The time has come for Romney to come clean

The time has come for complete disclosure; to retain any real credibility, Mitt Romney must produce his tax returns for the last 10 years. With all the flak from the right about President Obama's lack of transparency, it's essential that Romney doesn't fall into that hole himself.

At this point, even conservatives have questions about those returns. They were given to John McCain, and McCain promptly chose Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008. Was there something in the returns that points to either impropriety, or even the appearance of the same? Inquiring minds want to know.

Until he shares those returns with the rest of us, including the Obama campaign, we will have to wonder, and that kind of wondering does not engender support from your own party, or gain you any ground with the opposition. People need to know who they're voting for and who they're voting against.

In the case of Barack Obama, we may never know. His early life, and academic history is locked up tight in million dollars of legal actions, a veil which, to this point anyway, appears impenetrable. It's time for Romney to step up, and show us exactly who he is and let the cards fall where they may.

Romney will never establish himself as a front-runner in this race until he demonstrates the transparency in his own campaign that so many in the U.S. have found seriously lacking in Obama. Producing his tax returns with no further objections would show very clearly the difference between himself and the president, as well as demonstrating he truly does have nothing to hide.

In times when both parties accuse each other of obscuring the facts, I believe it is incumbent on all candidates to openly provide any information requested if it is even remotely applicable to the election.

People (at least in theory) need to know exactly who and what they're supporting. In response to the smoke and mirrors coming from the left, Republicans must produce real substance and answers to any reasonable questions or doubts. Failing this, they also fail to provide a tangible difference for voters to consider. Campaign promises rely on the faith that they will be honored.

Mitt has said he's cut from different cloth. If so, this is the time to show both his enemies and supporters that he will not shroud himself with mystery at a time when Americans have both a serious need and a vested right to know who he is and what he really stands for.

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