Bob Woodward: 'Tax Returns Are a Character Issue'
The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward on Wednesday said “tax returns are a character issue.”
This occurred during a lengthy Morning Joe discussion about – what else? - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s taxes (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):
As NewsBusters previously reported, the gang at Morning Joe were having a field day tearing apart Romney’s admission that he pays about fifteen percent in taxes.
“He should have put the tax returns out probably a long time ago,” said Woodward. “And then everyone would say, ‘Okay, he’s rich, he’s paying the capital gains dividends rate, not surprising.’ Now it’s going to be surprising, and the disparity, as you point out, with the middle-class taxpayer, or even with President Obama is quite stark.”
After NBC’s Andrea Mitchell agreed with the predictable nonsense about how it would have been far better if Romney had disclosed this information sooner, Woodward interjected, “But tax returns are a character issue. It tells you a lot about somebody, who they are, where their money comes from.”
Tax returns are a character issue? So what does it say about the character of the 47 percent of filers that don’t pay any taxes at all?
Not surprisingly, the media don’t like talking about them.
Also preposterous was Woodward's claim about the "disparity" between what the middle-class and Romney pay in taxes as well as the completely false chyron at the bottom of the screen "Romney's Tax Rate Lower Than Most Americans."
In reality, nothing can be further from the truth.
As the Internal Revenue Service reported months ago, the only people in America paying more than fifteen percent federal income tax in 2009 had adjusted gross incomes of $200,000 or greater. This comprised less than three percent of the tax returns filed that year.
As such, if it turns out Romney is paying fifteen percent federal income tax, he is paying more than 97 percent of Americans NOT less than most as MSNBC claimed.
Think you're going to hear that from the Obama-loving media?
Something else they'll certainly ignore is that 97 percent of Americans pay less than twelve percent in federal income taxes based on AGI.
Keep that in mind as the press carp and whine about someone paying only fifteen percent in taxes.
- Noel Sheppard's blog
- Login to post comments
Comments
On the other hand...
Submitted by xyzzypoofs on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 12:32pm.
apparently, Birth Certificates should have no bearing on a Presidential candidate.
Really?
Submitted by kch50428 on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 12:33pm.
That would make Tim Geitner quite a character than, wouldn't it??? And Charlie Rangle - boy, he's a real character too. :)
Exactly!
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 3:24pm.
Geitner along with at least half of Obambi's cabinet appointments and senior advisors. So much for charactor Bob...
And let's include MSNBC's Al Shaprton, too
Submitted by Galvanic on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 5:33pm.
He owes the IRS $1.6 million in back taxes, but he insists that rich people ain't payin' their fair share.
If Schmoe were honest,
Submitted by HockeyKid on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 12:36pm.
he'd have a chyron reading "Romney gets paid less than most Americans" or "Romney takes no salary".
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
I laughed my ass off this morning.........
Submitted by chazzy-kc on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 12:38pm.
.....when Woodward was bloviating that bilgewater. MSNBC is stunning in their brash DNC agenda orientation. It is so blatantly insulting to anyone whose political belief system is anchored to the right of Bernie Sanders.......who, by the way, they disingenuously present as an independent....which he may technically be. His longtime identification as a committed and registered socialist somehow is never mentioned. Imagine that.
You watch this garbage?
Submitted by VBaxter on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 4:19pm.
You watch this garbage?
Ron Paul 2012
Are college and high school transcripts a character issue?
Submitted by frank14 on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 12:55pm.
According to snopes.com, Hussein is hiding those records from the public.
A personal issue
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 1:27pm.
"tax returns are a character issue..."
So, Bob, when will YOU release YOUR personal tax returns? I mean, really, you wouldn't want us to judge your right to privacy as a negative character issue, would you? Or are you just another typical hypocrite, demanding others do things you, yourself, have never done?
Personal income is just that, personal. People shouldn't even be asking for anyone to publicly release their personal financial information, for any reason whatsoever. It's none of their damn business!
I, for one, would refuse to release my personal financial information to the public. The public does NOT have a "right to know" that kind of personal information.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
I was thinking the same thing.
Submitted by drsamherman on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 2:59pm.
Why doesn't Bob release his personal tax records? Could it be it would reveal he takes every known tax break that liberals like him pretend to abhor?
If it is really a character issue...
Submitted by Rhymes With Right on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 1:55pm.
Then Woodward needs to release his tax returns. After all, how can we know he isn't hiding something from us if he won't release his returns.
Lots of thing could be
Submitted by John21 on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 1:57pm.
Lots of thing could be considered as charactor issues. should all the elitist in our government be required to post them? Mr. Woodward since you work for an organization that qualifies as the PR department of administration, would you like to be the first?
