I noted the other day Romney’s emerging secrecy problem, including the refusal to release income tax returns even if he becomes the nominee.
This is a break with standard practice for nominees, and creates a no win situation in which Romney makes his income and taxes a central general election issue or gives in and looks weak. Or worse, we find out too late that there was a reason he resisted disclosure.
In a preview of the general election, Occupy protesters have seized on the non-disclosure issue and Romney is digging in:
Des Moines police today arrested a total of 10 protesters at Mitt Romney’s campaign offices and a Wells Fargo branch office.The protesters, all part of the Occupy Des Moines movement, demanded that Romney and Wells Fargo release their tax returns and that Romney return money donated to his 2012 presidential campaign from Wells Fargo PAC and Wells Fargo employees.Romney told reporters in Clinton today that he has no plans to release his income-tax returns or lists of people who are bundling donations for him. Romney, who is a multi-millionaire former businessman, said he would do what he’s legally required to do. He suggested he might consider disclosing more financial information in the future.
There is something wrong with this picture, when the Occupy movement makes sense and the putatitve Republican nominee does not.
The issue only will grow as time goes on. Romney needs to stop digging, or all those people who tell us he is the most electable need to stop telling us he is the most electable.
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