Obama campaign posts his tax returns on Web

The campaigns have sparred over tax and financial information before. For the Obama campaign, the issue is part of its effort to portray the New York senator as hiding key information or in some case exaggerating it. The Obama campaign this week criticized Clinton's claims to have faced sniper fire in Bosnia.

Obama's tax returns from 2000 to 2006 were posted this morning, the campaign announced. Much of the information had been previously released to news organizations.

Politicians often celebrate the April 15 tax deadline by releasing their returns, a move praised by good government groups. Those who don't frequently find themselves attacked by their opponents.

"Releasing tax returns is a matter of routine and we believe the Clinton campaign should meet that routine standard and meet that routine standard now," according to Robert Gibbs, Obama's communications director.

Clinton has said she will release her post-White House tax documents in mid-April.

The Clinton campaign this morning attacked Obama for not making his tax returns public, but the statement came at almost the same moment as the Obama campaign's actions.

"In the public record there are 20 years of Hillary's tax returns, hundreds of thousands of pages of records from her time in White House and countless other documents detailing her time in public life. Sen. Obama's record is far more opaque. Sen. Obama has not released his tax returns, except for 2006," Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said in a statement sent to reporters.

The tax issue came up in Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign, but in a different way. Republican candidate Rick Lazio was followed by a protester who called himself Tax Man, demanding that Lazio makes his documents public.

The Clinton campaign used the issue to embarrass Lazio.

Clinton was campaigning in Pennsylvania today while Obama had no public schedule.

michael.muskal@latimes.com