-arts school she headed subsequently was forced to close due to mismanagement and a dire lack of money.
Hillary Clinton long ago released eight years of tax returns. Jeb Bush released tax returns going back to 1981. Even Mitt Romney, who was reluctant to release his returns, eventually offered two years of tax information in 2012. Meanwhile, Mr. Sanders promised in April, We will get out as much information as we can. Clearly, he is not meeting his own standard. . . .
Both Mr. Sanders and Mr. Trump are eroding an important norm in American political life the expectation that voters should have a sense of presidential candidates financial conduct before they choose who should lead the country. As long as Mr. Sanders is a legitimate candidate, he does not deserve a pass./div]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/which-two-presidential-candidates-share-a-secrecy-problem-hint-neither-is-named-clinton/2016/05/26/abce571c-2384-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html
randome
(34,845 posts)But it's not exactly good form to not be as forthcoming as the public has come to expect.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)It has long been a standard for candidates to release several years of full returns. Sanders has helped shield Trump from responsibility for doing so, and I find that unfortunate.
oasis
(49,381 posts)BainsBane
(53,032 posts)They could probably put it on pay per view.
oasis
(49,381 posts)the first to answer.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)I saw this on Twitter, with the caption "Bernie vs. Trump"
oasis
(49,381 posts)Dawgs
(14,755 posts)She promised to do it.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)She promised to look into it, and she did. Her pollster learned no one gave a shit.
You're not even embarrassed about the blatant double-standard, are you? Bernie did promise to release multiple years of taxes and has released even less than Trump. Yet despite that you go on about "Wall Street transcripts" when Bernie has failed to live up to the most common standards and helped shield Trump from releasing his as well.
Is the new Bernie campaign slogan "all people are created unequal"? Must go along with the argument that he should be president because his 10 million voters are just more important than Clinton's 13 million.
Dawgs
(14,755 posts)Since Bernie and Trump never made paid speeches it's time for her to release them.
Second, I could care less about some politicians tax returns. I always thought it was a stupid thing for anyone to be concerned about. It doesn't matter if they were on the right or the left.
Third, Hillary is about to win the nomination. It doesn't matter what Bernie did or will do.
riversedge
(70,204 posts)Silver_Witch
(1,820 posts)Google is you friend!
NWCorona
(8,541 posts)BainsBane
(53,032 posts)morningfog
(18,115 posts)cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)That is all.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)Or is the required financial disclosure of campaign finance law just not the kind of secrecy that matters?
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)BainsBane
(53,032 posts)I wouldn't want to talk about it either.
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)Um... yeah.
So, you're hot on this because in Bernie's case you think laws were broken, but defending Hillary because she only broke rules?
If Bernie Sanders broke laws, I'd happily see him, or his campaign staff, prosecuted. Can you say the same about Hillary Clinton? Right here and now?
imagine2015
(2,054 posts)BainsBane
(53,032 posts)Here are the links to the FEC citations and some of the responses from the campaign.
http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/542/201603300300040542/201603300300040542.pdf
http://docquery.fec.gov/dcdev/fectxt/1056008.txt (which can be accessed on this link under "view micellaneous document" http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00577130/1056008/)
In response to a separate letter from the FEC citing violations of campaign finance law: http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/988/201602110300034988/201602110300034988.pdf
http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/917/201603319012213917/201603319012213917.pdf
imagine2015
(2,054 posts)BootinUp
(47,143 posts)please. I want to know about their past, whether there are any landmines.
Hillary is vetted to such a higher degree than Bernie , there is really no comparison. I have all the details I expect for a Prez candidate. She protected her communications as SoS according to her understanding of precedent, and when the pukes went on the attack she was able to produce the emails and nothing damaging was found.
cali
(114,904 posts)And I'm referring to the posted article not the posts and the article is disgustingly dishonest.
BootinUp
(47,143 posts)or present cnadidates?
jmg257
(11,996 posts)libtodeath
(2,888 posts)Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)fleabiscuit
(4,542 posts)'Do either of you ever plan on releasing your tax returns as other candidates have done?'