The Obama Tax Attack Against Clinton

I wish the media would insist on seeing OB"s pre2006 tax returns. Perhaps they can explain why his wife received a $180,000 salary INCREASE as soon as OBAMA was elected SENATOR. Perhaps it would explain how he purchased his house, and where an extra $350,000 cam from. Tony Rezo? Who purchased the lot next door for him? Talk about the same old politics in a diferent colored suit, and getting a free ride from the press, this proves it.

Voter, Elected officials need to be held accountable for all they do...Look, I felt that is was a waste of taxpayer money as well to go after the Clintons. However, the Clintons sure had enough issues swirling around for them to go after. Their less than truthfulness in personal affairs led to their demise. Don't blame the Republicans for that. This election should not be about payback. Point is....if Hillary is nominated all the old scandals will once again be brought to the forefront and the country will not focus on her message. While I agree that times were better under Clinton character does matter. I won't forgive or forget that it is was the Clinton's personal failings that led to eight years of GWB in the first place. Do you really want to relive the Clinton years? Wouldn't it be better to have a leader promoting the Democratic agenda without all the baggage the Clintons bring?

Jake Obama has not released detailed income tax returns from his Illinois years, you might sweep around Obama's door before you start whispering about Hillary place. I suspect when she does release her tax returns it will be fine, will you then apologize for you constant bias against her. I can answer that, NO!

His tax returns are available.

Note to Jack Tapper,

Call up Bob Secter at the Chicago Tribune, who has written about Obama's tax returns from as far back as 1997, and get your information sorted. Bob Secter wrote an article that analyzed Obama's charitable giving as far back as '97, and he apparently used Obama's tax returns for the analysis. I'd really appreciate an update/correction to this blog entry.

BTW, I think the MSM is missing the plot, when they fail to point out that Hillary is only releasing her returns one week before Pennsylvania votes... that's hardly enough time for a "thorough vetting," as her campaign likes to say.

P.S. nice post Allison.

I'd like to read some of his tax returns from the Rezko years, especially when he bought that house and yard!

Jake -- from what I understand, Obama has only released the top part of his tax returns. He has not released the schedules.

Also why hasn't anyone pressed him about releasing papers from his state senate years? We could get information about what lobbyists and wealthy donors (including Rezko) he had lunch, dinner, and cocktails with?

MediaMatters said that he has been pressed and claims he lacked "support" to keep that information but if you have a "particular request we'll get back to you." When a reporter had a particular request, he never got back to her.

Why isn't the press pushing more on these facts? The lack of genuine transparency on Obama's part about his taxes/his senate years and all the lobbyists, wall street types, bundlers of subprime mortgages that crashed and harmed low-income people, etc?

Why doesn't anyone point out that in the debate in South Carolina, Obama claimed he only worked for 5 hours on a Rezko case involving a church. Sounds very angelic. However, we know he had actually a 17-year relationship with Rezko, who helped finance Obama's career in politics and sold him real estate.

Yet the press just goes merrily along, repeating bizarre attacks by Obama --

Change -- You say "Let's get the Michelle Obama thesis from her senior year at Princeton on the table." It is. It was Princeton's decision, not the Obama's to make it unavailable from the university until after the election -- I assume because they were sick of responding to requests for it. The Obama campaign, however, has made it readily available to journalists, at least, and you can find a complete write up as well (I believe) as a .pdf verion of the whole thesis on Politico. (I could be wrong about where I saw it - Huffington Post? Atlantic Monthy? but I think it was Politico).

I think the best thing for all of us to do is to look at the records of these guys in the Senate and do the research. Don't just depend on the media to do that for you, 'cos they wont.

See the following links: Link

Grassroots mom has a piece here (Link ) to help you if you are wondering on how best to go about it.

After looking at the "quality" not quantity, of legislative records of Barack Obama (Barack Obama was elected to the United States Senate in 2004 - 4 year in Senate), Hillary Clinton (Clinton was elected as senator for New York State in 2000 - 8 years in senate) and John McCain(First elected into senate in 1982 - 25years in Senate), I discovered the followings:

Total Bills written:

Hillary - 155 => Passed: approximately 13 in 2007
Barack Obama - 115 => Passed: approximately 21 in 2007
John Mccain - 37 => Passed: approximately 10 in 2007

Quality of Bills see grassroot moms... she did a thorough job here - Link

Having looked at the bills and their quality, I can comfortably conclude that Barack Obama is a far more superior candidate for the presidency compared to Hillary and McCain. I am currently working on an article that looks at the various position of the candidate prior to the presidential race. In addition, I also think Barack Obama is far more experienced in getting legislations passed and working with both Republicans and Democrats than any other senator on the house floor and that is vital for a good president.

John, by discussing the trashy accusations, we as Americans are contributing to the trashy discourse. There is so much at stake. I believe that there is a perception out there about the Clintons that is somehow pushed. To me their policies have been progressive, a lot of economic growth came out of the Clinton years and they continue to offer so much value to improving our nation. Inspite of it all, there are people who want to change the dialog and spread rumors instead. One just has to go to Wikipedia and read -- all of the taxpayer money was wasted in the 90's by going after the Clintons. There is nothing to show except a personal failure. Then we saw so many congressmen and senators resign because they got caught also. Do we want to waste our money discussing personal failures or do we want to hold people accountable for public policy failures. If anyone needs to be held accountable, it has to be GWB and yet he gets a free ride! We somehow seem to love personal failures more...it is rather sad when there is so much else at stake.

