A magazine known for its sexually explicit material is offering a reward of $1 million dollars for a different type of bare-all expose.
The publisher of Hustler magazine, Larry Flynt, is offering the sum for the skinny on GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's financials, the magazine announced.
It is taking out full-page advertisements in two newspapers - The Washington Post on Sunday, and USA Today on Tuesday - "offering up to a million dollars in cash for documented evidence concerning Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's unreleased tax returns and/or details of his offshore assets, bank accounts and business partnerships," a press release from the magazine read.
Well THIS could prove very interesting, especially since a group of hackers have already claimed to have Romney's tax records and are asking for a million dollars to return them.
This according to CNN:
An anonymous group says it stole copies of GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's tax records and will release them unless the company it stole them from pays $1 million.
They of course COULD be full of shit, but if not....
Personally if on the level I think they should take Flynt's offer instead.
That way they get a million bucks, AND get to do something good for the country. It's a twofer!
P.S. By the way why is everybody suddenly channeling Dr. Evil?
"I will return Mitt Romney's tax returns, or sell them to Larry Flynt, for one miillliion dollars."
I don't know. I wouldn't put it past Romney the Liar to have his own fake returns stolen then somehow put it on the Dems. Romney is indeed a lying hypocrite (which is why Flint is going after him) so I would believe anything of him.
ReplyDeleteBut as much as I want to see what vileness is in Mitten's returns; if people did hack them and are offering them for money I find that reprehensible on both counts. The hackers will probably be found out and sent to Club Fed.
I had the same thought! I'm also one of the people who think that Karl Rove planted that fake letter about Bush's draft deferment. It fits in well with the Karl Rove way -- take an opponent's positive and twist it, take a negative and make it a positive. Plus, it fed into the Repub's "wah wah, unfair media" shenanigans.
DeletePS -- Technically, the secretary of the treasury IS allowed to look at people's tax returns and IS allowed to tell the president what's in them. Harry Reid can also see people's tax returns, but I think it requires an act of Congress.
I guess there was an amnesty program for people with Swiss bank accounts and THAT list hasn't been released. What MIGHT happen, though, is THAT could be released. And if Mittens is on that, that would be REALLY embarrassing.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2012/07/17/romney_s_tax_returns_is_the_2009_swiss_bank_account_amnesty_what_he_doesn_t_want_us_to_see_.html
also, I guess there's some question about how come he has $100 million in his IRA when you're only supposed to be able to put a few thousand a year into it...it seems like THIS is the question people should be honing in on.
I'd love to know if Reid and President Obama have reviewed Romney's tax returns? Perhaps that is why Reid is saying what he is!!
DeleteI so hope someone comes forward. Would Flynt have to say who he paid the one million to? It says he'll pay in cash - that is to keep it quiet right there!
As much as I despise Romney and Ryan (together or separately, take your pick) I am afraid that those who claim to have those records are screwed if discovered.
ReplyDeleteIt's called extortion - which is definitely illegal. I would love to have the nation - and the world - see those records, but the stench of extortion will destroy anything good that can come from it. And gives their team the opportunity to slam us with charges of criminal activity and support of same.
Come on, Guys! We are better than that. The Repubes might do it, but aren't we at least better than THEM?
Now if they had gotten those records and just released them, that would be different!
I expect some flack about my attitude on this, so have at it!
No flack here. I agree with your assertion about them releasing the returns without the extortion. If they got them they should have just released them to the media. Of course nine tenths of the news outlets would not have published them anyway.
DeleteI remember when the Daily Caller (wing-nut internet rag) had serious info on Palin through Becky--- but they would not spill.
Yeah. I'm thinking fruit of the poisoned tree.
DeleteIf the records are stolen and turned over to Flynt or anyone else, they may hit it big in the media, but Willard can't be prosecuted.
Since politics is apparently a game to many who participate on the national stage, this fits right in with the whole scheme of things.
DeleteAsshole Larry. He may be an asshole, but at least he's OUR asshole. Go get 'em Flynt.
ReplyDeleteHe may be an asshole, but he is a stronger defender of the First amendment than the NRA is of the second.
DeleteO/T - thought you'd enjoy this review on Sarah's own diminished capacity.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/09/even-sarah-palin-thinks-we-should-ignore-sarah-palin/262089/
How about offer $1,000,000.00 for Trig Palin's official Alaska certified long form birth certificate?
ReplyDeleteExcept the money will be given to an official established DS charity organization and not to Sarah Palin or to the Palin family DS organization or any newly established DS organization.
Do you really think anyone from the Palin clan would provide the birth certificate for the million dollars?
DeleteWish someone would put up the million though. Would be a kick in the ass to watch the outcome.
OT:
ReplyDeleteNate Silver, when he does his projections and models, adjusts for bounces from the convention...
With that in mind...think on this:
He is giving Obama an 80 percent chance of winning.
I'm still worried about voter suppression and Diebold machine shenanigans. But...suppression only works if the vote is close. And I think that if THAT many votes in OH are changed, there'll be a revolt.
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/08/sept-8-conventions-may-put-obama-in-front-runners-position/#more-34262
If people not bound legally or ethically by confidentiality standards have personal information about Romney's taxes that they decide to share (letters or emails) that would be one thing.
ReplyDeleteIt would be very interesting to see the information released, and as for the consequences, Romney will probably wish he had chosen his friends or colleagues more carefully.
