Sad thing is -- it worked for Romney!! Who won that election?

Wow...TRMS is now doing what many here claim I've been doing, saying both sides are have been doing the same thing, even drawing somewhat of a "false equivalence."

There is a difference between saying, "what is he hiding by not releasing returns" and saying, "someone told me who knows that he did not pay any taxes for 10 years." One is asserting a specific accusation as if fact and the other is encourages general speculation.

It would be like someone now saying (and I believe some have), that Reid was told all of this by someone on Obama's team. President Obama is orchestrating this. They should tell us who made this accusation but they won't because it is coming from the White House.

Lastly, it seems to me that Romney was not calling for a opponent's husband to release his tax returns, he was using that to say there's precedent for him (Romney) not releasing his if we don't know everything about another candidate. Also, I noted Ms. Maddow did not read the occupation of that candidate's husband, lobbyist.

Bottom line: If Reid wants to make a specific accusation, he should back it up. He's not and won't.

Sad thing is that it worked for Romney! Who won that election?

A blistering attack on Mitt Romney... What was his tell? I say its his laugh....

Romney paid "sales" taxes, lots and lots of them. Income taxes are a different story and Romney has been astute at only saying he's paid "taxes, lots and lots of taxes", never has he mentioned paying any "income taxes". Like Ross Perot, Romney's smart enough not to pay income taxes. And anyone who doesn't want to pay more income taxes than they have to uses their marginal tax rate as a benchmark for how good a job their tax attorney is doing - yet Romney now says he can't recall what his is, even after stating it at around 16% in 2010, which is what his amended 2010 return was set at.

I wonder if the death of his father between the 1992 and 2000 elections was a factor in the change in his position. I recall reading that his father took an active role as an advisor to him in 1992.

Small nit to pick --why is every state "the great state of" XX. Your report on Michigan makes it clear that Michigan is anything but. Save the tributes for deserving geographical regions, and it usually obvious that places like Michigan are states.

The issue is not what Romeny's opponent was hiding in 2002 by not disclosing her husband's return. The issue is what Romney is hiding now in 2012 by not disclosing his returns, and of course, those of his wife.

We know that he must be hiding something embarrassing because he has already said that if he does, the Democrats will pick and poke at it and generally make a big deal out of it. But if there are just minor, silly matters in there, we'd eventually all understand that and forget about the whole issue.

The only conclusion we can draw is that there are incredibly big, amazingly embarrassing, definitely damning insights into the real Romney in those unreleased tax returns. And he doesn't want us to know about them.

If we all knew about them, we would know what most of us now assume: you can't trust Romney to work in the country's best interests. You can just trust him to work in Romney's best interests. As he has always done.

And I still want to know how that horse can be construed as a business and not a hobby. Come on, it's a hobby.

Harry Reid is awesome - his Schrödingerian attack of Romney is so sweet. Romney paid 100% and 0% in taxes at the same time. Romney won't let his dog off the roof and Schrodinger's cat out of the box!

I think this article demonstrates just how hypocritical, and disingenuous, Governor Romney's statements are concerning the release of additional tax filings. The good news is that we now know that Governor Romney does in fact believe that the substantive release of tax filings of a potential elected official is important to constituents -- Governor Romney is pretty clear that such transparency does not serve solely to fuel President Obama's campaign, or any opponent's opposition researchers. Romney (and his spokesperson) circa 2002 even proposes that an unwillingness to provide excessive transparency of one's tax filings, leads only to the electorate rightfully asking themselves, 'What is the candidate hiding?', and that such (unanswered) questions do not inspire the confidence of voters. I say all of this giving Governor Romney the most generous interpretation possible of his statements.

Rachel thank you for covering that Michigan Emergency Manager (i.e. dictator) story. The law was disturbing in its scope. As an attorney, I'm shocked the usually ultra-conservative court of ours actually allowed this to go to on the ballot. Three of the four hard right-wingers on the court actually were going to keep this issue from appearing on the ballot literally because the font size of the title and headings on the petition, that got hundreds of thousands of signatures, was not in 14-point font but was rather in 12. Completely ridiculous. Thanks for continuing to cover significant issues that have national import!

Its amazing that Twit is getting away with this. The Fox zombies all over the internet are still sayingthe same thing "show us the birth certificate?" Never in my life had I thought our country was full of so many idiots.

Thanks for the report about what happened in MASS. It shows Mitt the Twit has a history of being a con-artist. He really would be a slimy used car salesman if he wasn't born rich. I also get the feeling he paid for his grades in college. It does happen, very rich students do spend thousands for a grade.

I think the GOP is using Michigan as the new test model for the Koch brothers envisioned future of the take over of the World. The men who sold the world. Dr. No may know all about this. Those Dastardlys. They've been watching too many spy movies or James Bond movies. Why don't they just try and get their own comic book. This could save people from their unwarranted take-over and their evil plans to destroy democracy as we know it. We need a hero...we have a hero.

If Romney has violated the constitutional requirement for residency and usurped that office, shouldn't there be reckoning? Wouldn't the duped residents and office seekers of what would have to be the biggest fraud of that state's history be clamoring for justice. Statute of limitations would not really matter. Let him be mired in years of litigation. Tar his legacy as fair penalty for hubris and deceit.

Am I the only one to notice that the Romney's have not posted their state tax documents? Could it be that Mitt has dodged - in this case illegally - millions in Massachusetts state Sales and Use taxes via Internet purchased? Especially for household products and business products?

