Romneyland explains announcement that Mitt 'retroactively retired' from Bain

With the Romney campaign announcing Mitt's "retroactive retirement" from Bain Capital,
Americans deserve to know the identity of this mystery man. I'll give Mitt Romney Communications Director Gail Gitcho credit for this: When MSNBC's Luke Russert asked her to explain the campaign's announcement yesterday that Romney had "retired retroactively" from Bain, at least she tried to answer:

RUSSERT: Let me ask you. What does 'retired retroactively' actually mean? Can you explain that for us when there is so much evidence that Mitt Romney remained the owner of Bain until 2002 in some capacity?

GITCHCO: Look, Luke. I appreciate the question, and I appreciate the opportunity to clear this up for anyone who is confused about this issue, which seems to be only the Obama campaign. Mitt Romney left Bain Capital in 1999. He left to go run the Olympics.

So ... I guess she's saying that now that Romney has "retired retroactively," the campaign can claim that he didn't have anything to do with Bain after Feb. 11, 1999, even though he actually did. In other words, they think it's a legally sanctioned use of their Etch A Sketch.

But in case you're still confused, Russert gave Gitcho another shot at the question:

RUSSERT: Do you think that it's at all confusing for people to try to understand how someone that was that involved would not be checking on on whether his investments were making money over a three year period, completely removing himself?

GITCHCO: Well, obviously, Luke, there are technical and legal reasons why Governor Romney was listed on that document, but it doesn't distract from the fact that it still remains very simple: Mitt Romney left Bain in 1999.

Of course, those "technical and legal reasons" include the fact that Mitt Romney was still CEO and sole owner of Bain Capital, a job for which he continued to draw a salary. And it wasn't just that he was signing documents for technical and legal reasons; after his supposed retirement, a press release distributed on Bain's behalf described him as "part-time" and included a quote from him discussing personnel issues.

But in case you are under the misconception that after this episode, the Romney campaign is incapable of making a claim more at odds with the facts, check out what Gitchco said about Romney's tax returns:

The fact is, Governor Romney has released his tax returns.

Uh, no, he hasn't. He's released one tax return. From one year, 2010. He's promised to release one more tax return (from 2011), but he has yet to deliver on that promise. And he's steadfastly refused to release anything from before 2010.