Comedian Matt Romney is second from the far right.
When I clicked on the headline "Mitt Romney's Sons Meet Concord Seniors," I wasn't expecting one of those sons to go Trump-ing for a laugh, especially since the joke's fodder is so routine: the release of a presidential candidate's tax returns.
By law, they don't have to release them -- but it has become standard practice for candidates to do so, and there isn't usually much hubbub over it. But yesterday, candidate Romney said this:
"I can tell you we follow the tax laws, and if there's an opportunity to save taxes, we like anybody else in this country will follow that opportunity. But we don't have any current plans to release tax returns, but never say never."
"We've released, of course, all of the information required by law, which is a pretty extensive release," he said. "But down the road we'll see what happens if I'm the nominee."
The Tax History Project has a collection of returns filed by many presidential and vice-presidential candidates, dating back to that avatar of transparency, Richard Nixon, and including many filed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Obama's available tax returns date back to well before he took office. Missing from the list is 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry, but he also released his full return (and part of those filed by his heiress wife).
So how are the Sons of Romney to respond when seniors in Concord, New Hampshire ask about this self-generated issue? Deflect it with a birther joke! Take it away, Matt Romney!
"I heard someone suggest the other day that as soon as President Obama releases his grades and his birth certificate... then maybe he'd do it."
Matt's brother Tagg quickly noted that the "someone" making that suggestion wasn't their dad (despite Governor Romney's penchant for other-izing President Obama with abandon). Considering that Dad once said campaigning for him is how his sons serve America, you'd think they'd be better at it by now.
I mean, let's review the standard Matt entertains. First, a president releasing his college grades as a standard of presidential qualification traces back to Donald Trump in an effort to make Barack Obama look like an affirmative-action case. Second, birtherism was crazy and racist before the president released his long-form certificate in April. To joke about it publicly now, as a presidential surrogate, is -- to be kind -- not a good look.
UPDATE, 1:28 PM: The first and so far only tweet from the account @Matt_Romney reads, "I repeated a dumb joke. My bad."
I repeated a dumb joke. My bad. RT @emilyrs Romney's son Matt made an Obama birth certificate joke on the trail in NH
— Matt Romney(@Matt_Romney) December 30, 2011
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Somehow I don't think Sons of Romney will be a big threat to Sons of Anarchy. Ron Perlman you may rest easy, man.
Much as I'd like to believe these idiots have a point, the current "birther" position is that they don't trust the State of Hawaii. Why can't they just come clean and say that instead of continuing to harangue the President? In the end, there's no amount of evidence that will convince these people of the facts. There is simply no authority they trust, although they DO throw their weight behind any goofball with a story and out-of-context remark they can dig up.
The point is some people just can handle a black got elected... and that he is one of the smartest men ever to hold the office and he is doing a great job and not able to comprehend that he is not a far left socialist
!
You seem to be missing the point. There is no passage in the Bible showing Obama was born in Hawaii so he had to be born in Kenya. It can't be any more clear than that.
I'm sure Mitt said great job son...
Apparently the SILVER SPOON doesn't fall far from the mouth.
now THAT is funny....
We will see how much Matt laughs when his father is pressured to release the tax returns because of public opinion. Mitt loses either way because disclosing the returns only highlights his "privileged" background and his 1% status. If he fails to disclose, people will believe he has something to hide and come to the same conclusion he is a 1% man.
Romney admits to being in the 1%. What he doesn't want people to see (though anybody with any sense already knows it) is that he's in the .01%.
Mitt talks about his kids "serving the country." Why haven't any of these kids entered the military?
That is the same question we should have asked about Bush's two daughters.
The only one I would possibly want in the military is twin Barbara Bush. She seems independent enough to hold her own.
Never worked a day in their lives and never will, but the OLD MAN Willard will fire thousands while shaking their hands PUKE
Hey, why didn't Donnie and Marie get in that family shot?
Do they all wear the magic underwear?!?!? :-)
Lame. I mean is that all you've got? It's indicative of the Romneys desperation, for it's going to be hard to dupe the public into believing they're just plain folks, dealing with the same issues that affect ordinary Americans--the $10,000 bet didn't help things. I think the family will come across as over-indulged and entitled. They serve America by campaigning for their father? Excuse me? Hardly the same as all those young men and women in the military.
And while we're being lame, personally I'd like to talk to Matt about his magical underwear.
I wonder which son is gay. Statistically speaking...
What's with all the randomly faded blue shirts... Mrs. Romney can't afford Tide?
I think Mitt should have to submit a certificate showing that the Mormon Church is a real religion and that Joseph Smith was a real prophet.
Who is going to certify this? God? He's too smart to get involved in politics. Even Rick Perry said that.
God's too smart to get involved in politics? Yeah, I guess he and his elves are just sitting it out in his castle at the North Pole watching it all unfold on CNN via satellite TV.
Bottom line: Romney must release his tax returns. The way they presented it to President Obama was this; "if you have nothing to hide, Mr. President, then show us your birth certificate."
Well Mr. Romney, if you have nothing to hide, then show us what taxes you paid. This nagging question will not go away until you do.
