Romney campaign shoots down Obama team's 'offer' to release 5-years' tax returns

London, Aug 18 (ANI): Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign has declined an offer made by US President Barack Obama's campaign, which asked Romney to release five years' tax returns, in exchange for them dropping the issue.

The Obama campaign team, which has kept up the pressure on Romney's tricky position on tax, promised to stop prodding him on the subject if he releases five years' returns.

The offer, which was written by Obama's campaign manager, Jim Messina, to his opposite number in the Romney camp, Matt Rhoades, is aimed at addressing one of the frequent complaints by the Romney campaign that if he releases five years' tax returns, the Obama campaign will demand 10, and if he releases 10, they will demand 20.

"I am writing to ask again that the governor release multiple years of tax returns, but also to make an offer that should address his concerns about the additional disclosures," The Guardian quoted Messina, as writing, in the letter.

"Governor Romney apparently fears that the more he offers, the more our campaign will demand that he provide. So I am prepared to provide assurances on just that point: if the governor will release five years of returns, I commit in turn that we will not criticise him for not releasing more, neither in ads nor in other public communications or commentary for the rest of the campaign," the letter added.

However, Rhoades sharply declined the offer.

"It is clear that President Obama wants nothing more than to talk about Governor Romney's tax returns instead of the issues that matter to voters, like putting Americans back to work, fixing the economy and reining in spending," he said.

"If Governor Romney's tax returns are the core message of your campaign, there will be ample time for President Obama to discuss them over the next 81 days," he added. (ANI)