Disclosure is for little people

By Libby

Cindy McCain says she will never release her tax returns, even if by some act of mass insanity on the part of the electorate, her husband manages to become the president. She says it's a privacy issue.

The Arizona senator released his tax return last month, reporting he had a total income of $405,409 in 2007 and paid $84,460 in federal income taxes. He files his return separately from his wife, an heiress to a Phoenix-based beer distributing company whose fortune is in the $100 million range.

Sorry Cindy. I'm a big advocate for privacy but it's not in the job description for President. The voters are the ones doing the hiring here. The deal has always been, you want the power, the price is to live in a fishbowl. That goes for the First Lady too. Separate tax returns doesn't mean that the candidate doesn't benefit directly from her wealth and she benefits from his political status. The voters deserve full disclosure.

And while we're talking about disclosure, I understand McCain hasn't released his medical records since 2000. Cindy claims he's a ball of fire, but the health of a 72 year old man with a history of serious medical problems who wants to take on the most stressful job in the country is also material. He should release them immediately or explain why he won't.

Comments

[smintheus]

Cindy McCain was in business together with Charles Keating before her husband began pressuring federal investigators to go easy on Keating. Nuff said, I'd have thought. But in any case Republicans, pundits, and editorial boards were very aggressive 4 years ago in criticising Theresa Heinz Kerry for (initially) not releasing her tax returns. Now they're all virtually silent about Cindy McCain.

[Libby]

The double standard is so irritating.