Finally presidential candidates realize they don't have to be a dog and pony show

[RB TexLa]

In a break with the tradition of recent presidential campaigns, most of the major presidential candidates aren't releasing their income-tax filings.

The release of candidates' tax forms has become common practice in presidential campaigns since the Watergate era of the early '70s.

Since 1984, only one major-party presidential candidate -- Bill Clinton in 1992 -- has refused to release the tax forms he sent to the Internal Revenue Service.


http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=3165953&page=1

[napi21]

1. I know I don't GAS what they make. They're ALL weathelier than

I'll ever be, so why should I care?

[catnhatnh]

2. Almost have to disagree,,,,

money is not a bad thing,the bad thing was filings too vague.If I were told that candidate "z" had income of XXX thousand and dividends of X thousand that would be a magnitude different than a candidate with XX thousand income and dividends of XXX thousand....

[illinoisprogressive]

3. this is in keeping with Obama's stand on transparency

[Colobo]

4. Obama has nothing to hide

Yet as the 2008 election draws near, the only top-tier candidate who has committed to releasing his 1040 forms is Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who already made public the return he filed this year.

[RB TexLa]

5. So if he has nothing to hide he doesn't mind having his phone tapped?

Just to prove to the American people he isn't involved in criminal activity.




edit just to say I don't think he should either have his phones taped or release his personal financial information.

[Peace Patriot]

6. That is not a good analogy. We have a right to know what politicians are

invested in, and where they get their income. It has a direct bearing on their disinterested public policy decisions. Their release of their tax forms should be required. And to compare that to tapping their phones is ridiculous. In fact, once they are in office, we do have some rights over their communications when they are doing the public's business. But that is limited to public business, and only involves private communication if they have mixed the two venues--as the Bushites/Rovians have done with email servers. The corruption in Washington DC is so vast, and so unprecedented, that politicians need to prove themselves clean, or they will never be trusted. They are guilty until proven innocent. And, really, that should be the rule for all of government. That is what ACCOUNTABILITY means. The government and politicians should NEVER be trusted! THEY have to prove their honesty to us, the people. Read Tom Paine, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. And with filthy stuff like Cheney's Halliburton stock going on, their private investments and sources of income are necessary public information. You want a candidate, or a president or vice president, who is invested in war profiteering? In polluting industries? In democracy-killing or criminal corporations? And what are we to make of a candidate who won't tell us?