Former White House Press Secretary: Romney needs to release tax returns; Romney silent on Obama not releasing Fast and Furious Documents

If this post seems similar to the last one, it is. This should be getting incredibly easy for Romney. The Obama campaign is practically begging him to counter by demanding that Obama lift Executive Privilege on the subpoenaed Fast and Furious documents. No, I mean, seriously. Team Obama has painted a big, fat Fast and Furious bullseye on its chest.

The latest example comes courtesy of Robert Gibbs, via CNN (h/t WZ):

President Barack Obama's campaign adviser Robert Gibbs continued to hammer Mitt Romney on Sunday over questions about the candidate's overseas financial accounts.

Gibbs, however, stopped short of saying whether Romney was in violation of any tax evasion laws, saying "nobody knows."

"The best way to figure out if he is complying with American tax law is to have him release more of the tax returns," the former White House press secretary said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Let's see, how should Romney respond.... How about with something like, "And the best way to figure out if Eric Holder had nothing to do with Fast and Furious is for the President to rescind his Executive Privilege assertion."

But alas, Romney apparently loves being on defense:

Obama's campaign has also been forcefully pushing a Washington Post report that calls Romney's former private equity firm, Bain Capital, a "pioneer" in outsourcing jobs overseas. The campaign has made the report a focal point of its ads against Romney, and the president frequently mentions it in his stump speeches.

Romney's campaign, however, has said there is no evidence that Bain advised its companies to outsource while Romney was still in charge of the firm, which he left in 1999.

The campaign cites a detailed report by FactCheck.org, a nonpartisan group affiliated with the Annenberg Public Policy Center, that said the Obama ads carried some claims that were untrue, and other assertions that only had thin supporting evidence.

Here is video of Gibbs' appearance on CNN's State of the Union. His instantly classic response - in light of the Fast and Furious documents - about whether or not Romney has done anything illegal is: "We don't know!... Nobody knows..."

Hey Mitt! Demand Obama lift Executive Privilege!

Video: Robert Gibbs Montage - Must See

Be prepared to laugh for two reasons. First, the sheer number of things that departing White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has told the press corps. he IS NOT and second, the lengths to which he has gone to draw clear lines of distinction. Did you know that Robert Gibbs - if you listen to him - is neither a 'Chinese historian' nor a 'document veracity person?' He's also 'not a good person to tell you when spring ends and when it begins.' This goes on for so long, one is found waiting for him to say, 'I'm not a White House Press Secretary.' One day soon, he'll be able to say that too.



h/t Hot Air

VIDEO: GIBBS DRIVES OBAMA'S 'CAR IN THE DITCH' METAPHOR INTO THE DITCH

In fairness to press secretary Robert Gibbs, how can anyone be expected to lie so incessantly that the truth NEVER comes out? At a recent press briefing, a reporter attempted to hold the administration accountable by asking Gibbs how long Obama was going to use the metaphor about the Republicans driving the country into a ditch while standing back drinking slurpees as the Democrats work to get it out of the ditch. He was trying to get Gibbs to give him an answer regarding when it becomes the Democrats' responsibility.

Gibbs' response? We know that the car in the ditch has an "Obama bumper sticker" on it.



h/t Weasel Zippers

VIDEO: OBAMA FINALLY PUTS 'CREATOR' IN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

On September 19th, Barack Obama quoted from the Declaration of Independence and omitted the phrase 'endowed by our creator.' He did so again during another speech. On October 19th, Les Kinsolving of the White House press corps. called press secretary Robert Gibbs on the omission. Gibbs' response was true to form in his long line of lame responses. He told Kinsolving he hadn't 'seen the comments' and then assured him that the 'president believes in the Declaration of Independence.' Perhaps Gibbs asked for a bone from the president and got him to put 'Our creator' back in on October 22nd.

Via The Blaze

VIDEO: ROBERT GIBBS ASKED ABOUT OBAMA OMITTING 'CREATOR' FROM DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Reporter Lester Kinsolving asked White House Press Secretary why Obama continues to omit the phrase, 'endowed by our Creator' whenever he quotes the Declaration of Independence. Gibbs' response? He pleads ignorance that Obama ever did that and then assures Kinsolving that his boss believes in the Declaration of Independence. That's quite the defense. What does it say when the White House Press Secretary has to assure the press corps. that the president believes in the country's founding documents?

