: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama released seven years of tax returns on Tuesday, cranking up the pressure on presidential rival Hillary Clinton to make public her recent filings and renewing a battle between the two camps over transparency.
Obama's tax returns from 2000 to 2006 were posted on his Web site as his campaign pushed to portray Clinton, the New York senator and former first lady, as secretive and unwilling to be open with voters.
Obama, an Illinois senator, has repeatedly asked Clinton to release tax returns for the years since she and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, left the White House in 2001.
"Releasing tax returns is a matter of routine. We believe the Clinton campaign should meet that routine standard and meet that routine standard now," Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Clinton, in Pennsylvania campaigning for the state's primary on April 22, told reporters she hoped her returns would be released within the next week. But she and campaign aides pressed Obama to release records from his days in the Illinois legislature and his earlier tax returns.
"I am pleased that Senator Obama has released his tax returns. I think that's a good first step," Clinton said in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. "Now he should release his records from being in the state Senate and any other information that the public and the press need to know."
Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said she already had released more than 20 years of tax returns and hundreds of thousands of pages of documents from the White House.
Obama and Clinton are in a hard-fought battle for the Democratic presidential nomination and the right to face Republican John McCain in November's election.
Presidential candidates often release their tax returns, although they are not required to do so, but Clinton's failure to release her returns since 2001 had become a target of increased criticism from Obama's camp.
As senators, Obama and Clinton are both required only to file disclosure statements that give a wide range of income and provide few details on finances and holdings.
The newly released tax returns show Obama's income with wife Michelle jumped in 2005 with the re-release of his first book "Dreams from My Father," which brought him $1.2 million, and in 2006 when his second book "The Audacity of Hope" earned more than $500,000.
Their income rose dramatically with the book sales. From 2000 to 2004 their income ranged from just more than $207,000 to more than $275,000. In 2005 their joint income was more than $1.6 million and in 2006 it was nearly $1 million.
Obama's campaign said Clinton's tax records were important because of questions about her $5 million loan in January to her campaign and about Bill Clinton's income from an investment company -- headed by donor Ron Burkle -- that invests in tax shelters.
"Senator Clinton can't claim to be vetted until she allows the public the opportunity to see her finances -- particularly with respect to any investment in tax shelters," Gibbs said in a statement.
HILLARY CLINTON...KICK ROCKS BEYOOOTCH! YOU ARE A LIAR, A MANIPULATOR, AND A DECEIVER.
HILLARY LIED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHEN SHE SAID THAT SHE LANDED IN THE MIDST OF SNIPER SHOOTINGS WHEN SHE LANDED DURING A PRESIDENTIAL INVITE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY...
HILLARY CANNOT BE OUR PRESIDENT IF SHE ALREADY LYING TO US AS A SENATOR...
HILLARY-BOOOOOOOOO TO YOU AND I AM NOT YOUR FAN...
GO BARACK OBAMA...I LOVE YOU...YOU ARE KING!
This woman is getting on my nerves. She is destroying the democratic party. She is liar and when she was called out on her lies she wants to now speak publicly about the Dr. Jeremiah Wright scandal, she needs too stop... SHE IS NOT GOING TO WIN THE NOMINATION... IF SHE DOES I AM STAYING HOME ON NOVEMBER'S ELECTION DAY... "YES WE CAN""!!!!!!!!!!!
OK Hillary is really starting to embarrass herself. She also has the nerve to ask the Obama camp to release even more tax returns past the 7 year when she is still holding out. I know she has to keep fight, but please be smart about it. She thinks the public is stupid and uninformed. With more information and technology out there, we can quickly check the facts.
Why haven't anybody post anything about the important shyt?
19 post conpared to the Soulja Boy, or Beyonce post, like 179 almost 200 post already. Its 11:44 where I'm at. Damn Shame!
Obama please take the lead, make that hoe follow you. I bet she isn't gonna wanna do it. That dirty bytch. I can't stand her.
Obama 08!!!!!
hillary clinton is the most devisive candidate in years. i dont want her to win the nom. if she does i am going to vote for myself in the general election.obama is the best person to bring this country together.he has the views of black, white and immigrants. he will be able to rebuild our reputation with the rest of the world. and anyway if hillary win the nom, john mccain will be president. if that happens i am moving to canada.
Obama go sit down somewhere. Is this the best you can do is bring up her tax returns? I thought you were suppose to be black.
Hillary don't have a problem coming out swinging against Barack because she's a stronger leader. If you notice Barack always complaining about someone being negative against him, go sit down. Bill Clinton was right today when he said "Barack if you can't handle to heat stay out of the kitchen."
I just finished watching the youtube video, "Hillary: The Movie." It features a few ring-wing fox news crazies like Ann Coulter but I found myself agreeing with some of their observations of Hillary. Whether one agrees with the doc or not, I have to say that it’s entertaining and scary. Here are the highlights (10 mins each)
Hillary: The Movie (1 of 9)
[link to external website removed]
Hillary: The Movie (2 of 9)
[link to external website removed]
Hillary: The Movie (3 of 9) – HILLARY STOCKS CLINTON MISTRESSES
[link to external website removed]
i know its wrong to say but I can't stand Hillary and I could care less what happens to her!!!!!! She is power hungry and in this for the wrong reasons.
If she REALLY cared about the people she would step down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Her selfish-ness is hurting the campaign. I used to wish that Obama would just offer her the vicepresidents seat but now I don't want her to even get that. She lights a fire inside me thats triggering my dislike to hate. I pray she goes down and hard..........
Evil Evil Evil Witch!!!! It's disgusting that someone could even support her. She will never EVER get my vote. I'm a democrat and all but if she wins the nomination (Lord have mercy on us ...)I will vote for Sick in the brain McCain b4 her thats real talk........
Bow out for the better good of the people....
You know she's just power hungry she went up for Senate in New York.... a state she never even lived in....why? Why would you run for senate in a state you don't live in? How could you really care about rep'ing the citizens if you don't have to sleep there?????/
Ridiculous. Disgusting!
Please if you don't know why to vote for Obama than please please please spend a few minutes on his website..... so many people are supporting Hillary just because they don't know anything about Obama. I promise it has NOTHING at all to do with him being black, he will make you feel comfortable on the issues. We need more people who care to find the facts out !
If Mrs Clinton doesnt have anything to hide than why aren't her tax records public, you and I both know that if someone is wrongly calling you out, and you can provide it you'll produce proof quick fast and in a hurry......so why has it been months of 'she hopes to be able to provide them soon?' The truth is she is NEVER going to show those Tax returns because there is something shady going on......
She has made major mistakes and admits to voting to send us to War in Iraq, and SHE says now she realizes she made a bad call....well guess what that bad call costs us 4000 lives, real people dead because she made a mistake!... and you're telling me people are willing to vote for her still. We all make mistakes but not that costs 4000 lives we can't afford for that type of bad judgement in the White House, Can we? You tell the families of those 4000 men and women 'ooops i made a mistake!' Thats insulting, thats a major damn mistake.
Obama voted against the war from day ONE! he made the right choice, and he promises that the first major change in his white house will be a bill that brings our Soldiers home in one year. Iraq is not our problem, this deficit is!
don't believe this, check for yourself.....
