There is a Democratic pro-Obama ad nailing Mitt Romney for “dodging” requests to release his tax records. That demand for full disclosure seems fair enough — but coming from the Obama camp, it is a most unwise tactic.
If finance and business are dear to the hearts of Republicans and thus they must come clean on how well they do in them, academics and the Ivy League are commensurately cherished by liberal Democrats. Just as Romney cites his business success, and so should allow scrutiny of his annual record of it, so too Obama and his supporters cite his stellar academic career as proof of his competency, and so likewise he should provide the transcripts to confirm that such impressions are grounded in fact. (If voters learn that Romney “lost” money while at the head of Bain, they should have legitimate worries; and if they learn that Barack Obama was a C+ or B- student from Columbia who was admitted on scholarship to Harvard Law School, they likewise should legitimately be puzzled.)
And yet Barack Obama has never to my knowledge done what his 2008 rival John McCain and other presidential candidates like John Kerry and George Bush all have done and released his Occidental or Columbia transcripts, much less his medical records. I thought the issue of “full disclosure” was therefore going to be taboo this time around, which is why I was startled that the Obama team is now pressing Romney to let us look at his taxes.
Romney should release them, and at the same release his college transcripts and medical records — and then leave it to Barack Obama to match the trifecta in the spirit of the hope and change new transparency.
Candidates should not have to release medical records, or personal financial records, or college transcripts. It is yet another violation of privacy for the candidate and his or her family. And those violations of privacy are what are keeping some of our best men and women out of public service. Too many good people are staying out of public service out of fear that sensitive private issues will be made public, even when those private issues have nothing to do with qualification for public service.
If there are complaints about legitimate issues related to public service - e.g. mental instability, or undisclosed financial interests - provide the records to a third party with a confidentiality agreement that allows for only the purely relevant issues to be made public.
If people knew that their entire medical, financial, educational, and private histories were to be made public upon running for public office, who in their right mind would run for office? Now is a good time to take a stand on giving our candidates for office more privacy, and Romney - who has a record as clean as anyone's - would be the right person to do it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe GOP should demand Obama's college transcripts, and ignore liberals that scream "RACISTS". Democrats "freak out" over this request because deep down, they know Obama is an affirmative action baby that's had everything handed to him out of white guilt. Barack obviously has poor grades, or this would be a no brainer. Someone who achieved academically what he has would have STELLAR grades.
If Obama is revealed to have been a C student his whole life but President of the Harvard Law Review, you're going to justifiably see Americans across the board p#ssed off.
Romney is obviously going to release his financial records, but I am mystified why he's dragging his feet. I understand being hesitant, but you really give up a life of privacy when you run for President.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Someone who achieved academically what he has would have STELLAR grades.
"If Obama is revealed to have been a C student his whole life but President of the Harvard Law Review, you're going to justifiably see Americans across the board ..."
This is exactly right. Back in my college days, a friend of mine who was finishing her undergrad was planning on applying to Hahavahd law school at about the time the Prez was finishing up there. The letter they sent her at the start of the process went something like, "If you have an undegraduate 4.0 at a reputable school, five excellent faculty recommendations, a demonstrated history of community involvement, and blah blah blah, you have a 50% chance of being admitted to the Harvard School of Law." Anyone who got into Harvard law school on the up and up should have nothing to be ashamed of in their academic record. The fact that he won't release even one little letter grage form those records raises some serious questions.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJust so you know: there isn't a Democrat, anywhere, who worries about this. They may have a lot of things to worry about, but Obama's transcript ain't one of them.
In order for your claim to be defensible, Obama would have had to do badly at Harvard Law. If he had really been unqualified for admission, to begin with, then there's no way he would have been elected president of Law Review. It's really as simple as that. If you succeed at the next level up, then, honestly, nobody is going to care about your undergrad transcript.
Obama probably did benefit, vis-a-vis other applicants, from the weight the admissions office gave to his grades. Same with, say, Clarence Thomas at Yale, apparently. So what? When these guys do well in their JD program and go on to greater things, it tends to vindicate the selection criteria (whatever they might be).
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"...Obama is an affirmative action baby that's had everything handed to him out of white guilt."
And there it is! What all this talk from right wingers about birth certificates and college transcripts is REALLY all about!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObama graduated Magna C. Laude from Harvard Law which puts him in the top 10% or thereabouts of his graduating class based solely on grades.
I have a strong feeling, that just like the birth certificate nonsense, demanding college transcripts plays right into the Obama campaign's desire to portray his critics as "racist" at worst or conspiracy nuts in the least. He'll release them if he feels it's politically opportune and bunch of hysterics will once again have pie on their face for making a big a deal out of it, just like with the birth certificate. Let's not fall for this again. Let's beat him on the issues. The vast majority don't see him through the same lens as some of the hardcore partisans on the right do. This is isn't an issue for independents as they don't subscribe to the same "affirmative action president" narrative that some of you do. The smart play is to drop this line of attack. My own two cents.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis "full disclosure" stuff is a diversionary crock. Obama is who he is regardless of his grades.
