Let the piling on begin: A new Democratic National Committee ad posted on YouTube highlights the comments of several prominent conservatives who have called on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to publically disclose more of his personal tax information.
Romney has released only his 2010 tax returns and has promised to release his 2011 returns when they are completed, and President Obama and the DNC have harshly criticized him for not releasing multiple years of data. But the ad zeros in on a sore spot for Romney, and one that could substantially increase the pressure on him to release more information: comments by several leading Republicans agreeing with the Democrats.
“Put out as much information as you can, even if you don’t release 12 years' worth of tax returns — at least three, four, five,” said former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele in a clip used in the DNC ad.
Well-regarded conservative commentator Bill Kristol says in another clip, “Here is what he should do: He should release the tax returns tomorrow. It’s crazy. You’ve got to release six, eight, 10 years of back tax returns.”
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley is seen in the ad saying, “I do” believe former Massachusetts Gov. Romney should release more tax returns.
The YouTube spot concludes with a suggestion that Romney has something to hide.
“But what did the one Republican who had 23 years of Mitt Romney’s tax returns do in 2008? He chose Sarah Palin,” the voiceover says as the then-Alaska governor is shown walking on stage with GOP presidential nominee John McCain.
Romney told CNN on Friday that two years are “what we’re going to put out.… Those are the two years that people are going to have.” He added that he thinks the two years of disclosure give the public enough information about his personal finances.
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