McCain Releases His Tax Returns

But Republican Candidate's Returns Do Not Account For Wife's Estimate $100M Fortune

(AP)  Republican presidential candidate John McCain earned a total of $405,409 last year and donated a quarter of it to charity, according to tax returns that provide only a partial picture of his family's enormous wealth.

His 2007 individual tax filing does not account for his wife's estimated worth of $100 million.

McCain and his wife, Cindy, have kept their finances separate throughout their 27-year marriage, and long have filed their taxes individually.

The Arizona senator routinely is ranked among the richest in Congress. But a prenuptial agreement has kept most of the family's assets in the name of his wife, an heiress to a Phoenix-based beer distributing company.

Released Friday, McCain's return indicated that he paid $84,460 in taxes on taxable income of $258,800. He gave $105,467 to charitable organizations, most of which went to the John and Cindy McCain Family Foundation. The foundation then distributed much of the money to charities. The donations include royalties from five of his books, including the biographical "Faith of My Fathers" and "Worth the Fighting For."

His income included his Senate salary of $161,708, a Navy pension of $58,358 and Social Security income of $23,157. His return shows that he paid $17,700 in alimony last year; he and his first wife divorced some three decades ago.

McCain reported paying $136,572 in wages to household employees in 2007. Aides say the McCains employ a caretaker for a cabin in Sedona, Ariz., child care for their teenage daughter, and a personal assistant for Cindy McCain.

Aides say she will not release her tax returns to protect the privacy of the couple's four children; details of their wealth are included in her filing.

Because Arizona is a community property state, McCain and his wife each must report one-half of their shared income and expenses. So, though McCain reported $258,800 in taxable income on his 2007 return, the couple's joint taxable income was twice that amount. According to the returns, Cindy McCain's income from the beer distributorship, Hensley & Company, was $432,991 in 2007.

McCain's campaign also released his 2006 individual tax returns. For 2006, he reported paying $72,771 on taxable income of $215,304. He also reported charitable gifts of $64,695.

Earlier this week, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported making $4.2 million last year. That was a significant jump in their income from the previous year. Profits from his books "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope" accounted for some $4 million. The Obamas paid federal taxes of $1.4 million and donated $240,370 to charity.

By comparison, Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband Bill, the former president, reported $20.4 million in income for 2007 but have asked for an extension on filing their returns. Almost half the former first couple's money came from Bill Clinton's speeches. The Clintons have made nearly $109 million since leaving the White House in 2001, capitalizing on lucrative business ventures and his speaking engagements.

[blackspirit3]

40 YEARS OF CLINTON RAPPING WOMEN

A 1969 charge by a Eileen Wellstone, said Clinton assaulted her after she met him at a pub near the Oxford University campus where the future President was a student.
In 1972, a 22-year-old woman told campus police at Yale University that she was sexually assaulted by Clinton, who was a law student at the college.
In 1974, a female student at the University of Arkansas complained that then-law professor Bill Clinton groped her and forced his hand inside her blouse
Broaddrick, a volunteer in Clinton''s attorney general campaign, said he raped her in 1978;
From 1978-1980, Arkansas State troopers assigned to protect the governor reported seven complaints from women who said Clinton forced, or attempted to force, himself on them sexually.
Elizabeth Ward, the Miss Arkansas who won the Miss America crown in 1982, told friends she was forced by Clinton to have *** with him shortly after she won her state crown.
Paula Corbin, an Arkansas state worker, filed a sexual harassment case against Clinton the then-governor exposed himself and demanded oral ***.
Sandra Allen James, President Clinton invited her to his hotel room during a political trip to the nation''s capital in 1991, pinned her against the wall and stuck his hand up her dress.
Kathleen Willey, a White House volunteer, reported that Clinton grabbed her, fondled her breast and pressed her hand against his genitals during an Oval Office meeting in November, 1993.

