Mitt Romney Talks Himself Into a No-Win Situation: Should He Admit He Lied About His Tax Rate or That He Lied About Being Unfit for the Presidency?

Romney's 2011 tax returns show an effective tax rate of 14.1%, but he only reached that mark by not claiming deductions he was entitled to. Had the Romneys taken all
of the deductions made available by their $4.02 million in 2011
donations, his effective tax rate could have been as low as 10.4
percent.

By not using all the available deductions, he paid an additional $500,000 to the federal government.

That decision contradicts a pledge Romney made during an interview in
July, when he told ABC News he would not pay more in taxes "than are
legally due. And, frankly, if I had paid more than are legally due I
don't think I'd be qualified to become president. I'd think people would
want me to follow the law and pay only what the tax code requires."

Romney made a similar remark in January during a GOP primary debate,
when he said, "I pay all the taxes that are legally required and not a
dollar more. I don't think you want someone as the candidate for
president who pays more taxes than he owes."

Spokeswoman Michele Davis explained the mixed message, saying, "[Romney]
has been clear that no American need pay more than he or she owes
under the law. At the same time, he was in the unique position of having
made a commitment to the public that his tax rate would be above 13
percent. He directed his preparers to ensure that he is consistent with
that statement."