Why Won't Romney Release Tax Records Now?

Why wait until after he's clinched the nomination and it's too late for GOP voters to have their say?

One thing is for sure: at some point Mitt Romney will have to release his tax returns for public scrutiny. Never mind that so much about Obama's life, like his grades or college thesis are sealed, the media which protects Obama by ignoring his background will not do the same for Romney.

And just like Romney's experience at Bain Capital, where yes he created jobs but also put people out of work, his tax returns will be a subject for the voter's consideration in the fall campaign if he is the nominee.

So, why not release those records NOW so that GOP voters in SC (which may be the last primary that matters) have a chance to consider them before voting? Failure to release those records leave just one more piece of the puzzle absent from the Romney picture and one which may later be discovered to be a potentially liability in the fall election.

On NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday Newt Gingrich said he will release his tax returns on Thursday and called on Romney to do the same.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich offered Sunday to release his tax returns this week and challenged rival Mitt Romney to do the same.

"The country deserves accountability and transparency," Gingrich said, announcing he will release his returns on Thursday.

"I'm going to try to set the example to provide the leadership to do the right thing," he added.

Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Gingrich said the former governor of Massachusetts will "never get through the fall without releasing his records."

He added that it would benefit Romney to release them now.

"It's better to do it in the primary season so the country understands what's going on and not wait and be surprised in September."

Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said that Romney will "look at the question of releasing tax returns during the next tax filing season."

Waiting until mid-April before Romney releases his records will be too late in the nominating process to make a difference and allow GOP primary voters to be fully informed before handing Romney the nomination.

Once again, the establishment GOP wisdom of rushing to anoint a nominee before February seems reckless at best and downright stupid at the worst. Didn't we learn our lesson with McCain in 2008?