Why Won't Romney Release More Tax Returns (The New Yorker)

[Jessy169]

9. Look out for a big surprise from Rove

This all seems too good to be true, doesn't it? How could Romney and his Republican handlers possibly have been so stupid as to not see the twin issues of Bain and the withheld tax returns coming? My own guess is that Karl Rove did see these two issues coming a long time ago and that he has a plan to deal with it. Never underestimate Karl Rove. Look at us now. We're feeling good, we're feeling like we've got Romney right where we want him and we're going to keep him in this choke-hold all the way up to election day. But don't be surprised if it doesn't go down that way. All of the Republicans going on record saying hey Romney, release your tax records, and all the apparant discord in the Republican Party over how Mitt is handling this could really be just part of Rove's grand scheme on how to put a nail through the heart of these two issues. Not that he could make them completely go away, but there's definitely a way to lessen the impact. Imagine that if this week, Romney finally concedes and releases tax returns all the way back to 2003, and there ends up being nothing of consequence in those returns. Democrats of course call foul, and demand the 1999 to 2002 tax returns. Romney response -- you Dems are on a fishing trip, same as you accused the Republicans of being with Fast and Furious. I'm no political genius, but I just can't see Rove not knowing this "disaster" was on the horizon, and not coming up with a plan to deal with it. Romney has 40% or more of the vote no matter what -- the "anybody but Obama" crowd will vote for him whether he's a liar, tax cheat, financier of abortion clinics or whatever. Romney just needs another 5% to 10% and a few hundred poorly calibrated voting machines to win this election. We should be careful. Enjoy the show, but watch out for dirty tricks from Rove, that's all I'm saying.