Then watch how Gibbs responds to Kinsolving's second question, which involved a quote from Obama that Fox News was "destructive" to the country. Brace yourself but Gibbs actually says that news outlets have a responsibility to tell the truth.

I'm not kidding.

via Freedom's Lighthouse:

VIDEO: GIBBS DOUBLES DOWN ON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SMEARS

We are continuing to see the failings of the Alinsky philosophy as strategy for governance. It's great if you want to rabblerouse and gin up public agitation for the purpose of intimidating authority figures to give you what you want but when you're the one in authority, rabblerousing doesn't make much sense. Yet, the Obama administration has decided that such tactics are the best course of action.

This all seemed to start with an email from Organizing for America's Mitch Stewart on October 9th, calling on the Obamautomatons to demand the Chamber of Commerce release its donor lists. In addition to demanding names, the White House accused the Chamber of accepting foreign contributions to run political ads. Even the leftwing media outlets were struck with a touch of apoplexy over that strategy. Even CBS' Bob "I didn't report on the Black Panther story because I was on vacation" Schieffer nearly scoffed at David Axelrod's claims on Sunday.

Obama's love for Alinsky would also explain why Robert Gibbs traipsed out to the podium on Tuesday, despite very strong signs that the decision to attack the Chamber was failing badly, and doubled down, saying that if the Chamber won't release its donors, it must have something to hide. Alinsky insisted that it's all about the fight. Keep the pressure on - it's one of the rules for radicals. As an aside, does anyone remember those phone banks being run by Palestinians in Gaza during the 2008 campaign for Obama?

Click HERE to watch Gibbs double down.

At issue here is that the Chamber isn't required to release any names. While it's illegal for them to accept foreign contributions to run political ads, there's no proof that they've done so. Chamber of Commerce Vice President Bruce Josten appeared on Megyn Kelly's show to explain why the Chamber doesn't release donor names and insists that the Chamber has been 100% falsely accused. Adding credibility to Josten's claim is the fact that there's no evidence to back up the administration's charge.



h/t Hot Air

VIDEO: FOX'S GRETCHEN CARLSON SMACKS DOWN GIBBS

Chalk another one up for the ladies having 'more manhood than the men' department. I have absolutely zero doubt that Gretchen Carlson had a few choice words about White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs after this exchange was over and she was off-camera. Can you just see Doocy and Kilmeade wincing prior to each Carlson comeback to Gibbs's blatant condescension and arrogance. Gibbs comes off as a cross between Nathan Thurm and an emotionally agitated spoiled child caught in a lie - which he was.

Carlson comes across as the mature adult unwilling to back down to that child. She is visibly disgusted by Gibbs and it's rather obvious.

This is awesome.



h/t to Free Republic

VIDEO: ROBERT GIBBS STYMIED BY LOGICAL IMMIGRATION QUESTION

The fact that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is again caught being stymied is not news in and of itself. What is news is watching him do so in the face of logical questions about the administration's decision to sue Arizona over SB 1070. The essence of the suit is that Arizona doesn't have the right to preempt federal law on issues like immigration. Since the Arizona law mirrors federal law almost to the letter, the feds appear to take issue with Arizona interfering with policy more than infringing upon federal law.

Enter this exchange between a reporter and Gibbs. I guarantee she presents the White House attorneys with a problem they are indeed going to have to address. In short, if the suit against Arizona is about immigration laws being federal issues, why are "Sanctuary City" laws not a problem? They're actually in direct opposition to federal law while Arizona's SB 1070 is concurrent with it?

Gibbs' answer? His favorite one. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

CLICK HERE to read the federal complaint against Arizona and Governor Jan Brewer.

via Breitbart

VIDEO: ANOTHER OBAMA LIE VIA ROBERT GIBBS

The news of this Blagojevich trial being presented to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs yielded a response very reminiscent to the responses Gibbs gave when asked about alleged offers made by the White House to Joe Sestak and Andrew Romanoff. Gibbs, once again, pleads ignorance and says he won't comment on the trial. When reporter Ann Compton reminds Gibbs that he said something in direct opposition to the testimony of SEIU official Tom Balanoff, who under oath testified that he was sent to Blagojevich by Obama, he stonewalls.......again.

