if rmoney could release his taxes, he wouldn't be qualified to be president.

remember this story from not long ago?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romney-says-anyone-who-pays-too-much-in-taxes-wouldnt-be-qualified-to-be-president/2012/07/29/gJQAmo8TIX_story.html

Romney says anyone who pays too much in taxes wouldn’t be qualified to be president




well, something always struck me as odd about it because seeking to pay minimal taxes is hardly a main objective of the typical presidential candidate. mostly they're concerned about having clear and uncontrovercial taxes. they want to stay clearly within the bounds of the law, and they want to be shown making charitable contributions to good, politically safe charities.


but that's the wrong analysis -- it's not that it's an odd comment to make about presidential candidates, it's that it's a perfectly plausible comment to make about management consultants.


in his bain days, rmoney had to convince others that he was, among other things, a tax genius who could help companies save boatloads of money through sophosticated tax avoidance schemes.

in *that* context, it makes perfect sense for him to pay minimal (perhaps even zero or near-zero) taxes and boast about it to impress clients and investors.
in *that* context, his comment makes perfect sense. how could he convince others that he knows how to minimize taxes when he's overpaying his own taxes?


all of which is to lend credence to the notion that he did engage in unseemly trickery on his taxes. he's all but told us that there's something unseemly there. if his taxes were nice and clean, not only would he have released them by now, but also, he'd have to admit he's not qualified to be president by his own standards. there HAS to be something ugly there.