06/07/2002 Archived Entry: "MA GOV"
You get a sense of how damaging this is politically for Romney in MA, when you see that the Boston Herald editorial isn't about whether he lied and misled voters and the media (he did), but about if he should be allowed to remain on the ballot! Hats off to Daily Kos, who asked all the right questions that Romney was forced divulge, confirming the suspicions.
Romney was caught tryng to have it both ways with the tax breaks and residency for future candidacy, Aides asked Utah assessor to endorse occupancy letter. In fact, he lied again today when he stated that he wasn't considering running for office in Utah. Adding fuel to the fire, Romney's Lt. Gov choice is also having to address residency issues, with a likely formal challenge to the state Ballot Law Commission contesting Romney's eligibility based on residency, because Romney says he didn't file as Mass. resident in '99-00.
Romney's revelations about his amended returns came one day after he told reporters he had ''filed both as a resident of Utah and a resident of Massachusetts'' when asked whether he filed taxes as a resident of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2001.
Earlier in the week, he rejected a request by the Globe for copies of his returns with financial information redacted, but his residential status visible. A Romney spokesman insisted at that time the GOP candidate had filed his returns as a Massachusetts resident, but told the Globe reporter, ''You're going to have to take my word for it.''
...''He lied yesterday and he has different story today,'' said James Roosevelt, the Democratic Party's general counsel. ''He signed the returns under pains and penalties of perjury. I think he made his intentions quite clear at the time he signed those returns.''
This is another blow-up for the WH with their handpicked choices for candidates. I doubt the Democrats will actually legal question Romney's residency status. I think they'll let him twist in the wind a bit, and get a sense of how much damage has already been done before proceeding. By bringing it to the courts, it's likely that he actually is confirmed as a resident, resulting in a deflation of the issue. They will concentrate on the credibility and trust issue, hammering that home for now.
