by Gerry Birnberg (Wednesday, August 08, 2012 11:40 AM,  Reproduced here with permission)

Here’s my theory about the Harry Reid “source” who supposedly told him Romney paid no federal income taxes for 10 years. I’ll confess it’s just speculation, but sure seems the only plausible answer to me.

All these Republican bigwigs immediately pulled Joe Wilsons and insisted Reid is a “liar.” (Reince Priebus, Lindsay Graham, Politifact, etc.)

But one Republican has been conspicuously silent about the matter and has pointedly not called Harry Reid a “liar” for claiming Romney paid no federal income taxes for 10 years. And this Republican knows whether Reid is a “liar” or not on this issue.

I had wondered, from the time I first heard the Harry Reid remark about a “source” telling him Romney paid no taxes, how could the “source” possibly know?

Here’s my answer: I believe the “source” is most likely John McCain (or someone very close to him and intimately involved in the 2008 VP vetting process — Steve Schmidt?)!  (I’ll bet with all those millions, McCain has even invested in some Bain Capital business venture somewhere along the line, even making him a “Bain investor”).

Unlike anyone else I can think of, McCain (who, you will recall had great animus for Romney in 2008 and only reluctantly and half-heartedly endorsed him this year) does know exactly what is in those returns — he has seen 23 of them! And Reid knew that McCain knows what is in those returns and could credibly destroy Reid’s claim in a heartbeat, if he wished to do so. McCain could simply say, “as you all know, I have seen 23 of Romneys returns and he paid taxes on every one of them.. I’ll not give you the details, but I can tell you Reid is wrong — in fact, he is lying — because I have seen the returns and Romney did pay taxes.”

How did Harry Reid know that McCain was not going to make that protest and take all the wind out of Reid’s sails? How did he know his claim was not going to meet that fate? My guess is that John McCain (or someone very close to him) must have been the “source.”

I don’t know for sure, but I do wonder, why has John McCain not called Harry Reid a “liar”? You connect the dots.

Gerry Birnberg is a lawyer, and was Chair of the Harris County Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, among his many other accomplishments.