Gibbs' response is predictable.



h/t to Impeach Obama

GIBBS AND SESTAK RENDER WHITE HOUSE MEMO WORTHLESS

On May 28th, a memo signed by White House Counsel Robert Bauer was released to the press and it said that the position offered to Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) was not a paying one. It was one of several options discussed and included a position on a White House Advisory Board. After the release of the memo, Sestak spoke to the press and possibly volunteered too much information - again. When asked by one reporter what the position was, Sestak paused and then said - twice - that he believed it was on the Intelligence Board.

As Byron York discovered, which was reported HERE, that story didn't square with the memo. If, as the memo states, the White House wanted Sestak to remain a congressman, he would have been ineligible for a position on the Intelligence advisory Board.

Now, the Daily Caller is reporting that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is on record as saying the position offered to Sestak was NOT on the Intelligence Board. However, Gibbs would not say what position was offered:

The spot offered to Sestak, Gibbs said to reporters at the White House, “didn’t constitute a lot of what you’re hearing.”

But Gibbs refused to clarify what Sestak, who won the May 18 primary and is now the Democratic nominee for Senate, was offered.

Sestak indicated Friday he was offered a spot on the PIAB by former President Bill Clinton, who was acting on behalf of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

“I heard presidential board and I think it was Intel,” Sestak said to reporters, describing his conversation with Clinton.

It would seem we're right back where we were before this memo came out. Sestak's story doesn't square with what the White House is saying.

Last time, it came down to either Sestak was lying or the White House committed a crime. Now we seem to be looking at a scenario in which either Sestak is lying or the White House is lying.

Stay Tuned.

VIDEO EXPLOSIVE! HE ANSWERED IT HONESTLY

Would someone PLEASE put Darrell Issa in touch with Pat Toomey? Issa, the ranking Republican member of the House Oversight Committee is going for the jugular on Jobsgate. The neck that jugular is rapidly pulsating in is a hybrid of political careers involving that of Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) and several people in the Obama administration. Sestak is now in a race with Pat Toomey (R) for the seat currently held by Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. Issa's office has produced a BLISTERING ad about this scandal that could and should catch fire.

This reaches all the way up to the top levels of the White House and it is a scandal that is easily understood. Sestak admitted in February that he was offered a job by the White House in July to drop out of his primary race with Arlen Specter. That is a felony and so is Sestak's refusal to disclose.

Stonewalling by this White House is nothing new. In fact, it's SOP. The unknown variable here is Sestak's opponent, Republican Pat Toomey. He has a national stage and can blow this scandal WIDE OPEN if he chooses to do so. It will come down to whether he's willing to put the good of the country ahead of his own aspirations for U.S. Senate - It's just that big.

The takeaway line from this ad is delivered by Sestak and looped by Issa.

"I answered it honestly."
- Sestak's response to questions about his claims.

Of course, if he DID answer the question honestly, the White House is guilty of a felony.

Wow.. Just, wow. h/t to Hot Air Pundit for posting the video.



Here is the applicable statute:

Whoever solicits or receives, either as a political contribution, or for personal emolument, any money or thing of value, in consideration of the promise of support or use of influence in obtaining for any person any appointive office or place under the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Jeffrey Lord has been writing about this scandal extensively at the American Spectator, starting on February 22nd.

THE SESTAK STONEWALL CONTINUES

When Representative Joe Sestak (D-PA) honestly answered a question about whether the White House offered him a job if he'd drop out of his primary race with Arlen Specter for the latter's Senate seat, the one word response - yes - raised eyebrows. Here we are several weeks after Sestak told a talk show host that the White House explicitly asked him to drop out of the race and the controversy continues to simmer.

If you'd like to be brought up to speed from the beginning, click here, here, and here.

There is nothing earth shaking about the latest developments but the low rumble underneath the service continues. Whether it's the White House spokesman Robert Gibbs stonewalling repeated questions about the controversy or a similar story in Colorado involving Senator Michael Bennet's (D) opponent, Andrew Romanoff, the longer this scandal percolates, the more likely it will one day boil over.

Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform panel, has been sending letters to the White House demanding answers. They continue to garner no response.

Via the Morning Call:

Issa, a Southern California pol who on numerous occasions has accused the administration of ''Chicago-like politics,'' has demanded the White House come clean about the alleged job offer.

He is the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform panel. He has sent the White House two letters, on March 10 and March 22, asking specific questions about Sestak's claim.

Issa has not received a response, according to his spokesman, Kurt Bardella.

In the second letter, Issa gave the White House until April 5 to respond.

