You're watching...

Should Romney’s Tax Returns be an Issue?

Details

  • Description

    Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, (R-Ark.), on the debate over whether Mitt Romney should release more of his tax returns and the controversy over Joe Bidenâ...

  • Duration 5:55
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Latest Video

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Hello everybody I'm Gerri Willis the Obama campaign tonight escalating its war with the Romney campaign of what it thinks is a winning issue.

Mitt Romney's taxes the Obama campaign even said it would be willing to drop the issue on one condition.

Romney releasing five years of tax returns.

Is this what's going to consume less and the debate as we head up the fiscal cliff and right and eight point 2% unemployment I asked former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee who knows a lot about tax returns on the campaign trail if Mitt Romney is making a mistake.

By not releasing more of hits.

So I really don't think so the law doesn't require he's release more than Harry Reid and Nancy I want some capital east.

And I'll tell you what -- he said to Natalie Morales.

I thought was very very accurate.

He release that stuff and all it does is bring you grief -- you have a bunch of neophyte who don't know about taxes.

Running through the fine toothed comb bringing things out and Romney -- from now till November answering stupid my new questions about a tax return.

Rather than the real issue which is how to get America back on track.

Well you know I think -- interest saying it is that there is this debate in an obviously Obama has released more tax returns.

Wouldn't you release when you're running for president had to come to the decision.

Well the first time I ran for office are released twenty years of tax returns going back to college news this most ridiculously stupid thing I ever did.

And I'll tell you why because I thought here's when he hears us out -- nothing to hide I've got no money either.

So let's go back and look at him all the way back when I was getting earned income credit because of a support OK look.

I thought that that would make the press and even my opponents say well what an honest man he's provided at all.

They beat the daylights out of me over nit picky stuff that wouldn't even controversial.

Nothing nothing and I learned an important lesson never -- beyond its pointed to your own head.

It just doesn't make good sense and and -- this is all -- bunch of nonsense to keep a distraction going so we're not talking about the real issues.

So when the Democrats today come out.

And even as Jim Messina the campaign chairman says you give us five years and we won't ask for anymore right Gerri that's not true because.

They may not asked for more but the super pac will say all there's more there and then they'll nit -- -- you never get credit for giving out more information than is required.

-- we want the information -- we want.

Because we want to look at -- we wanna analyze we want to understand more about the candidate I as a member of the media OK I want to see more.

That's for sure -- all right politically it doesn't work for the politician that -- made the point.

What little quid pro quo OK you put out five years we'll leave you alone is that with -- unbelievable it got turned down a heart.

Well it's ridiculous -- I'll tell you what Romney out of -- -- you're really sure college transcripts and all your admission records to Lana see all the documents of our lives how did he get in the Columbia and Harvard a person that horrible grades at occidental.

That that's a question that's worth answering you know when the media start hammering Obama as much about his academic credentials.

As they do Mitt Romney about tax returns.

A person at that level frankly most people don't understand their own tax returns.

They darn sure gonna understand Mitt -- Are also want to talk about Joseph Biden because he is really in the news this week.

Making these strange comments.

At what largely black audience in North Carolina about half Mitt Romney wanted to put people back in chains by deregulating the banks first of all there is no logic in that statement.

And secondly it was pretty offensive to a lot of people what was your reaction.

Well I thought it was outrageous and that the fact that there was push back from African American Democrats whose very significant because these are people.

Who don't like to be played for chops and that's what essentially was happening -- it was a terrible.

Act on Joseph Biden's part.

I think it's resulted in him being sent to his room without supper which is essentially what's happened he's gone back to Delaware.

To be in some underground bunker somewhere that we I agree I think so long doesn't come out and say any thing.

-- it was outrageous and it was unacceptable and it's not the kind of thing that I believe that.

Even African American voters are gonna say oh yeah that's great I think they're gonna feel like they've been pandered to.

Well listen I don't think that should Biden get -- the ticket because Sarah Palin is suggesting that's the right thing to do but our analysts in the -- -- -- any more than a listen to me about who's on the ticket.

Too late really to change -- because at this point any change.

Would be clearly a reaction to what Biden had said.

That reminds people oh yeah you know the first executive decision Barack Obama made was to pick Joseph Biden now has thrown Joseph Biden off so -- admitted that decision was wrong what other decisions -- he made that are wrong.

It's you know it's it it's that thing we debate all the time about Biden because he he typically makes a lot of gaps the comments -- this week did not sound like a gap they sounded intentional.

At the end of the day are we gonna just be in this gutter for the whole.

-- campaign is this what it's gonna be like people accusing each other killing other human beings its.

It's all -- It is awful but when you have nothing to run on.

But an attack and the most vicious attacks.

That's what we're gonna say and yes it's -- be basically a -- slide between here.

And November I think -- get a whole lot worse this is August normally we don't see this kind of stuff until mid October.

If we're seeing -- in mid August.

I think it's probably time he had Hazmat suits because we're all gonna need of the walker -- Isn't starting with Obama a lot of people are saying that but in reality the pollster -- even I mean they look like -- a dead heat all the time.

That this is not yet time and people are making decisions.

People like me who are for Romney we get all rallied for our -- people who -- for bombing get all -- for their guy the independent voter in the middle.

Up paying a lot of attention in August won't pay attention until October.

And they're gonna make the decision for the next president people and maybe five to maybe eight or nine states totaled 10% of the voters that's what it's gonna come down to.

Will wanna be talking -- through the whole process Governor Huckabee thanks for coming by sharing.