Liar Liar ... Tax Returns on Fire

The general tenor of the election is turning increasingly ugly as Romney and his corporate brethren attempt to win arguing for a return to the failed policies of W, minus any increase in government spending. Obama in a clever turn of phrase argued that the proposed policies are "Romneyhood," as the candidate plans to take money from the poor and give it to the rich. Romney's team response was to coin their own phrase: "Obamabloney." (CNN) And while this too might be clever, it belies the fact that the Romney campaign has told more half-truths and lies than any I can remember in history. The latest is an ad that claims that Obama implemented a reform to welfare laws that will eliminate the work requirement. PolitiFact.com gave the ad its harshest rating: "Pants on Fire." And this can be said of many of the ads Romney and the Republicans have scripted so far, many coming from the veteran attack ads impresario who have us the infamous "Willie Horton" ad in the 1988 election, helping Bush senior to victory over another governor from Massachusetts. The reality is that beyond election finance reform we really need a bipartisan group to oversee political ads, just as the CBO gives independent budget reviews of various bills and platforms. Too many lies are spread to people who would never go to Politifact or any other site to check their accuracy. And this undermines our democracy, further hampering the ability of uninformed Americans to make informed decisions about the future of the country. While we're at it, I think we should set standards for candidates to meet, like providing adequate tax returns to give people a view of their financial position. What can one think but that Romney has something to hide when he refuses to release them?