[lindaredtail]

Element51 I agree with you 100% You seem to have survived Vietnam well. But I knew a lot who didn''t. War should never be based on lies. I keep saying that people in America do not have the right to take their personal belief system into the government arena and make it public policy. That is what has been happening the last almost eight years. And some of the people who come on here will defend doing that with a rabidity that is almost frightening in nature. Our nation needs to return to moderation and reason. We started the process and it needs to continue. My sense though that like some of the people on here the fight is far from over and it will take effort to not go back towards extremism. I even know of college students in a nearby town who had dead fish nailed to their door, their lives were threatened and they had to leave their house. Why? Because they opposed the Iraq war.

[element51]

lindaredtail...I too feel that sometimes the left goes to far. It''s pretty much true that intelligence meets in the middle. We don''t live in a black and white world. But more gray than anything. Being a Viet Nam era vet I have also seen the effects of war on people and it isn''t pretty. I know guys who never fully came back from there. If war is absolutelly necessary and there is no way to avoid it I say we must do what is necessary but to go to war based on lies and deceit is just wrong,

[lindaredtail]

Element 51 I''ve been doing a lot of studying of this issue. I know from reading the posts that you had had enough. I even sometimes stick up for people I see them attacking. Like hungry. He''s way far to the left of my views but I don''t think he deserves what he gets. Neither did you. Someone defended McVet too after some really cruel stuff was said. I guess someone supported him who knew he is really a Vietnam veteran. I worked with some of them both as colleagues and clients and it has been a difficult journey for many of them. This right-wing militarism has to be confronted. I will continue to and I hope you will. Thanks for responding.

[im4honesty]

Where are all the loud calls from the right for McCain''s wife to release her returns that we heard concerning John Kerry''s wife?

[element51]

lindardtail...Thank you for your reply. Actually I have been checking this site since I posted yesterday thinking that there would be a massive attack on me. But I have been quite surprised that there was none. Actually, after I hit the button I re-read the post and thought maybe I did come on to strong. But I get so sick of that "holier than thou" attitude and the fact that if you try to engage in meaningful dialogue these people come back with insults and false claims. If you read my post that started this I was simply asking a quistion about "what is a hero". I had not attacked anyone and actually was complementary of McCain. Well, thanks for responding. Have a good day.

[lindaredtail]

Element51 I don''t know if you''ll come back to this page but I am glad to see someone standing up to some of these people. I''ve been as well. It is really important that they are stood up to not just here but in the country as a whole. Other wise we get stuck with bomb,bomb, bomb, bombbomb Iran.

[irliberal]

Looks like McSame & wife are pretty f.ilthy rich and elite to me. Funny how those labels work both ways isnt it?

[watcher269-2009]

REAL NEWS

Through newly obtained internal documents, The New York Times has uncovered an elaborate PR campaign run by the Pentagon that coached former military officials %u2014 or as they%u2019re known on television, Serious Independent Military Experts %u2014 on how best to shill for Donald Rumsfeld during the fallout from the %u201CGeneral%u2019s Revolt,%u201D when numerous high-ranking retired Generals broke long standing tradition and began speaking out harshly against the former Secretary and his prosecution of the War in Iraq.

The full article is lengthy at 11 pages, but it%u2019s a stellar exposi of how politicized, coordinated and deceitful the media campaign is under Bush. With the assistance of Peter Pace, Rumsfeld would literally convene meetings with former military brass %u2014 who, according to the article, consisted of %u201Cmore than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants%u201D %u2014 and conspire on how best to manage the press. Worse still, these compromised soldiers would then manipulatively go on television as Serious Independent Experts to parrot administration talking points and secure lucrative defense contracts. The Military-Industrial Complex is not alive and well, but thriving under the auspices of the Bush administration.

[homespunlady]

Finally!!!!

The PUPPET-MASTERS are being EXPOSED!!!!

This story MAY NEVER be covered the way BRITTANY SPEARS is BUT NEEDS TO BE!!

nytimes.com/2008/04/20/washington/20generals.html


is showing EXACTLY what kinds of POLITICAL MANIPULATION HAS BEEN GOING ON to get us into such a FINANCIAL, INTERNATIONAL and WEALTH GAP MESS!!!!

