IOKIYAR means “It’s OK if you’re a Republican” and in today’s edition, we focus on spousal tax returns of presidential candidates.  Of course, Republicans went balistic when the Clinton’s released their tax returns to show they made millions since leaving the White House (like Capitalism is a bad thing). Not a lot of cackling on the other side of the aisle.
Cindy McCain, worth in the neighborhood of $100 million or more, said she would never release her tax returns. In the release of John McCain’s own returns, its pretty clear he hides of lot of his income in his wife’s holdings and doesn’t want her returns released to respect the privacy of the couple’s children. The McCain’s own eight homes during a time when many Americans are struggling to hold on to their only home.
Let’s turn the wayback machine on a bit to 2004. In May of that presidential campaign year, the Washington Post called for the release of Theresa Heinz Kerry’s tax returns, and in July, the Wall Street Journal also chimed in and wanted Theresa Heinz Kerry’s tax returns released to the public.
Both papers wanted Mrs. Kerry’s tax returns released in the “in the interest of transparency.”
So of course, both papers should be demanding that Cindy McCain release her returns to, right?  Nope. Neither paper’s editorial boards have made the same request for the release of Cindy McCain’s tax returns. Neither paper has even noted that Senator John McCain’s campaign has refused to release Mrs. McCain’s tax returns.ÂÂ
Locally, we know members of the Register’s editorial team read this blog regularly. Can we call on our local paper to ask the McCain camp to release his wife’s tax returns in the interests of transparency? The Clinton’s already have and so have Senator and Michelle Obama. Or does the refusal of the McCain camp simply mean: IOKIYAR?
What is Senator John McCain trying to hide? What indeed.