Bardella said Issa would extend the deadline, giving the Obama administration until after the Easter holiday to answer before contacting U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and asking that a special prosecutor investigate whether a crime had been committed.

''Either Joe Sestak is lying or the White House is lying,'' Bardella said. ''There is no gray area here.''

The article goes on to explain that the quid pro quo must be clearly established for this scandal to become full blown. Even then, Attorney General Eric Holder would actually have to initiate an investigation and the odds of that happening are about as good as Holder voluntarily divulging why the Justice Department dropped its slam dunk case against the Black Panthers, who were caught on tape wielding a night stick outside of a polling station on election day, 2008.

Nonetheless, if this scandal is able to - over time - generate the type of public engagement seen in the Tea Party movement, the levee very well could break at some point.

h/t to Michelle Malkin

VIDEO: ROBERT GIBBS LOOKS FOOLISH........AGAIN

This time, Gibbs is tasked with explaining why it was necessary for Barack Obama to sign an Executive Order reaffirming one law while being in opposition to another law just signed. At some point, maybe we'll start feeling some sympathy for Gibbs who is increasingly being put in the position of defending increasingly absurd positions.

The only one who looks more foolish during this is somone who isn't even present - Bart Stupak, the man who sold his vote for that Executive Order.



h/t to Hot Air

ROBERT GIBBS QUESTIONED ON JOBSGATE A SIXTH TIME

This is really starting to shape up to be a potentially very dangerous scandal for the Obama administration. Prior to March 16th, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was questioned five different times about Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate Joe Sestak's claim that the White House offered him a job to drop out of his primary race with Arlen Specter. In all five instances - February 23rd, March 1st, March 9th, March 11th, and March 12th - Gibbs said he had no information and wouldn't comment further, saying only that he would "get back" to the questioners.

Interestingly, on the sixth attempt by various members of the White House press corps. to pry an answer out of Gibbs, they got more than they had to that point. Interestingly, the man who received the longest answer yet from Gibbs was none other than progressive talk show host Bill Press.

Here is the relevant excerpt from the March 16th press briefing:

Q Robert, perhaps a sore point, but Congressman Darrell Issa has accused you, Robert Gibbs, of being part of a cover-up because you will not say whether the White House offered Joe Sestak a job for not running against Arlen Specter. Guilty or not guilty?

MR. GIBBS: Look, I’ve talked to several people in the White House; I’ve talked to people that have talked to others in the White House. I’m told that whatever conversations have been had are not problematic. I think Congressman Sestak has discussed that this is -- whatever happened is in the past, and he’s focused on his primary election.

Stephen.

Q Did the White House Counsel’s Office look into whether this was a crime --

MR. GIBBS: I’d refer you to my previous lines.

Q Sestak says he was offered something.

MR. GIBBS: I’ll refer you to what I just said a minute ago.

Note the key points here. First, Gibbs did not deny that Sestak was offered a job. Second, Gibbs claimed there was no wrongdoing relative to the matter, which could ultimately implicate Gibbs personally if he knows the opposite to be true. Lastly, note that tactic used by Gibbs. Although he doesn't say it explicitly, he insinuates quite clearly that the White House's stance is that whatever happened is old news and that Sestak wants to focus on the primary with Specter.

The problem with this should be obvious. Even though it's not even close to being old news based on the fact that it's still in the news and growing daily, if one were to assume that it were old news, Gibbs would be the one most responsible for it becoming old news because he never got back to anybody after being asked about the matter five times, starting in late February.

Gibbs' responses seemed to indicate that he was hoping the questions would fizzle out, allowing the White House to render it "old news" as the campaign office of another person of interest in this scandal, Andrew Romanoff was quoted as saying when asked by KHOW radio host Peter Boyles to go on record to refute similar claims he was offered a job to drop out of Colorado Senate race with Michael Bennet.

More at CNSNews

VIDEO: OBAMA VERSUS CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS

In reaction to Barack Obama's chastising the U.S. Supreme Court at the last State of the Union address, Sam Alito mouthed the words "not true", displaying his view that Obama's perception of the Citizens United decision was a mis-characterization.

While speaking at the University of Alabama law students recently, Chief Justice John Roberts responded to a question about Obama's comment at the SOU.



What started it all...