Not that he is concerned. Early in the campaign he made a point about keeping Internet purchased "free from any taxes." He is just one of many wealthy families in that state that openly ignore the sales tax requirements for out of state purchases shipped into the state. Its an open secret his current campaign orders everything online and does not file and pay Sales and Use taxes. He won't release ANY state tax documents because it will show he has failed to pay what he legally owes for years.

Oh, do you think he paid Utah state sales tax for internet purchases (as required by Utah law) for delivery to his Utah home? HAH!

Does anyone read Maddowblog messages on a Saturday? If so, here's an amusing take on Romney's European Gaff Tour:

http://www.economist.com/

Scroll down to "latest audio and video", click on "crash and return".

Some time ago, you showed a chart listing spending as percent of GNP for a number of Democratic and Republican Administrations; showing that Democrats were not the BIG SPENDERS that Republicans claim.

I would like to see that chart shown on every program every day from now on

Why doesn't anyone focus on Romney's job creation with his new investments from 2002-2011??? He should be a poster child for the idea that lower taxes for the rich mean they will invest in new businesses. Ask him, that's his skill. So, in 2010 he "saved" about $2.25 million because of the Bush tax holiday. That's almost exactly what Bain invested in Staples. If his tax returns from 2002-2011 look like 2010, then he could have invested in 10 companies just like Staples. Why doesn't he talk about those companies? Is it because he really didn't use this money to create jobs? This should be the focus, not on what he did 25 years ago. After all, he's arguing that we should keep taxes low on the rich so they can do more of what they did from 2002-2011.

One thing which I have not seen/heard addressed in regard to Romney's IRA is what KIND of IRA it is. If it is a Roth IRA, then all of the money in it will be drawn out tax free. Further, any living person (grandchild or great grandchild) named as a beneficiary will withdraw the money, tax free, during their lifetime. It goes without saying that the money in the IRA is extremely highly appreciated since being placed in the IRA. If it is a Roth IRA, virtually all the money in the IRA has never and will never be taxed. This would be HUGE.

If it is a regular IRA it is not such a big deal in that all that money will be taxed when it is withdrawn, although, he likely has ways of avoiding that, too.

If it is a Roth IRA, however, he has demonstrably avoided taxation on tens of millions of dollars. It is probably all legal, but certainly the kind of financial manipulation which would not sit well with the average taxpayer.

I was going to blog about Romneys tax return fiasco and read the blogs above who have touched on some of the things. Yes why did Mass. allow him to proceed in the election when it was proved he had not used Mass. as his home. When and where in my world do you get to change your tax return to circumvent the law. When if ever did any of us so called avg. americans get away with anything remotly resembling that. Hell try to change your answer on a test,app.,or legal form. Not happening for us but he gets elected to office as a lier and swindler.Also if he changed the info does that mean he has a totally diff. tax obligation ? From what I heard he saved $54,000 by what he did,was that paid back to the IRS? Both states should have had to readjust his taxes. Were there fines and interest on those changes? If Mass. got to look at his tax forms did it include the whole thing if so then would Mass. then have to have copies or someone who looked at them ? Bring them forward and how about anytaxes he has revealed at any time in his life, yes I'd like to see all of them but I believe any from any time period would show something.Why can't Bain be analized for their profit and losses ,p/l's. Any good accountant could work out what profit should be there and if he rigged his personal taxes you can count on the same process with Bain. Then there are a few ,HaHa problems with filing numerous bankrupcies on the backs of the American people and walking away with a profit hows that work ,well it works over and over if your rich. Try that @!$%# as an avg. American and it ruins your life but not Romney he profits from it. Its a matter of crime pays you just have to get above the, to rich to pay level in this country. Some say its not what you know its who you know and I believe thats right but better and more correct is -- its not who you or what you know its what you know about who you know. So that proves the games rigged for the rich and they play by their own rules and we're the smucks who don't hold any of the big boys accountable. Were paying a hefty cost to let them fleece this country. Thats why they need more control to impose tougher laws to keep us in line and in fear so we just sit back and take it. Or more accurately they take it!!!! Lets get rid of regulators ,lets get rid of the EPA,FDA,and on and on,just open the door by electing slick Rick. Problem is he is not slick his stupid and you want his tell watch his mouth move and you'll hear a lie.Your A-O-K in my book Rachel Maddow, your poor, small town,Montana fan

Re. the Tennessee Senate Democratic Primary: It may not have been a failure on the part of the TN Democratic Party, but rather crossover voting by Republicans -- it's an open primary. This is a known tactic, cf. Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos". Hard to establish, unless Republicans want to boast (which they might -- it may be sneaky'n'mean, but it's not illegal), or unless there's a social media or paper trail promoting crossover voting. Here's one observation of a possible Republican crossover:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/04/1116695/-Dems-didn-t-vote-for-hate-group-s-darling-in-the-primary

Gov. Romney has a major problem and it is going to come to fruition soon. When he picks his VP, how many years of tax returns is he going to ask to see? If it is more than 2010 and 2011, then that will be news. If it is only 2010 and 2011, then he is going to be accused of not vetting his running mate. Plus, Dems will scour the VP's records to show that what is not revealed is important.

Gov. Romney is toast on this one. Stories like Sen. Reid's will come out. I'm betting that the stories are already in the works with a timeline on when to release them.