Obama's taxes
Submitted by Kenny Bunkport on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 2:42pm.
Last night I barely caught some report on one of the three network nightly news (I didn't catch which one). They were saying that Obama was taxed at the 33% rate. However, I didn't hear them say if he paid 33%. My impression was that the network was covering for the Obamessiah. Or did I miss something?
I think that's the big question about income taxes. Not the rate you are taxed at, but what you actually pay in. A lot of people making decent money end up paying little or no taxes due to creative deducting.
Bob Woodward on Tim Geithner's tax issues - who cares
Submitted by Gary Hall on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 2:31pm.
Hmm. A character issue, hey Bob - which Bob are you today, Bob?.
CNN LARRY KING LIVE - January 21, 2009
KING: Tavis, you think Mr. Geithner will be confirmed?
SMILEY: I think ultimately he will. I think there is a bit of a double standard, given how some past nominees have been treated certainly on the immigration issue and the person who worked for him. I think it is interesting to a lot of Americans that the person in charge of the Treasury, over-seeing the IRS, couldn't figure out how to pay his own taxes. These are legitimate issues, not casting aspersion on him.
I think in the end, given the signals that many Republicans have already sent up, he ultimately will in fact be confirmed.
WOODWARD: I'd like to meet someone who has ever figured out how to pay their taxes. Anytime somebody comes and looks at one tax return and they send it to ten preparers or ten experts, they all come up all with different answers.
KING: They don't take his taxes out, right, he's supposed to pay it quarterly or --
WOODWARD: Right. This is a mistake and a serious mistake. What interests me just thematically is he's acknowledged it. He's apologized. He's really grovelled. And let everyone stand up who's never made a mistake.
KING: But he's a wizard of finance, right?
WOODWARD: Yes, but -- I mean, I don't know what -- do you -- how much do you know about your own tax, Larry?
KING: Nothing.
WOODWARD: You don't even sign it, you have a stamp.
KING: I sign it.
WOODWARD: I tell you, taxes are the most confusing thing. And you can think you're doing it right. I have one of the great accountants, who I think secretly works for the IRS, because he smiles every time -- oh, we found this. You know, we were going to ask to pay this and that. So, I mean, as a citizen, I have some sympathy.
Bob's got no sympathy for Romney - only for Geithner - the tax guy - the Democrat.
(;~/ gary
Were Geithner a Republican nominee,
Submitted by drsamherman on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 3:02pm.
he would have been excoriated. We would have heard from liberal tax attorneys telling the truth for once, namely that if your signature goes on the tax return, you are certifying that it is correct and that you are liable for any taxes, penalties (civil and criminal) and you are responsible for the accuracy of the return. Woodward is so conveniently dismissing Geithner's responsibility for his tax problems solely because he is a Democrat. Woodward would be calling for a Republican to be drawn and quartered over the same situation. What a hypocritical hack!
liberals are doing it again
Submitted by Agnostic on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 3:32pm.
first they made me defend Bush because of the endless attacks and now I'm in a position where I feel the need to defend Romney when I'm not real fond of his 'political accomplishments'.
Romney worked for free on the Olympics that his gained much of his fame for turning the event around into a prosperous venture. IIRC, he took a $1 pay for his work as Governor. Not exactly the type of actions for an evil rich vulture out to horde every dime.
BTW, Romney can account for his wealth - let us see Pelosi and Reed do the same. Good fortunes they have made on a little over $100K a year.
^What he said!
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 4:25pm.
Well put, my friend.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
You can add Hillary, Mooch and Barry
Submitted by UpNorth on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 9:25pm.
to the list, Agnostic. Let's see how they accumulated their wealth.
actually those names are accountable -
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 9:03am.
for the most part. Some argument could be made about the earlier days of the Clinton money but over the past couple decades when they accumulated their real wealth it is easy to track.
What you can question is the 'business' decisions that went into paying the Clintons and the Obamas the money that made them wealthy (the Rezco deal was dirty but hardly a large wealth producer). The Clintons can trace the bulk of their wealth to Bill's speaking engagements but why would someone pay that much for a guest speaker - is there really any chance for a ROI. You could question Michelle's hospital 'job'. You could question the money received for Obama's two 'autobiographies'. How they started may be questionable but how they obtained the bulk of their money is accountable.
FWIW, Obama will be hitting the speaking circuit asap once out of office and I expect him to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars before a decade passes.
The Spiro Agnew legacy
Submitted by Unsane on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 8:38pm.
That's the only reason these tax returns are an issue.
Say, you remember when the press screamed and howled for our President to turn over His tax returns?
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
Unless you're in the Obama White House.....
Submitted by GregE on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 11:24pm.
......where tax returns don't matter, unless its to come after those outside of it.