Harry Truman didn't go to college. And Will Rogers dropped out of school in 10th grade, but probably would have made a better president than any of these guys.
Power Elites on both the Left and the Neocon Right are swimming in advanced degrees, with good grades probably attached, and they've used their hubris and conceit inculcated in getting those degrees to drive America over a cliff. Their transcripts signify nothing except Idiot-Savant stupidity.
And what ever happened to patient privacy? What business of it is anybody's to see Romney's health care records? Let his doctor draft a note saying he's fit enough to be president and let it be.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRomney will produce his tax records and academic records, but he should offer them on the condition of Obama doing the same.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse1. Asking Obama about his grades is RACIST! Never mind that every other candidate has either voluntarily released their transcripts or had them leaked to the press. To imply that Obama got anywhere due to any other factor than his superior awesomeness proves you're a RACIST! He has nothing to prove!
(Note: This is sarcasm. Thank you.)
B. Don't you know that this election will be based on class warfare - the oppressed 99% vs. the oppressing 1% - and it's fair game to know how rich the rich guy who is trying to buy the Presidency is compared to our current Dear Leader, who was born in a manger after descending from above Heaven to bring salvation to us all? Obama forsake all riches in order to serve the people while Romney just made money so he could eat steak every day!
(Note: This is almost sarcasm, though likely how the Obama Regime and their media allies will play it. Thank you.)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is a nonsense argument.
Barack Obama graduate magna c. laude from Harvard Law School and won a coveted spot on the Harvard Law Review. Furthermore, just listening to the man speak you can tell he has the sort of mind that would succeed academically.
It is OBVIOUS that whether you agree with his politics or not, Barack Obama is highly competent academically. Saying that he should release his transcripts to prove what is obvious is a non-issue.
(Note that NRO's language filter required me to modify my reference to Obama's Latin honors.)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDavid, I'm sorry but I can't tell whether you're being ironic or serious here.
(CAPTCHA: "nosy parker," which is apparently what I am for wanting to know what the grades of the this year's Democrat candidate for President were.)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAh David, you protest too much.
We know Mr. Obama was helped to be given that spot on the Law Review, with preferential treatment. He was in Harvard, due to special treatment.
You are mistaken...
Obama has displayed throughout his the Presidency, he is far from competent, even in terms of academics. He doesn't even know basic history, some economics, or a simple grasp of law (his Administration just broke the Law with a disgraceful non-recess appointment).
Sorry, but Democratic Partisans always say, "what are you hiding".
College transcripts should be harmless information for anyone seeking a return to the Presidency.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseA lame argument.
At Harvard Law School, professors do not know students names when they grade them. Therefore, graduating magna c. laude is not going to be due to special treatment.
Nice try. President Obama's intellectual capability is completely obvious and a non-issue. In contrast, the fact that Mitt Romney pays something like 15% in income taxes and thinks that $374,327.62 in speakers fees is "not very much" money is a real issue. The guy is completely out of touch with the real world that most people face.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"President Obama's intellectual capability is completely obvious ... "
Thanks for pointing out how obvious it is. Otherwise, I would have never noticed.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr. Welker,
Gotta fail you--it's the fact that Obama's intellect has been vastly over-praised, while not in evidence, that is obvious. I needn't got through a rundown of his goofs to note
that he shows no superiority to any president of the last half-century. "Humble" not being a characteristic associated with him (or, if you prefer, Him), if his academic career was one triumph after another, it would have been flaunted.
But, when in doubt, print the legend.
Cordially...
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"At Harvard Law School, professors do not know students names when they grade them"
Doubtless, there are some procedures in place to prevent the profs from *seeing* the students names when they grade. But, seriously, you're telling me that after interacting with these guys for a year or two, they can't figure out who they are dealing with?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt is OBVIOUS that whether you agree with his politics or not, Mitt Romney is a highly competent and successful businessman. Saying that he should release his tax returns to prove what is obvious is a non-issue.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNo one doubts that Romney is a successful businessman. That isn't the reason for asking him to release his tax returns.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePlease, do tell us then. Is there something nefarious going on that we should all know about?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNothing nefarious, per se, but the fact is that the man pays next to nothing in taxes on millions of dollars of income; and is seeking to change a variety of rules so that he pays even less in the future. He pays much less on his millions of income than the average middle class taxpayer pays on their dozens of thousands. That is going to be a tough sell in the general election.
Fits right into the narrative that Obama will want to build about the man; he truly is an avatar of the 1%. The fact that his money was earned in large part by getting rid of jobs (no matter how valid or legitimate that practice is in a Capitalist system), and that he still continues to earn that money today while doing zero work whatsoever, doesn't paint him as someone the American people can relate to. It's Kerry's problem all over again....
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