August 21, 2008
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.
"I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you."
The correct answer is at least four, located in Arizona, California and Virginia, according to his staff. Newsweek estimated this summer that the couple owns at least seven properties.
In recent weeks, Democrats have stepped up their effort to caricature McCain as living an outlandishly rich lifestyle — a bit of payback to the GOP for portraying Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as an elitist, and for turning the spotlight in 2004 on the five homes owned by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.
Pro-Obama labor groups have sent out mailers highlighting McCain’s wealth, and prominent Democrats have included references to it in comments to reporters.
Twice in the past two weeks, those Democrats have focused on McCain’s houses.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Politico’s Ben Smith that it was McCain “who wears $500 shoes, has six houses and comes from one of the richest families in his state."
And David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist, referred in an interview with Adam Nagourney of The New York Times to an imagined meeting of McCain strategists “on the portico of the McCain estate in Sedona — or maybe in one of his six other houses.”
The Obama campaign seized on the house issue Thursday with an ad called "Seven," claiming that's the number of houses McCain has. The ad closes with a shot of the White House and the narration: "Here's ONE house American can't afford to let John McCain move into."
McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said in response: "Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses? Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula and thinks regular people 'cling' to guns and religion in the face of economic hardship really want to have a debate about who’s in touch with regular Americans?
“The reality is that Barack Obama’s plans to raise taxes and opposition to producing more energy here at home as gas prices skyrocket show he’s completely out of touch with the concerns of average Americans.”
At a campaign appearance in Chester, Va., on Thursday morning, Obama said: "Somebody asked John McCain, 'How many houses do you have?’ And he said, I’m not sure. I’ll have to check with my staff. True quote: I’m not sure, I’ll have to check with my staff. So they asked his staff and he said, at least four. At least four! ...
"If you’re like me and you’ve got one house – or you were like the millions of people who are struggling right now to keep up with their mortgage so that they don’t lose their home — you might have a different perspective. By the way, the answer is: John McCain has seven homes. So there’s just a fundamental gap of understanding between John McCain's world and what people are going through every single day here in America."
McCain’s comments came four days after he initially told Pastor Rick Warren during a faith forum on Sunday his threshold for considering someone rich is $5 million — a careless comment he quickly corrected.
In the interview, McCain did not offer an alternate number, but had a new answer ready.
“I define rich in other ways besides income,” he said. “Some people are wealthy and rich in their lives and their children and their ability to educate them. Others are poor if they’re billionaires.”
McCain, by anyone's measure, is well-off, if you account for his wife's fortune. Cindy McCain inherited control of her father’s beer distributorship, the largest in Arizona, and has an estimated worth of more than $100 million.
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- Brendan_M
- added this
- added August 21, 2008
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Fuck you, John McCain. How elitist and out of touch can you be?
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Obama's response:
"Yesterday, [John McCain] was asked again what do you think about the economy, he said I think the economy is fundamentally strong," said Obama. "Now this puzzled me. I was confused what he meant. But then there was another interview where somebody asked John McCain how many houses do you have and he said 'I'm not sure. I'll have to check with my staff.' True quote. 'I'm not sure ill have to check with my staff.' So they asked his staff and they said, 'at least four.' At least four. Now think about that. I guess if you think that being rich means you make $5 million and if you don't know how many houses you have then it is not surprising that you think the economy is fundamentally strong. But if you are like me and you've got one house, or if you are like the millions of people struggling now to keep up with your mortgage payments, you might have a different perspective. By the way the answer is John McCain has seven homes."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/21/obama-tears-into-mccain-f_n_120359.html
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Big deal, John McCain owns 7 homes including condo's. He also married well, heiress to Arizona's biggest beer distributor. Yet, by the way the story reads, one would be led to believe he's out of touch, and gained his riches through Public Office. Quite the contrary. I just wish I could find a beer distributor heiress who by the way puts herself in danger, going to impoverished areas to help the locals. John McCain has more than proven his Patriotsim, honor, and love for our country. What has NoBama proved, other than his wife hates America, and he can shoot a 3 point basket?
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By the way Brendan, can't you get your response across in one e-blog? Or does the M stand for Myopic, you fucking dunce?
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You posted twice?
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Apparently that's one too many!
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- damnneargenius
- 5 months ago
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McCain Camp Plays POW Card On House Gaffe
Big surprise, the McCain campaign uses his POW experience to defend this gaffe.
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There are entire retreats devoted to people who collect multiple luxury residences. The people who go to such retreats are of course "detached" from rank and file working people. Here's one where Ben Stein was the keynote speaker. You know, he's the guy who talks about God and supporting the troops? He also claims to have 8 residences.
http://www.nciblogs.com/uniquehomesblog/?tag=ben-steinPrivate Ibber
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- privateibber
- 5 months ago
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Just another reminder that McSame is unfit to serve as commander in chief. No brains, no ideas, no plan, no character, no integrity; and now we find out his memory is on the fritz, too. Oh goodie!
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- ProgressiveBum
- 5 months ago
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My only question is, why aren't people who graduated 1st in their class the ones campaigning to run the free world?
I goofed off in college, so it does give me hope that I can still be president without having wasted my time acquiring a 4.0 back in the day, but I REALLY wish someone would start speaking like they have a comprehensive understanding and clear "rescue" plan for the USA.
It's worrisome that these people want to be elected despite no apparent realization or concern for how much worse things are going to be unless they make some serious improvements.
Keep doing what you've been doing, and you're to keep getting the same thing. I guess the question is, if not now, then when is America's tipping point?
McCain is definitely out of touch, and although I like Obama's rhetoric, I really wish there was an even better 3rd option.
If this is the best this country can do...God help us, cause we're going to need it.
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- damnneargenius
- 5 months ago
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The key flaw here is that they are comparing "being in touch with the average American", which is clearly a sign of only being worried about tailoring your bullshit to make the most people believe you.
What the candidates need to be in touch with isn't the people, it's the PROBLEMS. The people are just the "huddled masses" stuck in the system. This country needs someone who is focused on fixing the system, not pandering to the "huddled masses" just to get voted into the office to accomplish little and/or nothing.
With the socio-economic outlook "gloomy" as it is, if you think they are being hard on Bush, just imagine how hard they are going to be on the next president if things get even worse.
The scary thing is, many of the problems appear to be the result of outsourcing and credit-based lifestyles of people living beyond their means, and that is going to take some really unpopular policy to fix.
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- damnneargenius
- 5 months ago
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I hope Obama makes a big deal about Mccains homes then Mccain should counter with "Since were talking about homes how did you get yours , from a sweet deal from the likes of Tony Resco "
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The Rezko AND Wright stuff should be working and I don't understand why they're not.
I don't trust in ANY of the Presidential candidates but I DO trust in Dennis Kucinich.
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You don't know how many houses you have? How is that even possible?
Oh, wait, McCain doesn't even know where he is or what he's talking about sometimes.
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- Armageddon_Now
- 5 months ago
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