We
are in a transparency mania, but a rather selective sort of one. Bill
Clinton, who chose not to tell the truth while under oath and as
president, says he is “perplexed” that Mitt Romney
did not offer more candor by providing more than a single year’s tax
returns. Yet neither Jimmy Carter nor Ronald Reagan released more than
one year’s returns. The reformist John McCain released just two.
True, the 2004 Democratic candidate, John Kerry, offered some 20
years of returns; but that gesture meant almost nothing because his
billionaire wife, Teresa, supplied the vast majority of the funds that
fueled Kerry’s opulent recreational lifestyle — and she kept largely
quiet about where her money was banked and invested. Few in the press
praised George W. Bush for releasing nine years of tax returns. Even
then one could argue “So what?” — given that likely potential candidates
can in advance massage their returns through making a bit less money,
taking fewer deductions, and giving a little more to charity as they
envision a political race in a few years, while incumbent officials
usually have open-and-shut government salaries and simple deductions.Read more: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/310378/selective-transparency-victor-davis-hanson
No comments:
Post a Comment