The past week or so has proven to be a very tough time for Bob "I raise taxes, but don't pay taxes" Corker.What first started on the blogosphere has now snowballed into a full blown scandal for the Corker campaign. Each and every day, more and more mainstream media outlets are reporting on Bob Corker and his decision not to pay taxes in 1985 or 1989.
Below is a roundup of what the mainstream media is saying about Corker's taxing problem:
Pat Nolan, News Channel 5: " Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker seems to be the candidate in the cross hairs this week taking shots from both sides. Political candidates are a little like environmentalists. They like to recycle things, especially old campaign issues. That's the case with Corker who took some heat in 1994 (when he unsuccessfully ran for this same Senate seat) because he paid no federal income taxes in 1985 and 1989."
Michael Davis, Chattanooga Times Free Press: "Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Bob Tuke on Thursday asked Mr. Corker to explain reports that he did not pay taxes during two years in the 1980s. "In his failed run for the Senate in 1994, the media reported that Corker paid no income tax in two years," Mr. Tuke said in a news release. Mr. Corker said in an interview that he did not owe any federal taxes in 1985 and 1989 because of depreciation and other factors."
Steve Gill: "Respected conservative Nashville radio talk show host Steve Gill slammed Bob Corker this morning during his radio show for not paying taxes, even though Corker's made millions as a developer and builder in Chattanooga..."
Tom Humphrey, Knox News: "State Democratic Chairman Bob Tuke began the criticism, issuing a news release with critical comments and citing Corker's release of his federal tax returns back in 1994, when he first ran for the Senate and lost in the GOP primary to Sen. Bill Frist.
The returns showed that businessman Corker twice paid no taxes in the 1980s...."
Bruce Barry, Nashville Scene: "This 80s tax thing runs the risk, given wider attention, of building unsavory name recognition before Corker has the opportunity to buy the kind he wants."
The media is not the only ones on Corker's case either. He has been getting blasted day in and day out by his primary opponents:
Jennifer Coxe, Hilleary's Press Secretary: "Mayor Bob Corker raised taxes on working Tennesseans multiple times. Millionaire Bob Corker didn't pay taxes in multiple years, Candidate Bob Corker owes Tennesseans an explanation."
Andrew Shulman, Bryant's Spokesperson: "Regrettably, Bob Corker's ability to avoid paying taxes helps explain why it did not bother him to support a state income tax and to raise property taxes on Tennessee homeowners."
And from the Hotline:
"Reps. Ed Bryant (R) and Van Hilleary (R) and Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D) said they would release their '05 tax returns, and state Sen. Rosalind Kurita's (D) camp said they would do so "if it becomes necessary." But ex-Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker (R) said he was not sure if he would do so, leading TN Dem chair Bob Tuke to point out: "In his failed run for the Senate in 1994, the media reported that Corker paid no income tax in two years" ( Davis, Chattanooga Times Free Press, 2/24).
Tuke's release states that "average" Tennesseans pay about 15% in taxes each year, but Corker said between '76 and '94, he paid 27% of his income in taxes. Corker: "Here is what I think generally happened. When you make capital investments in real estate and those kinds of things and there is also a lot of depreciation that goes with that, some years you owe a lot of money and some years you don't." He added he "voluntarily" sent checks of $7.5K and $5K to the Bureau of National Debt those two years."
Bob Corker's continued silence on these accusations speaks volumes.
These serious ethical problems clearly warrant him unworthy of being a U.S. Senator.
55 Days
Days of Congressional Inaction on Ethics
Above is the number of days that have passed since Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to bribing Congressman.
It is also the number of days in which Congress has failed to pass an ethics reform bill that would limit private travel, ski and golf junkets, and would call for a full disclosure of expenses by lobbyists on members of Congress.
It is time for Congress to step up and pass an ethics reform bill that would do all of the above. In addition, it is time to end the pork barrel spending system as we know it and establish an independent ethics commission that would review ethics complaints against members of Congress.
I am proud Congressman Harold Ford Jr. is fighting for that reform!
Read Congressman Ford's call for reform of the House rules here!
