let's turn to david k. johnston, pulitzer prize winning columnist and author of the book "free lunch." welcome to the show, my friend. >> thank you, michael. >> if these investments are legal, what is mitt romney hiding? all this suspicion being generated, cloud is hanging over him, now it's beginning to rain now. >> the question isn't about the iras, when he takes the money out, he'll have to pay the 35%. the question is, why isn't he releasing his returns? obama's a cautious man. look at the way he got rid of osama bin laden, you know, he took the action, but he was very cautious about it. well, i don't think they said this without knowing that there are years with no taxes. remember, 23 years of returns from '84 up until 2007 were given to the john mccain campaign. so there's something in his tax returns he's concluded it's safer and better not to disclose them. >> you think the obama campaign has sure knowledge of this. somebody's leaked it, somebody's scene it? >> there's an abstract, somebody testified under o

joining me now is david k. johnston.columnist for reuters and author of the book "perfectly legal: the covert campaign to rig our tax system to benefit the super rich and cheat everyone else." and jonathan capehart, a writer for "the washington post" and an msnbc contributor. thank you both for being here tonight. >> thanks. >> thank you. >> david, let me start with you. should voters just take romney's word that he hasn't hidden money in offshore tax shelters? >> no. and why should voters be treated different than john mccain? romney was one of the vice presidential nominees. and john mccain's people got to vet his tax returns back to 1984 which is what i've been calling on romney to release. if he's willing to give them to john mccain who passed on him, by the way, for sarah palin which does raise the question of was there something mccain saw in those tax returns, yes i think the american people should see those returns. >> now, jonathan, it is interesting that when you look at the fact that presidential candidates, p

. >> tonight, david k. johnston on the new questions about mitt romney's tax returns.en finney and hogan on the frontal attack on mitt romney's vision for america. mitt romney picks up where john left off. >> i don't think the president, by his comments, suggests an understanding what it is that makes america such a unique nation. >> weighing in on romney's attempt to paint barack obama as un-american. >>> parallel track of influence from the muslim brotherhood and the highest levels of the federal government. >> and michele bachmann's witch hunt continued this morning, despite another firm condemnation of leadership. >> accusations like this being thrown around are pretty dangerous. >>> you guys are absolutely right, and it is -- it is a matter of national survival. let me -- >> that's right. >>> no matter how hard he might try, mitt romney has not rid himself of his tax return problem, and one of his campaign's favorite surrogates, his wife, this time actually made matters worse.