THURSDAY NIGHT’S Republican presidential debate produced more equivocation from former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney about when he would release his tax returns and how many he would release. He was asked by moderator John King if he would follow the standard set by his own father, George, the former Michigan governor who was the first presidential candidate to release his tax returns. He put out 12 years’ worth in November 1967, as he prepared to run for the White House in 1968 — a point also being made in a Democratic National Committee video. All Mr. Romney could muster was an awkward “Maybe.” Wait until April, he said.
More disclosure, sooner, would be better, as is already obvious even to such supporters of Mr. Romney as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). To be sure, Mr. Romney has grudgingly acknowledged paying about a 15 percent tax rate. And there are no hard and fast rules about this; it appears that few past candidates of either party would have measured up to the George Romney standard.
The all-time champion for disclosing early and often was Republican Sen. Robert J. Dole, who disclosed 21 years of returns in January of his 1988 run, and 30 years’ worth in January 1996, according to Politifact.com. In March 2008, Barack Obama released his returns going back to 2000. In contrast, Hillary Clinton did not do so until April of her 2008 run, and then she released only a single year’s return.
If it’s fair to insist that Mr. Romney come clean, what about his three remaining rivals? At the debate, former House speaker Newt Gingrich trumpeted the fact that he had released his 2010 return “an hour ago.” It wasn’t much of a boast — as George Romney wisely explained, “one year could be a fluke, done for show.” Mr. Gingrich doesn’t even pass the Rick Perry test: In an effort to pressure Mr. Romney, the front-runner, the Texas governor released his returns going back to 1991 before he dropped out of the race.
Worse, though, was the blithe refusal of Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) to even consider releasing a return. “I don’t think people need that because nobody’s challenging me, because I have no conflict of interest,” he said. Well, all right then! Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum unaccountably claimed that he’s still working on his, and he doesn’t have access to his hard drive at home. Couldn’t someone e-mail your returns, Mr. Santorum?
Mitt Romney owes the public a look at a substantial, representative series of his tax records. So do his remaining opponents.
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