When MoveOn.org and The National Review have matching headlines and hashtags, you know you've lost the argument.
In an op-ed published Tuesday bluntly titled "Release The Returns," editors at the conservative-leaning outlet stressed the importance of Romney sucking it up and getting the information out publicly in order to "move on.
"Romney may feel impatience with requirements that the political culture imposes on a presidential candidate that he feels are pointless (and inconvenient). But he’s a politician running for the highest office in the land, and his current posture is probably unsustainable. In all likelihood, he won’t be able to maintain a position that looks secretive and is a departure from campaign conventions. The only question is whether he releases more returns now, or later — after playing more defense on the issue and sustaining more hits. There will surely be a press feeding frenzy over new returns, but better to weather it in the middle of July.If he releases more returns, Romney will be in a better position to resist the inevitable demands for even more disclosures. More important, he will be in a better position to pivot his campaign to what should be its focus — telling a story, through a series of detailed, substantive speeches, about where he wants to take the country. It is to President Obama’s advantage to fight the election out over tactics and minutiae. By drawing out the argument over the returns, Romney is playing into the president’s hands. He should release them, respond to any attacks they bring, and move on."
The editors found themselves an unlikely ally, the progressive political action group MoveOn.org. Both organizations have joined the chorus arguing Romney should release his taxes ASAP.
MoveOn plans to launch a new TV ad on Wednesday, which will air in the swing state of Ohio, hitting Romney over his personal tax secrecy. The website also demands "he's got to come clean about it sometime if he expects to get citizens' votes." It urges people to "join the campaign by tweeting #ReleaseTheReturns @MittRomney"and sharing with friends on Facebook.
A new PPP poll says 56 percent of Americans think Romney should release 12 years of tax returns.