On the other hand, not releasing his tax records is one of many, many reasons I would not consider voting for Mitt Romney, but condoning or encouraging criminal acts goes over the line.
Our tax returns cannot legally be released to the public by the IRS. Accountants can lose their right to practice if they release their clients' information.
Romney is not legally required to release his tax records and has decided not to, but we hold the ultimate consequence of that decision in our hands.
We can choose not to vote for a man who will control or wield great influence on policy decisions that will effect our taxes, and we have every right to ask him to show us how his own financial position will be affected by his decisions. And we have every right to take his response into account when we make our decision.
I agree with everything you said. And yet.....there's a part inside me smiling at the idea. Not an ethical part of me. NOt an admirable part of me. Not a part that I wish to advertise. Probably a scared part of me.
DeleteI agree with your ethics on this issue, and yet I'm not appalled. And then I wonder: Is the end ever worth the means? IF the answer is yes, is this one of those times?
THere's a great movie on this very subject - The Last Supper, with Cameron Diaz, Courtney Vance. It's not a religious movie at all. One of hte most profound movies I've seen.
It's probably because of the "game factor". If it truly is a game then this kind of thing is just a little cog in the gamesmanship.
DeleteAnn Romney will send Larry the taxes ... then collect the million dollars.
ReplyDeleteShe will use it to buy a dancing horse.
Honestly, now a days a million dollars isn't that much money, not that I wouldn't love to get a million. Scraping by on $40,000 with a family of three. On top of that, forced to pay child support payments for college when my twenty-one year old son is not even passing his classes nor matriculating!! That's Massachusetts.
DeleteI absolutely love this idea!! Mittens who tries to hide everything and give no specific answers about a friggin thing, could be finally caught!!
ReplyDeleteHe thinks he can be President of the United States w/o disclosing FULL tax returns like others specifically are required to do in order to hold specific governmental positions which also require approval by our Congress (House and Senate members).
I don't trust Romney as far as I can throw him and he should NOT be elected POTUS.
Thank you, Mr. Flynt!
Flynt has done this type thing before and has been successful. I'm sure the 'cash' he will pay 'someone' has already been secured, from different places, so as not to be traced to the potential recepient.
ReplyDeleteI so hope this tactic works. Romney needs to be brought down and shown for the illegal American many of us think he is!
Good luck with that one, Larry Flynt. Ain't never gonna' happen. One million dollars is a drop in the bucket to Romney. He's paid many, many, many, tax lawyers BIG bucks to keep all of his tax records secret. Why do you think he hasn't revealed anything up to this point? If ALL of the Dems, liberals, progressives, MSNBC talking heads, and media types would keep drubbing Romney for not making at least 5-8 years of tax returns public then no amount of money is going to do the job. The American public has a short attention span so this has to be stated daily to see any damage done to the candidate. It would be a WHOLE DIFFERENT ballgame if it were a Dem candidate refusing to release tax returns.
ReplyDeleteYou don't think there's some underling somewhere not on the payroll and not being offered any hush money that doesn't have access to these records? You think only lawyers can see them?
DeleteThe problem with the elite 1%ers is that they only see each other. They don't pay any attention to the actual people doing the actual work. Their dismissed. Invisible.
If these records come out, that's where they are going to come from.
Mitt Romney tells 616 Lies in 33 Weeks
ReplyDeletehttp://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/08/mitt-romney-616-lies-in-33-weeks/
1 million offered for proof of babygate.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't that be a hoot and holler!!! I wish Flynt could offer the same 'gimme'? Think I'll contact him about it.
DeleteI have my issues with the kind of pornography that Hustler ( and worse) provides. But believe it is their first amendment rights to do so as long as they abide by the law (no peddling to minors).
ReplyDeleteBut I will say one thing in support of Larry Flynt. He is not a one issue, self-centered guy that lets others tote the water.
This guy is passionate about the first amendment and censorship as it applies to everyone.
With Banned Books Week coming very soon, it gives me an opportunity to praise a man for his positives instead of criticizing him for his negatives.
Flynt is a better American than that Maryland douchebag that tried to muzzle NFL employees. Larry talks the talk and he walks the walk. Not just for himself. For all Americans.
Why doesn't Larry up the anti a little higher, the man must be worth megga bucks. Why not 5 million...a million is just a drop in the bucket for these money moguls.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me? I'm thinking whoever has these tax returns(if it is even true) would be in a whole lotta legal problems, especially asking for a ransom for them.
I sure wish this was wiki-leaks and just giving them to the public for no ransom.
Ha! Would love to know if there isn't a fly on the wall/whistle blower in the Romney campaign...
Here's the full page ad:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/larry-flynts-full-page-ad
I'm on the fence with this one. If Larry gets a legitimate bite from this ad, I'm fine with it.
ReplyDeleteSomeone hacking or using extortion to get the information is what bothers me.
If Mitt had a conscience, he'd retroactively release them, like the day he announced his candidacy. Even if he released them now, the damage has already been done. If he was so secretive about this when running for office, what else would he lie about or withhold from the public if (ha ha ha) he becomes President?
I hope Reid's source gets the million, poetic justice.
/ Observed the following shortie on the informative net. Enjoy. Kelsi /
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Larry Flynt who has been accepted into the "Filthy Still" Club (Rev. 22:11) but who's evidently rejected a "Get Out Free" ticket offered 24/7 by Big J that's good during only one lifetime (length of lifetime not guaranteed)! If you know of any other potty mouths who would be good Hell-minded members of the Club, please send us their names.