Romney and the 13.9% Question

ABC has released a full transcript of its interview with Mitt Romney.  Given a chance to deny that, as many suspect, he has paid even less than the 13.9 % rate on taxes that we know about from the two returns released, he refused to do so and acted dumb.  Then there's this quote-of-the-day: "[F]rankly if I had paid more than are legally due I don't think I'd be qualified to become president."

ABC:  So from what you have released and from what we have seen we know that there was one year when you paid about 13.9% tax rate. Can we clear this up by asking a simple yes or no question? Was there ever any year when you paid lower than 13.9%?

Romney: I haven't calculated that. I'm happy to go back and look but my view is I've paid all the taxes required by law. From time to time I've been audited as happens I think to other citizens as well and the accounting firm which prepares y taxes has done a very thorough and complete job pay taxes as legally due. I don't pay more 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.

ABC: You said you would go back and look, would you look for us?

Romney: I haven't looked at the tax rate paid year by year. I know that I pay a very substantial amount of taxes and every year since the beginning of my career so far as I can recall.