Of course, Obama's White House mouthpiece responded between his "umms". Via the New York Post:

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs responded to Roberts’ criticism. "What is troubling is that this decision opened the floodgates for corporations and special interests to pour money into elections -- drowning out the voices of average Americans," Gibbs said. "The president has long been committed to reducing the undue influence of special interests and their lobbyists over government. That is why he spoke out to condemn the decision and is working with Congress on a legislative response."

Perhaps one of the most mis-understood rulings, the Citizens United case arose when David Bossie's group attempted to market a film about Hillary Clinton before the 2008 election. The ruling overturned a law that said Citizens United could not do so. In other words, Gibbs' account IS a mis-characterization of the decision.

Now, the WSJ is reporting that Harry Reid, of all people, is throwing boulders from the balcony of his glass house:

Now, Harry Reid has entered the ring. Yesterday, at a meeting with liberal bloggers, the Senate Majority Leader took a swing at Roberts.

“Do you think John Roberts knows or cares how people get elected?” Reid said, adding that the justices on the court lack understanding of the practical impact of their decisions.

As Majority leader of the most corrupt congress in the history of the United States, Reid once again lowers the bar on himself when it comes to hypocrisy - and you didn't think it was possible.

h/t to Gateway Pundit

VIDEO: ROBERT GIBBS IS CORNERED BIG TIME

WOW! No, I mean WOW! Yesterday, the White House press corps. first pressed Gibbs about C-SPAN'S Brian Lamb formally asking the White House to honor its commitment to allow the cable network to show the health care negotiations. Gibbs did not answer the question because there was no way to do so without admitting the lie or creating a new one.

The arrogance was palpable.

Today, it got much worse because what you see in the exchange between Chip Reid and Gibbs is a man who is simply trapped and cannot wiggle out of it. Compounding all of this is Naked Emperor's release of a video montage that shows Obama claiming eight times on the campaign trail that the health care negotiations will be on C-SPAN. It is this level of specificity that makes the lie that much more inescapable. This is literally fascinating to watch. I realize the media has been more than passive when it comes to this administration but this is the kind of stuff that puts blood in the water that can't be ignored.

CLICK HERE to watch Gibbs writhe in political agony.

YOU LIE!!

Paging Joe Wilson.....

h/t to HA

VIDEO: ROVE PASSIONATELY SLAMS OBAMA / GIBBS

On one hand, I feel the same anger Rove is expressing. On the other hand, I have been waiting for quite some time to see this kind of passion from members of the political establishment. If this clip is any indication of what we can expect in 2010, perhaps "above the fray" discourse will reach its end, to which I say GOOD RIDDANCE.

It is NO LONGER OK to disagree without being disagreeable. It's time to start seeing this level of passion and anger on a much more regular basis. The Founding Fathers had plenty of knock-down-drag-out fights and it spawned the greatest nation in history.

I also am impressed with Greta lately. Long gone are the days when she spent an hour on Anna Nicole-Smith type sagas and I genuinely look forward to her show these days.



h/t to H4A

VIDEO: ROBERT GIBBS OUT DOES HIS ARROGANT SELF

When I first saw this, my jaw dropped waiting for the earth to quake. April Ryan, a black reporter is justifiably persistent with Gibbs over the fact that Obama's social secretary Desiree Rogers was actually on the guest list during the state dinner at the White House. Everything I've heard and read says that breaks protocol so Ryan is 100% in the right to expect an explanation. Gibbs reaction is more than self-indicting.

It far exceeds the combined standard of racism set by Al and Jesse.

WOW.



h/t to HAP

VIDEO: ROBERT GIBBS CHANNELS BAGHDAD BOB

You can always tell when Gibbs is having a rough day by that long strand of hair he has hanging in his face. That said, you didn't need to see the strand to realize Gibbs was wrestling with the notion of having to defend the indefensible. The White House position on Climategate is obviously to dig in. That would seem to indicate that it is so invested in this fraud that it can't turn back now.

Utterly pathetic.



h/t to HAP

VIDEO: ROBERT GIBBS OUTS NBC EMAIL ADDRESSES

At some point, sycophancy will stop currying favor and will start getting you contempt. In this exchange, NBC's Chuck Todd tries to pin down an arrogant Robert Gibbs on the deadline for Obama's signing of a Healthcare bill. Gibbs, obviously perturbed by the notion that he should be pinned down, outs Chuck Todd's unpublished email address.

Adding insult to injury for NBC is the fact that based on the naming convention, it's fairly easy to figure out the email addresses for other NBC reporters.



h/t to HAP