If that is all it is, it will backfire and probably help Obama a little. The only angle of it that could hurt is if the divorce papers Trump allegedly has include an allegation of adultery.
Not all charities are created equal. The Mormon Church, for example, which I'm pretty sure accounts for the bulk of Romney's charitable giving, doesn't strike me as a great cause, given the Church's stance on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage. That's important to consider. If he was donating all his money to educational initiatives or programs to find cures for diseases, hey, great. But his money goes to an organization that engages in political activity that runs exactly counter to my own beliefs. So his millions in charitable contributions don't really sway me his direction; you have to consider where the money actually goes.
So Romney releasing less information than Obama is a positive or doesn't matter. Gotcha.
:thumbsup:
In addition to PJabbers post, did you know the Mormons have something like 350 grocery stores that anyone can go to and shop for free? Everything from staples to meat and toiletries. You don't have to be a member or attend any sermons, just pickup a form once from a local bishop and you are good to go. All operated by volunteers and donations.
I am not religious at all, but feel the need to defend Mormons sometimes since those who I have known have been great people who don't just donate some money and right off taxes, they donate their time and sweat. I remember when a local LDS church, I think they are called wards at the local level, spent a weekend putting a new roof on a non members home along with carpeting after a storm trashed the house. Their was no way the single parent family could have afforded to fix it, no idea why insurance did not kick in, but this was years ago. Anyway, they just did it, no strings attached.
But hey, they wear magic underwear so that negates all the good they do the around the world, amirite? It would be so much better if they just thought like the typical ATP&N forum religious hater, just ask all the people they have helped if they care what the churches stance is on social issues once they have free food or a roof over their head.
In addition to PJabbers post, did you know the Mormons have something like 350 grocery stores that anyone can go to and shop for free? Everything from staples to meat and toiletries. You don't have to be a member or attend any sermons, just pickup a form once from a local bishop and you are good to go. All operated by volunteers and donations.
I am not religious at all, but feel the need to defend Mormons sometimes since those who I have known have been great people who don't just donate some money and right off taxes, they donate their time and sweat. I remember when a local LDS church, I think they are called wards at the local level, spent a weekend putting a new roof on a non members home along with carpeting after a storm trashed the house. Their was no way the single parent family could have afforded to fix it, no idea why insurance did not kick in, but this was years ago. Anyway, they just did it, no strings attached.
But hey, they wear magic underwear so that negates all the good they do the around the world, amirite? It would be so much better if they just thought like the typical ATP&N forum religious hater, just ask all the people they have helped if they care what the churches stance is on social issues once they have free food or a roof over their head.
In addition to PJabbers post, did you know the Mormons have something like 350 grocery stores that anyone can go to and shop for free? Everything from staples to meat and toiletries.
Here's a better question for you. Why does he have to release it when no other president has?
Link? The LDS is also a multi-billion dollar business owning many large corporations. What little good they actually do is undone by their overt bigotry, checkered past and missionary work. I can't stand it when some rich church goes into a third world country and offers them food and clothes with strings attached. That is not charity, that is coerced religious conversion.
Bush and Kerry both released their college transcripts.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4684384
Fern
George W. Bush’s grades at Yale eventually became public, but only because somebody leaked them to the New Yorker magazine. Bush himself refused to release them,*according to a 1999 profile in the Washington Post.
it will be fun watching Obama win the election. all these right wing hacks crying for the next four years. get all your rage out now so it won't be so bad.
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What are the details of Romney's tax plan? How about seeing 10 years of his tax returns?
How about if Obama responds:
I will gladly produce all requested records, and will use $2.5 million of the promised $5 million for the charity of my choice, but I'll do so ONLY if Mitt Romney releases the full details of the his last 10 years of tax returns by October 31, and Mitt can allocate the remaining $2.5 million to the charity of his choice.
I don't think Obama should respond with anything other than a dismissive "no". The President of the United States should not be trading insults and dares with the likes of a buffoon like Donald Trump. Trump can then go back to belittling desperate people and has-beens on his crappy reality show.
While I expect the President will ignore Trump's offer altogether, it would be interesting if he were to say:
"Thank you for your generous offer, The Donald. Here are all of the records you requested, and please make your check payable to the American Cancer Society.
I agree that transparency is important, and hence Joe Biden and I have posted ten years of our tax returns on my campaign website. Accordingly, I will myself pledge to pay $1M (not sure the President could afford $5M) to a charity of Governor Romney's choice so long as he and his running mate post the same information to their own website by October 31."
These are damned near, verbatim, the exact thoughts that went through my head when I heard the "announcement." That said, Romney will never release his tax returns - as it is almost certainly bad for his campaign (if it weren't, he would have done it).
How about if Obama responds:
I will gladly produce all requested records, and will use $2.5 million of the promised $5 million for the charity of my choice, but I'll do so ONLY if Mitt Romney releases the full details of the his last 10 years of tax returns by October 31, and Mitt can allocate the remaining $2.5 million to the charity of his choice.
This, Trump's behavior here is deplorable. It's an attention seeking stunt that Trump is trying to sell as altrustic and some how good for everyone involved. Trump comes across as out of touch and a bit needy here since he has no business in these matters. Anyone without such a gigantic ego would have learned sometime ago to butt out.
Media should have dismissed Trump as well, but they saw a grab bag so they took it. Saw Trump interviewed on CNN about this most recent stunt and it was absurd.