I also find the hullabaloo over Trump's tax returns total BS, and the people clamoring for it are either duped idiots or just playing the game. I'm pretty sure it's the latter because most of my friends on the Left are very smart folks.

Tax returns are obviously not a requirement to run for President or hold office. However, being born a Natural citizen of the US is. But remember how people were roasted in the media (social and mainstream press) for wanting proof that Obama was born a natural citizen. People were called racist and accused of trying to de-legitimize his Presidency, when the undisputed facts are that A) his father was not a citizen and his mother was under age, meaning B) if he wasn't born in the US, he was not a natural born citizen; C) his mother was overseas right up until the approximate time of his birth; D) he refused to produce for the People his birth certificate for THREE YEARS after he took office (April 2011); and E) the question of his birthplace was originally raised by Democrats during the 2008 primaries.

So people are racist underminers for wanting to make sure the President meets the Constitutional requirements to hold the office, but people on the Left are perfectly justified in attempting to undermine Trump simply because they want to see his tax returns, and, by God, they should be given what they want demand.

The Left is so transparent, it's really just embarrassing for them.

or maybe the certificate produce 3 years was false

Oh, my.

Can you not read? I was comparing the validity of the issues raised in regard to the legitimacy of the last President vs the current one.

But by all means, act a fool and scream racism--it seems to be all you know how to do. Apparently, an intelligent debate of the actual facts is beyond your ability. If you can't make a counter-point, just scream racism! and try to put people on the defensive. What a joke.

And Stengel, see, you can't read either. I never said I want the left to be in the dark. I wish he'd put them out there, too. My point was it's a bit ridiculous for the left to scream and cry about this non-requirement when they didn't even care to validate the Constitutional requirements regarding their guy.

Posted by dino27 on 3/22/2017 2:30:00 PM (view original):
one of the reasons that tax returns are released is to make sure there are no foreign entanglements that could influence foreign policy or the president's conduct...no one should proudly be blindly loyal....and btw mickey mantle doesnt cry for you.

Thanks for that. Still doesn't make it a Constitutional requirement to hold office.

Kudos for making a post that didn't call me a racist.

Posted by crazystengel on 3/22/2017 2:21:00 PM (view original):
I don't get how there are still birthers when even Trump himself (AKA the Grand Wizard of Birtherism) was forced to distance himself from that nonsense. Granted, he distanced himself not by apologizing but by trying to pin it on Hillary, which I have to admit was so ridiculous and brazen I actually laughed out loud when I heard him taking credit for settling the issue once and for all.

I also find the hullabaloo over Trump's tax returns total BS, and the people clamoring for it are either duped idiots or just playing the game.

Kind of a strange thing to want to be left in the dark on this, just because it's a politician you support. Aside from the fact that it's been the custom since Nixon for presidential candidates to release their taxes, there's also the fact that Trump promised repeatedly to release them. Does it bother you at all that he broke his promise? Or do you think he's smart for "trolling" people?

Also, do you remember in 2012 when Romney was hemming and hawing about releasing his taxes? And Trump was criticizing him for it? Do you find that odd in any way?

Speaking of the Mittster, here's him speculating on why Trump is hiding his taxes:

"He doesn't pay taxes. He doesn't have much income. He's receiving income from unsavory sources. He has ownership in enterprises that are perhaps associated with unsavory enterprises or nations or groups."

Why doesn't Trump prove him wrong?

Maybe Trump will release them in three years...

To answer you on some things: Yes, I agree that he should release them. I think Mitt trolled the heck out of Trump, but, yeah, he should have followed the advice he gave Mitt. I have no doubt there's stuff in his taxes that will make people on the Left hoot and holler--he was a businessman, not a career politician, so I bet he has foreign investments (as do many of us with a 401k) and didn't give enough to the right charities. Probably a few tax shelters out there somewhere, too.

Oh, and I know folks on the Left look down on Reuters as an arm of the neo-Nazi right-wing propaganda machine, but http://www.reuters.com/video/2017/03/22/surveillance-findings-raise-concerns-abo?videoId=371349807&videoChannel=1003

I never believed the birther question. But it never should have taken 3 years to make public the long form. My 2 cents is that should be done well in advance of an election.

I see no reason why Trump hasn't released his tax returns. The federal election commission should require those in advance as well. That way Congress can do the vetting. And if they have them, the public release can wait if there is an issue.

And I assume you guys do know that on at least one occasion he promoted himself as having been born in Kenya: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/booklet.asp

Anyone whose biography has ever been printed anywhere, can tell you a person writes their own promotional biography. "Send us a passport photo and a brief (100-word) biography for our promotional material." So while I was not a birther myself, I always thought it was a legitimate question to verify where he was born and found the pushback and delay perplexing. Apparently Democrats did, too, in the 2008 primaries.