The IRS chief must release Trump’s tax returns — and Mnuchin must not stop him

[esmith]

1. Because he is the President and Congress has as responsibility to perform oversight

Prior to him becoming President? If so they can ask for your tax returns.

2, Yes.

Which Democrat in the House is a Tax Accountant?

 

[fantome profane]

Prior to him becoming President? If so they can ask for your tax returns.

Which Democrat in the House is a Tax Accountant?

No, cuz i is Canadian.

But if I filed a U.S. tax return, yes of course they could.

 

[sealchan]

Where has he played hardball? Even his cabinet is oppositional towards him, he's challenged at every step, and overall he hasn't gotten much done. If he were playing hardball he'd have his wall by now.

He has failed to reach agreements to keep government open and thrown thousands of public servant's lives into financial turmoil, he has taken steps that caused children to be separated from their families. He has raised the level of fear and distrust between Americans by equivocating acts of evil from his position of power. He has worked to put the physical health and economic viability of millions of Americans on the line.

My fear now is that he is slowly finding cabinet members who will facilitate further powers that will cause suffering and division.

 

[Revoltingest]

He has failed to reach agreements to keep government open and thrown thousands of public servant's lives into financial turmoil, he has taken steps that caused children to be separated from their families. He has raised the level of fear and distrust between Americans by equivocating acts of evil from his position of power. He has worked to put the physical health and economic viability of millions of Americans on the line.

My fear now is that he is slowly finding cabinet members who will facilitate further powers that will cause suffering and division.

That's the Democrat perspective.
When Prez & Congress fail to reach agreement, both are responsible for shutdown.
The confusion results from each side believing they have The Truth, & that only the
other side should give in.

 

[Cooky]

All white supremacists are anti-American and they should go back to their country of origin if they dont like it in the US.

'All" white supremacists are not necessarily anti-American. You are factually incorrect.

 

[sealchan]

No one can force a person to release their personal tax returns to anybody without just cause. That does not include assumptions and conjecture.

A congressional investigation into public acts which are evidence freely available to us all is certainly sufficient grounds. Trump has repeatedly acted by disregarding loyal Americans, experts in their fields and members of his administration and taken the side of foreign interests to which he has ties to through family and business. That is more than sufficient grounds for an investigation.

 

[sealchan]

That's the Democrat perspective.
When Prez & Congress fail to reach agreement, both are responsible for shutdown.
The confusion results from each side believing they have The Truth, & that only the
other side should give in.

My recollection is that Congress could come to an agreement across the aisle, but the President could not. He pushed for an agreement without compromise and thousands of people paid the consequence for his inability to broker a deal...a skill he claims he has but one that he seems unable to demonstrate.

 

[sealchan]

'All" white supremacists are not necessarily anti-American. You are factually incorrect.

An American never was, is not, nor ever will be a "white" person. An American is someone who celebrates their personal history without denying the right of others to openly celebrate theirs and participate as an equal. Anyone who espouses white supremacism should leave this country because it is not their country by philosophy, morality or legal right.

 

[Revoltingest]

My recollection is that Congress could come to an agreement across the aisle, but the President could not. He pushed for an agreement without compromise and thousands of people paid the consequence for his inability to broker a deal...a skill he claims he has but one that he seems unable to demonstrate.

This doesn't change the fact that Congress & the President must agree to avoid shutdown.
Congress could've given more to achieve this. They chose not to.
Trump could've given more. He chose not to.
There's no reason to presume that one or the other isn't responsible.

 

[sealchan]

This doesn't change the fact that Congress & the President must agree to avoid shutdown.
Congress could've given more to achieve this. They chose not to.
Trump could've given more. He chose not to.
There's no reason to presume that one or the other isn't responsible.

Logically that makes sense...but there are other factors...what was the will of the American people and who stood furthest out in their position from compromise with the strongest hand to effect a final agreement? Certainly if the President wants to proclaim he is a leader he has to understand who he is leading and take his disproportionate power to act and use it disproportionately to come to a solution.

Trump did the very opposite of that.

Schumer got it right when he caused Trump to take ownership of the shutdown.

 

[Revoltingest]

Logically that makes sense...but there are other factors...what was the will of the American people and who stood furthest out in their position from compromise with the strongest hand to effect a final agreement? Certainly if the President wants to proclaim he is a leader he has to understand who he is leading and take his disproportionate power to act and use it disproportionately to come to a solution.