I think the Hillary supporters are a little brainwashed by the PR people who are advising her campaign like Wal-Mart. Hillary's ideas have never been her own. She took a little from John Edwards, a little from Barack Obama. I think that the Hillary people need to read the article in newsday where they HECKLED Lazio in New York to release his tax returns. She is not vetted. Who is Web Hubbell? Why won't they release white house papers pertaining to her time as first lady? What really is her foreign policy experience minus the ceremonial? I think the Hillary people should get off of their "high horse" already and take a look at reality. The media adopts most of her talking points including michigan and florida because they are smart at getting friends who are reporters and prominent people repeating the same lies over and over again until they are accepted as truth, like the Al-Qaeda/Iraq connection, and yes Hillary is one who repeated that too. But forget that right?

Voter....good to see you are not a Republican....and I agree with what you are saying as I believe all Democrats do as well...Many Independents and some Republicans do as well...I just view the trashing of an opponent as strategy to be distasteful and given the history of the Clintons believe that Hillary is the wrong messenger for the party. By the way...I am an Independent. I choose to be because I detest this type of behaviour in both parties.

No, no, no,

We don't need to stop with the tax returns.

Hillary Clinton's finances have already been put under the microscope, and nothing was found.

The Senator will release her tax returns on her schedule and not according to the demands of Ken Starr Axelrod or any of the rest of the Obama machine.

Let's get the Michelle Obama thesis from her senior year at Princeton on the table.

Let's view all of the financial records concerning Obama family, friends, and supporters on the table.

And, yes, that includes the Tony Rezko files along with the rest of the info from the Chicago political machine.

I do not believe in Hillary fans, McCain fans or Obama fans. We are all Americans. We have a very important choice before us and we need to make that choice as Americans. I believe that there are 3 areas of importance. Iraq, Economic and Social. Of all 3 Iraq is the most important because it permeates both the economic and social policies.

Iraq Policy:
Hillary says that she will start off by consulting with the commanders on the ground, involve NATO, our allies, Iraq's neigbhors and the charitable organizations and the UN. Once she has a team in place to stabilize Iraq, she will begin pulling combat troops out of Iraq. She will be able to do this in 90 days.

McCain says that he will not leave Iraq until there is peace. The surge works and he will continue to pursue this policy.

Obama talks of full withdrawal in 16 months. There is no policy. Samantha Powers spoke of the lack of policy. "It will come after he becomes president", she says. The lack of policy is scary. He does not have the command to understand what is really going on in Iraq and that is obvious.

Looking at the Iraq policy alone, I believe Hillary is the best choice. However, every American needs to look at who they think is best. It is important to look at policy instead of talking about gossip. By gossiping, you are really taking your eye off the ball and instead of getting a basket, you will find yourself on the losing side. If majority of the Americans lose, our country loses no matter who wins the presidency just like GWB.

She wants to talk about Rezko.... we want to talk about taxes...sounds fair

I think the Hillary supporters are a little brainwashed by the PR people who are advising her campaign like Wal-Mart. Hillary's ideas have never been her own. She took a little from John Edwards, a little from Barack Obama. I think that the Hillary people need to read the article in newsday where they HECKLED Lazio in New York to release his tax returns. She is not vetted. Who is Web Hubbell? Why won't they release white house papers pertaining to her time as first lady? What really is her foreign policy experience minus the ceremonial? I think the Hillary people should get off of their "high horse" already and take a look at reality. The media adopts most of her talking points including michigan and florida because they are smart at getting friends who are reporters and prominent people repeating the same lies over and over again until they are accepted as truth, like the Al-Qaeda/Iraq connection, and yes Hillary is one who repeated that too. But forget that right?

John, I am not Republican. I cannot stand their social polices. It makes me sick just to think of all the stuff GWB has done with our country. However, knowing what is out there, I believe social policies come second to our foreign policy. The next president has to work through so many hurdles. With Hillary, I know that I can get all three -- Iraq policy, Economic policy and social policy. Since Iraq policy has the most implications for our country, I would go against my core beilefs and cross over to vote for McCain. With McCain, I know we will not have a mess in Iraq even if we stay for 100 years. With inexperience, I am afraid that even a 100 years will not be enough -- and I am so afraid of the unimaginable!! I care too much for our country.

While I do believe that both candidates should release their tax info, etc., I think it's much more important for the Clintons.

Why? If Hillary makes it to the White House, not only would she be the 1st female Prez, but it would be the 1st time that a newly elected *and* a former POTUS reside under the same roof.

We need to know what's been going on since 2000 in order to make a sound judgement. Could there be any deals that could pose a conflict of interest in domestic and/or foreign affairs? The only way to find out is to get that info before it's too late. We shouldn't get to see what they pick and choose, either. Total transparency is a reasonable request, IMHO.

They've dragged their feet for about a year as far as I can see, and I don't understand why nobody is holding their feet to the fire.

If nothing turns up, fine. If something is found, then it needs to be dealt with. Either way, this is a totally unique situation that must be handled now.

Clintons' fans, how ignorant can you be?

Voter...hmmm, you sound just a Republican.....