The conservative Union Leader paper in New Hampshire published an editorial Thursday calling on Mitt Romney to “[r]elease the tax returns, explain them, take the heat, and move on.” The Union Leader endorsed Newt Gingrich during the primary but, as a conservative-leaning paper, is no friend of President Obama, either.
“[T]here is no place for secrecy or, indeed, privacy in a presidential campaign,” the editors wrote. “If you want the job, you have to subject yourself to the scrutiny.”
If Romney intends to win, he is going to have to make the tax forms public. This storm won’t go away. It will distract from his policy debate with Obama — and it will distract from Obama’s failures, providing the incumbent with the smokescreen he is attempting to create.
Romney needs to end this. He needs to end this by revealing the tax documents, explaining them, explaining the legality behind his actions, and then he needs to move on.
The paper joins a growing chorus of conservative lawmakers, commentators and publications, including National Review Online, calling on Romney to release the returns.
