WASHINGTON, May 14, 2008
Cindy McCain Sells Sudan-Related Funds
GOP Candidate's Wife Unloads More Than $2M In Investments
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Cindy McCain (AP Graphics Bank)
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Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., center, and his wife Cindy, meet a clean up crew during a tour of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, Thursday, April 24, 2008, during his "It's Time for Action" campaign Tour. (AP)
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Fast Facts
Sudan
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Struggle In Sudan
Five-year conflict in Darfur region has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced millions.
The sale on Wednesday came after The Associated Press questioned the investments in light of calls by John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, for international financial sanctions against the Sudanese leadership.
Last year, at least four presidential candidates divested themselves of Sudan-related holdings.
According to McCain's personal financial disclosure, Cindy McCain's investments include two mutual funds - American Funds Europacific Growth fund and American Funds Capital World Growth and Income fund - that are listed by the Sudan Divestment Task Force as targets for divestment.
"Those have been sold as of today," said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers.
Both funds have holdings in Oil & Natural Gas Corp., an India-based company that does business in Sudan. The American Funds Capital World Growth & Income Fund also has holdings in Petrochina, a Chinese government-owned oil company with vast investments in Sudan.
Last year, in a speech on energy policy to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, McCain cited China's investments in Sudan as an example of regimes that survive off free-flowing petro dollars.
"The politics of oil impede the global progress of our values, and restrains governments from acting on the most basic impulses of human decency," he said. "There is only one reason China has opposed sanctions to pressure Sudan to stop the killing in Darfur: China needs Sudan's oil."
On Wednesday, Rogers said: "Senator and Mrs. McCain remain committed to doing everything possible to end the genocide in Darfur."
For the McCains, the Sudan-related investments are among scores of different investments listed in his financial disclosure documents. Cindy McCain is heiress to a Phoenix-based beer distributing company whose fortune is in the $100 million range.
Sen. McCain is regularly ranked among the richest lawmakers in Congress, but under the terms of a prenuptial agreement, much of the family's assets are in Cindy McCain's name. While the disclosure reports provide the identity of income and assets held by candidates and their spouses, they only offer a range of the amount of the holding. Indeed, the report lists Cindy McCain's investments in the two mutual funds as simply "over $1,000,0000."
In tax returns he released last month, the Arizona senator reported a total income of $405,409 in 2007.
But Cindy McCain files separate tax returns which she has not made public. Last week, she said she would never make her returns public even if her husband becomes president.
Later Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee reiterated its call for Cindy McCain to release her tax returns. "The fact the McCain family was holding Sudan-related investments even as John McCain was out on the campaign trail calling for sanctions is a reminder of why the American people expect and deserve full disclosure from their elected officials," said DNC spokesman Damien LaVera.
The Sudan-related investments illustrate the hazards for wealthy candidates whose vast holdings undergo thorough scrutiny during a presidential campaign.
A year ago, several presidential candidates divested themselves of Sudan-related holdings. Among them were Democrats Barack Obama and John Edwards and Republicans Sam Brownback and Rudy Giuliani.
In 2006, Brownback was among members of Congress who wrote 44 governors to urge them to divest their employee pension funds from businesses linked to Sudan. He is now serving as a top adviser to McCain's campaign.
At the time, Obama placed the total value of his divestitures at $180,000. The sales of the investments were recorded in their financial disclosures.
According to Giuliani's financial disclosure, he invested between $500,000 and $1 million in a Vanguard Wellington Fund. Data compiled by the Sudan Divestment Task Force shows that Vanguard Wellington has a small percentage of stock in Schlumberger Ltd., a French oil field services company that does business in Sudan.
Edwards sold stock he and his wife owned in Schlumberger for between $40,000 and $100,000. He also invested $50,000 to $100,000 in Evergreen Equity Income Fund, another fund identified by the divestment task force as having stock in Sudan-related companies.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 54 CommentsIs that why SHE''s divesting her holdings? Because she''s not going to hold office, it shouldn''t really matter unless something unethical is going on! And she knows it!?
It''s looking to me---that no matter how much he ''cleans up his camp''---he''ll never really get it clean! In example, having Hagee recant his hatred of Catholics/Catholicism, firing his lobbying campaign aides, or having the wife clean up the investment portfolio---among other things!
There''s just too much dirt to ''sweep under the rug''!
