The Weaver's Web

quickhits:

When Romney says ‘trust me,’ remember he’s a proven liar.

Raw Story:

…On Friday, Jim Messina, manager of the campaign to re-elect President Barack Obama, made a public statement to the Romney campaign saying that if they would just release five years of tax returns, from 2007 to 2012, the Obama campaign would not ask for anything further. The Romney camp declined the offer.

Romney said that when he looked back over his tax returns from the last ten years, he found that he had never paid less than 13 percent of his earnings and that we’re just going to have to trust him on that. However, [Rachel Maddow reported that] in 2002 when Romney was running for governor of Massachusetts, it was demanded of him that he release tax returns to demonstrate a residency in that state of at least seven years. Romney refused and insisted that the public take his word for it.

Eventually it came out that Romney had lied. He was forced to pay Massachusetts taxes retroactively, because when he said that the public would have to take his word that he had paid taxes for seven years as a Massachusetts resident, it simply wasn’t true.

Now he wants us to take his word that he has paid at least 13 percent of his massive income over the last 10 years in taxes. Why should we take him at face value? He has demonstrated a willingness to prevaricate on this very subject in his career as a public figure.

So in 2002, Mitt Romney was saying, “Trust me, I’m not hiding anything by not releasing my tax returns.” Meanwhile, he was totally hiding something by not releasing his tax returns.

Now, Mittens is saying the exact same thing. Can anyone give me any reason why I — or anyone else — should take his word for that? Because I sure can’t think of one.

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