[watcher269-2009]

During the 2004 election, Republicans criticized Theresa Heinz Kerry for not disclosing her personal

[idnnsg]

Former senator Bob Smith, a New Hampshire Republican, expresses worries about McCain: "His temper would place this country at risk in international affairs, and the world perhaps in danger. In my mind, it should disqualify him."

[watcher269-2009]

McCain the Elitist - who committed adultery with his New Wife while married to his old wife.

Wow! Sounds just like Gringrick! Who by the way is a Nazi!

Double standards = Republican party!

[undermyboot]

Now we know why Senator McCain is pushing to eliminate taxes on inheritances for rich people. LMFAO. He is just like the rest: making sure his family remains RICH and POWERFUL. Meanwhile, he convinces middle class America to vote for him so they can keep working hard to keep him and his family rich and powerful. LMFAO.

[undermyboot]

This is what the mafia tried to do. McCain is a senile fool if he thinks he can hide $!,000,000,000 by claiming it "belongs to his wife" or is not made public to "protect his daughters". What a pile of "straight talk" cr#p.

[jonesforch]

In 04 the Cons made all kinds of ruckus over John Kerry''''s ultra-wealthy wife Teresa. Now they''''re strangely quiet about the new "gigolo" of presidential politics.

Posted by incog-nito
Well then post it?

[trbundro1277]

The people who died in the World Trade towers were never found. Our heads were cut off and they were never found.
We died, by them slicing our heads off, by the terrorist condemning America. Obamas Pastor condemns America in which people died! Can anyone tell me what the difference is?
Where is all of Obamas money coming from? Is it coming from the terrorists?

How many people that you know gave to Obamas campaign?
It could of only come from one place1

Lets see, you are afraid that Obama is friends with foreigners, yet you want to vote for McAmensty, and let all the foreigners come right on into our country. That seems kinda backwards, I''d rather vote from someone sponsored by foreigners rather than someone that wants to let them all come into our country! I''d vote for ANYONE other than Juan Amnest McCain! I''d vote for a foreigner before McAmnesty!

[trbundro1277]

I have wondered just exactly why McCain is touted as a war "hero". Yes, I give him credit for his service and I know it was a terrible ordeal that he went through as a POW. However, there were many others who suffered and are not looked upon as great "heros". After all, he didn''''''''t storm an enemy machine gun nest and save his buddies. He didn''''''''t capture a group of enemy soldiers by himself. He flew an airplane and dropped bombs. The defination of a hero is that of a soldier in Iraq who threw himself on a live grenade to save his fellow soldiers. Now that is a hero.

Posted by Element51 at 07:45 PM : Apr 19, 2008

doesnt really matter if you think he is a hero or not....you arent voting for him anyway...so why do you wonder if he is? isnt there other things you can be wondering?
*** yeah, instead of wondering how "Herolike" Amnesty mcCain is, you should worry about how you will lose your job to a mexican as soon as he would be president. Google Amensty / mcCain / Dream Act if you don''t believe me! Juan Amensty Mccain voted in I believe it was 2006, to give total amnesty, no fines, not learning English, nothing! McCain is a total front for big business to get cheap labor!

[trbundro1277]

In 04 the Cons made all kinds of ruckus over John Kerry''''s ultra-wealthy wife Teresa. Now they''''re strangely quiet about the new "gigolo" of presidential politics.

*** What the press needs to post is the highlights of the "Dream Act" which I like to jokingly call the "Nightmare Act". The "Dream Act" would have allowed up to 12 million illegal aliens get amnesty without learning English or paying fines! Why would people want Juan Amnesty McCain to be president of Mexico, I mean American!

[incog-nito]

In 04 the Cons made all kinds of ruckus over John Kerry''s ultra-wealthy wife Teresa. Now they''re strangely quiet about the new "gigolo" of presidential politics.