Mother Jones has a slideshow of Mitt Romney looking unhappy on the campaign trail, and it's not surprising. What seems most depressing to the candidate is that ordinary people just won't trust him and believe whatever he says about his past business deals, his offshore accounts, and especially his old tax returns. To Mitt it is just unreal that he might be questioned or mocked over money, of all things, when money is what has come easiest for him in life up till now.
Paul Krugman has a column in the New York Times about why the Romneys feel entitled to be unquestioned by "we-the-people."
Pathos of the Plutocrat
Like everyone else following the news, I’ve been awe-struck by the way questions about Mr. Romney’s career at Bain Capital, the private-equity firm he founded, and his refusal to release tax returns have so obviously caught the Romney campaign off guard. Shouldn’t a very wealthy man running for president — and running specifically on the premise that his business success makes him qualified for office — have expected the nature of that success to become an issue? Shouldn’t it have been obvious that refusing to release tax returns from before 2010 would raise all kinds of suspicions? By the way, while we don’t know what Mr. Romney is hiding in earlier returns, the fact that he is still stonewalling despite calls by Republicans as well as Democrats to come clean suggests that it could be something seriously damaging.Ann Romney is simply outraged that anyone would question her husband's ability as a financier, espcially that "undignified" President Obama. In an interview with ABC News yesterday, she got quite huffy when asked about their tax returns, which led to the not-politically-savvy move of making a remark with the now trending-on-Twitter phrase "You People" which some have taken as dismissive and condescending.
Honestly, Ann Romney doesn't sound like a seasoned political wife, and this stonewalling strikes me as a form of deep denial about the state of her husband's campaign right now. How long do they think they can wait on the tax returns? Sorry, Ann ~ "Trust Us, We're Rich" just isn't going to cut it. In fact, that's a line many con men use to lure suckers, and "we people" just aren't as stupid as you think.
From ABC News
Robin Roberts: One distraction has been the tax returns. Both Bushes gave multiple years, ten, twelve years. President Obama gave 7 years of tax returns. Your husband has been adamant about only the two years that have been released. Why won't he follow the example of others on both sides of the aisle?
Ann Romney: You know, I think there's reasons for all of these things. You should really look at where Mitt has led his life, where he's been financially. He's a very generous person. We give 10% of our income to our church every year. Do you think that's the kind of person who is trying to hide things or do things? No, he is so good about it. When he was governor of Massachusetts, didn't take a salary in the four years.
Robin Roberts: Why not show that then? Why not release the returns because then it's a moot point?
Ann Romney: Because there are so many things that will be open again for more attack, and you just want to give more material for more attack. And that's really -- that's just the answer. We've given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and about how we live our life. . .
On the attacks from the Obama administration over Bain outsourcing and whether Romney lied in his SEC filings:
Ann Romney: I'm not disappointed, I'm not surprised but I think it was beneath the dignity of the office of the president. to do something as egregious as that. To do something on that level, I believe it was beneath the dignity of the presidency.
