Joe Lieberman Criticzes Harry Reid Over Romney’s Taxes

Political chameleon Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has joined the recent slew of politicians criticizing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for demanding to see proof that Mitt Romney has been paying his taxes for the past decade.

Reid took to the Senate floor to make his accusations against the presidential hopeful, based on a tip from an anonymous source reportedly connected to Bain Capital. Though the source’s authenticity has been disputed and is still unverified, Reid’s demands for Romney’s tax returns have sparked a stampede of media interest and a deluge of criticism from other politicians. Lieberman is the latest to criticize the move, though he did so with more grace and aplomb than some of his colleagues.

“I just thought it was uncalled for and unjustified and really not what we should expect from our political leaders,” Lieberman in a radio interview Monday. “Harry’s a friend of mine, but I just think he went over the line on this one.”

“One of the things I grew up with is the idea that if you’re talking about somebody else, you really should be not speaking unless you know for sure,” Lieberman continued. “And frankly, even if you know something bad about ’em, you shouldn’t say that either. And, of course, this is not politics, but bottom line, I was very upset when I heard Senator Reid say that about Romney.”

The Huffington Post first broke the news about Romney’s alleged unpaid taxes, with Reid saying his source was someone with ties to Bain Capital. Republicans have since criticized Reid for his comments, with many calling him an outright liar. Nancy Pelosi has rushed to Reid’s defense, saying, “Harry Reid made a statement that is true. Somebody told him. It is a fact,” according to The Hill.

Now there’s a contentious “burden of proof” war with Romney in one corner and Reid in another. On the one hand, Reid is saying that Romney can settle the issue by releasing his tax returns. On the other, Romney is saying that Reid needs to divulge his source so that it can be weighed for authenticity.

In the middle, Joseph Lieberman. “Obviously the Democrats are now saying, oh, Romney could end this by just putting out his tax records,” Lieberman said. “Well, he’s said for other reasons he doesn’t want to put out all his tax returns for 10 years.”

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