Ron Paul Rips Romney and Obama For Debating Petty Issues

Texas Congressman Ron Paul is urging GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney to release more of his tax returns, claiming it is what the American people want.

Paul told Politico in a candid interview that he isn’t sure why Romney hasn’t released his tax returns yet but says that it would be good for Romney if he did so, peppering in his usual lamenting about the bipartisan nature of both parties.

“It’s a shame. The important issue is [what] the two candidates seem to agree on,” Paul said. “They don’t really disagree with militarism overseas, they don’t disagree with the Federal Reserve system and the bailouts, and they don’t disagree on basically whether the role of federal government is wealth redistribution through welfare. So instead, they’re talking about tax returns and that to me is so disappointing.”

“It’s all a charade, I think it’s all contrived to not have a debate,” Paul said. 

It is a shame that out of all the vital issues that America faces, this is what the Romney vs. Obama campaign is currently occupied with. And Paul is absolutely right. Romney is someone that is vying for perhaps the most powerful political position in world history and the head of a government that has absolutely no problems violating the privacy and liberties of the American people, especially when it comes to filing taxes. The least Romney could do is do the same that is asked of us.

But while I agree that Romney, and all politicians, should be put under the deepest of magnifying glasses, President Obama’s attacks on Romney as some vulture-capitalist outsourcer are an absolute disgrace. It shouldn’t be surprising, however, that Obama is attacking Romney in this way. On every substantive issue of importance, they are in complete agreement. Although their rhetoric may be different, they both favor heavy interventionism at home and abroad. It is much easier for Obama to appeal to his left-wing base and invoke phony populism than discuss his disastrous record on war, civil liberties, and the economy.

Because Romney knows little about free market economics, it appears that for now, Obama’s attacks on him, his tax records, and his time at Bain Capital are working. If Romney knew a fraction of what, say, libertarian Congressman Paul knows about economics, Romney would respond concisely and clearly on how venture capital firms like Bain risk money when banks are afraid to and have developed ways for smaller companies to acquire capital, grow, and create jobs. Outsourcing, too, is part of a sound economy in certain industries, freeing up individuals and capital for more productive uses, spreading peaceful trade between countries, and providing cheaper goods.

But all Romney manages to say are empty platitudes about “free enterprise” and basically appealing to voters as the guy with the nice suit and slick hair who isn’t Obama.

Obama’s attacks on Romney are to be expected and will likely only grow and continue. Romney should take Paul’s advice and release his tax returns, especially at a time when millions of Americans are unemployed, underemployed, and struggling. Then Romney should call up Paul and get a lesson on free market economics and a sane foreign policy, but I’m not holding my breath.