@Rick's Real
The perfect family never is (intentional bad grammar).
The average family never is either.
Hey Matt, repeating a dumb joke? What does that say about you?
OMG....I completely HATE that phrase! Is "my bad" supposed to be an apology? "Hey, I did something really stupid today and burnt the house down. My bad."
I fired a kid not so many years ago because every time he screwed up (which was often) and got caught (not often enough) he'd shrug his shoulders and say "my bad"....like it's no big deal and this makes it ok.
I'm thinking of the article in the NYT about how Washington insiders generally agree that Obama is aloof and standoffish and sticks with his family and close friends. Gee, I wonder why that is? He's been called everything and more, has been blamed for everything, and has actually remained decent through it all.
George Washington was pretty much the same way.
If you mean that not having the good ole boys in for a few drinks and some schmoozing as aloof, I guess you are right. If you mean that he isn't playing the good ole boys games of getting into a few games of poker and dealmaking as being standoffish, I guess you are right there. If you are talking about a decent father and husband spending more time with his family and his real job, I would imagine that constitutes a threat to the old guard.
I don't think his behavior is in reaction to the issues about him brought up by the opposition. I don't think that really bothers him that much. He is a person that has standards that he lives by, which is more than the good ole boys have now or ever will have. He doesn't sell human beings with needs over a few drinks. He doesn't see the need to schmooz when the issues are clearly more important than that. He believes that the right thing to do is the right thing to fight for. And that is why he scares the *#^$ out of the good ole boys.
They may be expected to grow some balls and stop selling out our country to line their own pockets. They may be expected to do their jobs out of a sense of decency and honor. They might even be expected to work for the United States of America and its citizens, instead of the greedy Wall Street pharisees and saducees. Heaven forfend!!!!!
You go, Mr. President, you are the best!!!!!!!!!! Show 'em what a real Statesman is!!!
Keep talking Mitt.
I would like to see Mitt Romney being asked the following questions: "Do you pay any taxes at all?" Possible follow up questions: "Does that mean you get a tax refund most years?" and "Is it less than 5% of your total income, including passive, leveraged and residual income?" IMHO it is likely that his average overall tax rate is less than 10%, the question is just how much less.
Of course, the questions that stumped McCain 4 years ago, e.g. "How many cars do you own", and "How many houses do you own" should be asked, but he has probably got some prepared answers for those. (Oh, and "Does that include the boat house on your private beach?" and "How many servants and caretakers do you and your immediate family have?")
Somehow I doubt that his handlers will allow those questions to be asked.
Maybe a few years in Afghanastan with widen their tunnel vision. But they are the privileged so we cannot expect them to fight for their rights or freedoms, they can hire it done. But they don't have a right to bad mouth anyone since they never had to do anything or put themselves in jeopardy for anyone else. They are the warts on the rest of the people in this nation. They will never amount to anything no matter how much money they have or influence they think they have over someone else. Anyone dealing with them will know what they are!!!!!!!!!!!!
is "Mattens" at least the cute one?
oh; so no, but appropriately positioned on the "far right" for making such a "joke".
What??!! This is textbook gutter politics from the Romney campaign. Is this their big plan to woo the Tea Party voters that hate Mitt's guts with a ferocious passion? Mitt Romney and his entire crazy family owe President Obama, the First Lady, and every single American citizen that loves this country a massive apology. Preferably, he should drop out of the race. If this garbage is what Mitt is going to to try and run on because he is so devoid of rational and reasonable ideas, just quit and go back to France to live in your giant missionary mansion. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
As someone who used to live eat and breath Mormonism for over two decades (by CHOICE, as that I was a convert and my conversion came at extraordinary personal cost), I find Mitt Romney a disgusting sack of trash. He is an embarrassment to anything and EVERYTHING that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teaches or the high moral standards expected of the general membership . The fact that his sons dodged an honest question with this form of derisive dialogue also demonstrates that "The apple does not fall too far from the tree," and that the Gospel practiced in the Romney home is not the Gospel experienced by 99% of the LDS Church. While I no longer practice Mormonism, I still hold the character of the general membership with great respect, and am ashamed that someone like Mitt Romney can be associated with such a fine people.
"My bad" is the quickest way to make me angry. People who don't have the guts to apologize toss out "my bad", which is a farce; it is the equivalent of giving us the finger. Way to go, rich kid.
"Mitt Romney looks like the guy who fired your grandfather." - Jon Stewart
"I repeated a dumb joke. My bad."
Now here is a kid who has proven that he is stupid and proud of it.
Oh well, "like father like son".
Looks like the Romney boys are dressed in their Mormon uniforms. America is more ready for a Kenyan President than a Mormon President.
Anyways, what are the odds of having 5 boys? They should study the Romneys to see why that is. Probably genetic or something. Lots of money to be made in picking the sex of your child. Either Mitt or his wife has a boy gene. That's got to be worth money. I bet its Mitt with the boy gene. Dude is handsome. Evolution tells us only the strong and handsome survive. Or at least pick up the hot chicks.