"As I write this, Gov. Romney’s campaign is in a heap of trouble caused by other unforced errors. Gov. Romney has released his 2011 tax returns, completing the two years we will be allowed to see.

Previously, Romney had made a remark that left me flabbergasted. He said that he had never paid a dollar more in taxes than required by law—which I understand—but added that if he had, he would be unqualified to be president. Say what? Why?

In his 2011 tax return—lo and behold!—he did not take all of his charitable deductions. Why? Because, if he had, his tax rate would have fallen below the 13 percent he assured us he has paid for the last 10 years he won’t let us see. There’s nothing wrong with paying more taxes than required, but since he chose to do it for political optics I was hoping he would explain why he said it was wrong in the first place? But I digress.

It is a fact that 46.4 percent of Americans pay no federal income tax. I would like to state for the record that they pay a lot of other federal taxes, not to mention state and local taxes, and this is relevant to the conclusions Gov. Romney draws."

Get the Story:
Steve Russell: Mitt Romney: Out of Touch or Just Mean? (Indian Country Today 9/29)

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