Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumBernie Sanders declines to say when he will release tax returns
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders sidestepped questions Thursday about when he will release his tax returns, with the Vermont independent hinting he could fulfill his six-week old pledge to make public 10 years of tax returns on April 15 -- Tax Day.
Yet, as quickly as Sanders suggested that, he appeared to backtrack and wouldn't commit that he would release them then.
"Do you know what April 15th is? It's Tax Day," Sanders told CNN on Capitol Hill when asked if there was an issue to releasing his taxes. "So, I think we want to make sure we have all of them together and as I said, they will be released soon."
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/04/04/politics/bernie-sanders-tax-returns/index.html
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
empedocles
(15,751 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)It's a LOSE-LOSE situation for him either way. But someone has cynically decided that (in spite of all the negatives) NOT releasing his full tax returns is somehow "less damaging" than ACTUALLY releasing them.
Think about THAT for a minute.
What could they possibly be hiding that is worse than the dishonor and hypocrisy of NOT releasing his taxes? We don't know... that's why we are asking!
Is something shady going on? The American people deserve to know.
Is this just a matter of bookkeeping and paperwork incompetence? The American people deserve to know.
Delay after delay, excuse after excuse, deadline after deadline, broken promises for YEARS. Why? What are they hiding?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Tipperary
(6,930 posts)I do not believe he has any intention of releasing them, ever.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Honestly, I think it's probably Jane's finances that are the problem. He's protecting his wife to protect himself.
This would explain why there's scuttle about the possibility that they're working to retroactively "undo" their married-filing-jointly returns and then re-file individually.
That way, when finally forced to release the tax returns, it would be ONLY HIS "individual" tax return, MINUS Jane and whatever dodgy elements that they may have been trying to avoid exposing to the public.
But that STILL would be problematic for them (if true, if possible) because people would wonder what is it about Jane's finances needed to be hidden? People would wonder how they (as a married couple) benefited from it all.
All I'm trying to say here is that this is a NO WIN situation for them both. They should have KNOWN IN ADVANCE that this would be an issue. They could have been PREPARED IN ADVANCE to (technically) divest themselves from each other's tax returns (and I'm not even sure if that's a legal possibility anyway).
It's still a great big "FUCK YOU" to the voters and an equally offensive "KISS MY ASS" to the Democratic party and the other candidates. I just can't see any way that this works well for them. Either of them.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Tipperary
(6,930 posts)They are hiding something. This continual lying about releasing them soon is not a good look. I have never liked Sanders, but this issue has made me distrust him immensely.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)I WILL NOT be happy if releasing tax returns is something that gets taken off the table because Sanders is a coward who wont release his.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
GemDigger
(4,305 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Cha
(297,307 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
GemDigger
(4,305 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
dem4decades
(11,296 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)to seeing them. I mean what is the problemo....he should have enough dough and connections to fix up whatever needs fixin. He should of taken care of this long ago..if it could not be remedied than you don't fucking run. Geesh.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(145,321 posts)Link to tweet
?s=20
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Cha
(297,307 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Bleacher Creature
(11,257 posts)There's clearly something problematic with his taxes, because there's no other explanation for his behavior. His nomination also would demoralize all of the women and people of color who led the party to a blue wave last year.
This isn't 2016, so it's not likely to happen, but I won't be comfortable until he ultimately drop out.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Cha
(297,307 posts)There is an update on those BS Tax Returns, tho.
I read he said on The Daily Show that he was going to release the Taxes on April 15th.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
The Genealogist
(4,723 posts)If he sidesteps any more, he is going to be in the Potomac River.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NastyRiffraff
(12,448 posts)If he were going to he would have done it by now. He's stalling and hoping people will forget. Or that his fans will bully people to forget.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Cha
(297,307 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Fuck that noise
Thats a completely full of shit response.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
dlk
(11,569 posts)California comes to mind.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
still_one
(92,219 posts)If and until he releases them, his credibility will be questionable
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
4now
(1,596 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
MarvinGardens
(779 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
ecstatic
(32,707 posts)so many people are starting to view him?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
watoos
(7,142 posts)I missed it.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
unc70
(6,115 posts)Last edited Fri Apr 5, 2019, 01:30 AM - Edit history (1)
Not sure what half of DUers will discuss after that.
Edit to add: I expect the actual release to be a couple of days after April 15. Not surprised at all the people who want to play "gotcha".
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Any ideas?
Trump kept saying that he couldn't release his until the IRS was done with them. The IRS released a statement that he was actually free to release them at any time.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
unc70
(6,115 posts)At this early stage in the campaigns, I am mostly ignoring the noise and bickering, and I'm getting on with the rest of my life -- foreign travel, etc. Also not worrying when the Muller report will be released; confident it will be before too long.
Since you asked, my best guess is that Sanders has planned since announcing to release ten years including 2018 soon after April 15, possibly with a speech or event focused on tax inequality. The rest could be trolling. Many of his loudest detractors look silly already, sillier if he releases ten years in April or even May, and there is no further story. Reminds me of how Obama played the Repubs with his birth certificate.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Are you saying that you think that he is deliberately delaying releasing them in order to create buzz that his supporters can then claim was "persecution for no reason?"
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
More like he is doing the release on his own schedule for whatever reasons. If it also distracts a bunch of his detractors, that's an extra benefit.
As I said, I haven't really thought much about this. Just thinking out loud. If I were part of his campaign, I would be tempted to tease this along a few more weeks.
But who knows.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Distracting from what - what would he want people to be distracted away from? Why is that a benefit?
Like I said, that sounds like you are saying that you think he is/should be deliberately "teasing" out release in order to increase the buzz, so hsi supporters can have a reason to say all the "tax return nonesense" was persecuting him for nothing.
However, his obvious anger at being reminded that he has delayed and repromised (so much so that an aide stepped in to stop Tapper from talking more about it) makes me think that he is not "teasing," but is irked at dissent or hard questions by a journalist. If he was, then he would have been much cooler, and happy that Tapper was bringing it up.
But who knows?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
namahage
(1,157 posts)On April 15 (as many have claimed he said on TDS, even though his actual words used do not literally specify that), or "soon after" it?
Because past experience has shown that "soon" has different meanings for different people.
Oh, and the last thing we need is a President who trolls Democrats--we have one of those already.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
A potential candidate that trolls Democrats. Isn't that special?
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Response to brooklynite (Original post)
ehrnst This message was self-deleted by its author.
Gothmog
(145,321 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
YessirAtsaFact
(2,064 posts)I hope he releases them this month but I expect another delay, the another, etc.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)where he said that he had released his tax returns that led to a fact check by WAPO that showed he had not.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
watoos
(7,142 posts)if your candidate hasn't released 10 years of his/her taxes you have no business bashing Bernie.
As another poster put it, if Bernie doesn't release his taxes he is toast.
Now, time for me to start a pro Tulsi thread.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)and his inconsistency on and anger at being asked about the topic is relevant to his credibility, and ability to deal with the free press no matter who one supports.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Oh, please! Nobody here is bashing Bernie. Nobody.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(145,321 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(145,321 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden