Could he be dirty? That would seem to be the only reasonable conclusion for Texans to draw here.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White released his 2009 federal income tax return Friday, answering pressure from the media and his opponent, but continuing in his refusal to release returns from the previous five years.

The 43-page return for the former Houston mayor and his wife, Andrea, lists a total income of $712,684, including $232,862 in wages, $281,467 in business income from White's board service and investment management and a tax liability of $178,986.

Gov. Rick Perry's campaign immediately seized on the release, questioning why White has not released the returns from his entire time as mayor. White and Perry will face off in November.

“First, Bill White said he wouldn't release his tax returns because he wanted to protect his business partners,” said Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Today he released only his 2009 tax returns. What will Bill White's excuse be now for not releasing all of his tax returns for his time in public service? The people of Texas need to know how much money Bill White made while in Washington serving in the Clinton administration and during his time as mayor of Houston.”

Not only must we conclude that Bill White is personally dirty, thee is also the little detail that he served on the board of a company that has polluted groundwater around the country -- and that he would be in a position to aid financially if elected governor. Do we really want Bill White in a position to do more harm to Texas on behalf of the company that bought and paid for him while he was Houston mayor?