Somebody should tell Mitt Rommey that he is mishandling the Democrats' trumped-up attacks on his personal income-tax returns ("Romney to Reid on tax accusations: 'Put up or shut up,' " Web, Aug. 2). Mr. Romney acts as if he may eventually cave to the Democrats' demands and release some additional returns. That would be the wrong thing to do because it would violate what ought to be a cardinal rule in politics that a candidate for office should not give something up to his opponent without getting something in return.
In keeping with this rule, Mr. Rommey should tell the Democratic campaign headquarters that he will consider releasing some additional tax returns if and when President Obama releases all relevant documents about the Justice Department's Fast and Furious gun-walking operation, all relevant documents about the recent White House leaks of highly classified secrets to the news media and, for good measure, Mr. Obama's college transcripts.
Let's see if Mr. Obama was briefed about the Fast and Furious program while it was going on, if Mr. Obama in any way approved of the leaks of classified information and if, as some have suggested, Mr. Obama graduated at or near the bottom of his class at Harvard. This should take the wind out of the Democrats' politically motivated demand that Mr. Rommey release additional tax returns.
HARRISON E. MCCANDLISH
Alexandria, Va.
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By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
