“Over the last week, a disparate array of Republican and conservative leaders have called on Romney to do what he is clearly loathe to do: release several years if not a decade or more of his federal tax returns. It is an unspoken form of payback.”

“The list is not only a veritable who’s who of the party, but a not-so-subtle roster of people who opposed Romney for the presidential nomination. That they have not fallen in line behind Romney’s stonewalling is a telling sign.”

The party regulars don’t like, trust or respect him. His primary opponents feel they were steamrolled by him. The Tea People think he’s an (ugh) moderate, the evangelicals don’t like his religion, and the Daddy Warbucks wing doesn’t want to bet on a loser.

I think we’re going to see him challenged in Tampa, especially if something surfaces out of this tax return flap. Again, I don’t think he’s done anything illegal, but that’s the whole point, isn’t it? The legal things rich guys can get away with in their taxes poor Republicans won’t want to hear, and rich Republicans don’t want anyone else to hear.

Have you heard how quiet the Paulistas have been lately? I think Ron’s gang of gnomes is ready to cause some real trouble. Damn, I wish I could be there when it hits the fan.