Earlier today, Mitt Romney made a big deal out of telling everyone that he's, "never paid less than 13 percent" in taxes. And, of course, he still won't provide his tax returns, so we'll just have to trust him, okay?

Well, it wasn't okay for David Simon, the creator of OKCupid's favorite show as well as Treme and The Corner. He's pissed.

Can we stand back and pause a short minute to take in the spectacle of a man who wants to be President of The United States, who wants us to seriously regard him as a paragon of the American civic ideal, declaiming proudly and in public that he has paid his taxes at a third of the rate normally associated with gentlemen of his economic benefit. Stunning. Am I supposed to congratulate this man? Thank him for his good citizenship? Compliment him for being clever enough to arm himself with enough tax lawyers so that he could legally minimize his obligations?

In Romney's defense, Simon seems to always be mad about something, and sometimes he's wrong. In Simon's defense, he's usually right and, of course, is right about this particular situation. The Wire creator went on:

Thirteen percent. The last time I paid taxes at that rate, I believe I might still have been in college. If not, it was my first couple years as a newspaper reporter. Since then, the paychecks have been just fine, thanks, and I don't see any reason not to pay at the rate appropriate to my earnings, given that I'm writing the check to the same government that provided the economic environment that allowed for such incomes.

Good point, David. Anything else? The rant could use some more Romney-mocking, in my opinion.

I can't get over the absurdity of this moment, honestly: Hey, I never paid less than thirteen percent. I swear. And no, you can't examine my tax returns in any more detail. But I promise you all, my fellow American citizens, I never once slipped to single digits. I'm just not that kind of guy.

But surely this isn't indictative of some larger, societal problem.

God. This republic is just about over, isn't it?

Oh. Anyway, Treme comes back on the air soon.

[Image via AP]