Trump did the very opposite of that.

Schumer got it right when he caused Trump to take ownership of the shutdown.

What else would one expect from Schumer & other opponents of Trump?
There have been shutdowns under both Pub & Dem Presidents.
The Dems & sympathetic media alway blame the Pubs.
They always rationalize it by criticizing the other, & praising their own.

Note also that Trump was the one who caved, thereby ending the shutdown.

 

[Watchmen]

Our right to privacy isn't specifically codified in the Constitution.
This gives government great leeway in how it may be abused
or protected.

It’s codified by statute, but there are also constitutional rights to privacy.

 

[Watchmen]

And that code specifies who gets to see your returns and under what conditions. And it specifically and clearly states that when the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee requests to see a return the IRS chief shall provide them.

The same code states that the power to deal with individual tax returns has been delegated to the IRS and the Treasury Secretary shall not interfere.

Black letter law does not change because you don’t like it.

Black letter law is always up for interpretation. That’s why a person can object and win.

 

[Watchmen]

If I were to write you a letter, put it in an envelope with your name and address, affix proper postage and drop it in the mailbox, I cannot claim that it is a violation of my privacy if you open it and read it.

This is exactly what happens when you send in your taxes.

You’re missing the point.

 

[fantome profane]

Black letter law is always up for interpretation. That’s why a person can object and win.

What side of the road do you drive on?

 

[Watchmen]

What side of the road do you drive on?

It depends.

If you give a lab a urine sample can the lab share the results with others?

 

[sealchan]

What else would one expect from Schumer & other opponents of Trump?
There have been shutdowns under both Pub & Dem Presidents.
The Dems & sympathetic media alway blame the Pubs.
They always rationalize it by criticizing the other, & praising their own.

Note also that Trump was the one who caved, thereby ending the shutdown.

Why did Trump at one point own the shutdown? He knew he was standing on the edge away from what anyone but his base wanted. And what they wanted is not a consensus desire. He wanted to take the point because it boosted his hero status with his base and it boosted his us against them politics. It promoted the devisiveness that he thrives on. None of this speaks to the partisan position but to his "style" of leadership. It is a style that is highly destructive to our country if it is to retain any sense of unity.

We, as Americans, have so much more in common with each other and humanity in general than Trump makes us able to easily remember.

 

[fantome profane]

It depends.

It depends on whether or not you are following the law.

The lab you ask me about must follow the law.

I reject this nonsensical “legal relativism” that you and @Revoltingest are both trying to sell. The law says what the law says. It is now anything goes, whatever makes you happy.

The law says you must drive on the right side when on public roads, you must stop at stop signs and follow the rules of the road.

And the law says that when the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee asks to see a tax return the chief of the IRS must provide it.

Maybe they will not follow the law, maybe you don’t follow traffic laws. Maybe they will get away with not following the law, that happens all the time. But the law is still the law. And this law in particular is very clear. No one in this thread has shown otherwise.

 

[Revoltingest]

Why did Trump at one point own the shutdown?

I speculate that he thought it politically useful.

If you're buying his judgment about this, does
it mean that you find him both honest & wise?

He knew he was standing on the edge away from what anyone but his base wanted. And what they wanted is not a consensus desire. He wanted to take the point because it boosted his hero status with his base and it boosted his us against them politics. It promoted the devisiveness that he thrives on. None of this speaks to the partisan position but to his "style" of leadership. It is a style that is highly destructive to our country if it is to retain any sense of unity.

We, as Americans, have so much more in common with each other and humanity in general than Trump makes us able to easily remember.

You're still painting a one sided picture.
The Democrats in Congress could've prevented or ended the shutdown at any time.
Same as Trump.
Both sides chose to proceed as they did.

 

[Cooky]

An American never was, is not, nor ever will be a "white" person. An American is someone who celebrates their personal history without denying the right of others to openly celebrate theirs and participate as an equal. Anyone who espouses white supremacism should leave this country because it is not their country by philosophy, morality or legal right.

I'm white but I don't consider myself a white supremacist... But I do prefer living in predominantly white neighborhoods.

...I don't have a problem with other kinds of people enjoying the same rights as I do.