And the Operation Chaos bunch rants about "not knowing" absolutely EVERYTHING from the day Obama AND Clinton were born to what their second cousin twice removed might think.
Freaking DOUBLE-STANDARD ELITE! the McCains have OVER 100 MILLION HID and invested in WHAT?
My guess might be OBVIOUSLY Beer, Cigarettes, War Profiteering, 3rd world sweat "factories", companies that TRANSFERRED American jobs overseas, and other "potentially embarrassing" but EXTREMELY PROFITABLE things.
Wonder what that extra YEAR (after ALL the OTHER candidates CHECKED and DIVESTED) of HIDING their INVESTING IN SUDAN worked out in PROFITEERING???
No surprise there: Where ever you find plentiful natural resources, no environmental standards and no labor standards, you will find the GOP. I''m certain she''s knows everyone at the annual meetings.
So which will it be? Obama and the future, or four more years of McCain, Bush, Cheney and the neocons?
On another topic, how did McCain get such a nice looking wife? ...rich, beer, blonde. Like or hate her, those are a few of my favorite things!! I guess it pays to be a Senator, huh?
Would "y''all" like to know how the people of Sudan are fairing while millionaire Cindy McCain gets richer?
If you would like to know, then go to Google images and query "Darfur genocide."
Look at the photos - I dare you. These are the people that do not exist in John and Cindy''s posh little world.
Go look.
When your White, Its ...Alright !!!
If your Afro American...You had better make not have Oil investments in the Sudan or Africa or near any Arabic Country.
But, if your White...Overlook, Excuse & No Accusations of Terrorism or lack of Patriotism !!!
When your White, Its ...Alright !!!
If your Afro American...You had better not have Oil investments in the Sudan or Africa or near any Arabic Country.
But, if your White...Overlook, Excuse & No Accusations of Terrorism or lack of Patriotism !!!
GreatDriveW, have you checked the holdings of your mutual funds? I know that the muslim agression in Darfur is truly terrible and that there is much suffereing there. I am not making light of the plight of those people, but how would anyone know how their mutual fund money is invested? If she sold it because she learned of the Sudan connection, then at least she took the appropriate action once it came to light.
Your mutual fund manager''s sole objective is to make money, even, unfortunately, at the expense of morals and decency. Those with morals make 0.2% less and are fired.
But he doesn''t have the manhood to make her disclose.
Frankly, the man is pussywhipped.
You want a pussywhip for Prez?
I don''t think so!!
"GreatDriveW, have you checked the holdings of your mutual funds? I know that the muslim agression in Darfur is truly terrible and that there is much suffereing there. I am not making light of the plight of those people, but how would anyone know how their mutual fund money is invested? If she sold it because she learned of the Sudan connection, then at least she took the appropriate action once it came to light.
Your mutual fund manager''''s sole objective is to make money, even, unfortunately, at the expense of morals and decency. Those with morals make 0.2% less and are fired."
I''m not entirely certain what your conclusion is, Glock.
Is it that the investment class bears no responsibility for their investments?
Or, is it that the mutual funds are a perfect example of the passing the buck mentality of ruthless capitalism?
If your conclusion is the former, then let''s continue this discussion. If however it''s the latter, then we are in agreement.
But if she were Black....
HARBORER OF TERRORISM & TERORIST !!!
If this were Michelle or Barack Obama, with Investments in the Sudan, these Obama Haters, would be Calling them Hamas, Al Queda, Oil Money & Harboring & Financing Terrorist !!!
When your White, Its ...Alright !!!
If your Afro American...You had better not have Oil investments in the Sudan or Africa or near any Arabic Country.
But, if your White...Overlook, Excuse & No Accusations of Terrorism or lack of Patriotism !!!
But if she were Black....
HARBORER OF TERRORISM & TERORIST !!!
If this were Michelle or Barack Obama, with Investments in the Sudan, these Obama Haters, would be Calling them Hamas, Al Queda, Oil Money & Harboring & Financing Terrorist !!!
When your White, Its ...Alright !!!
If your Afro American...You had better not have Oil investments in the Sudan or Africa or near any Arabic Country.
But, if your White...
Forgive it, Overlook it, Excuse it & No Accusations of Terrorism or Lack of Patriotism !!!
POSTING: "Glock4me, how do you know these losers even have mutual funds{?} sic"
ANSWER: It says that in the first paragraph, idiot.
POSTING: "Their pastime seems to be jealousy."
QUESTION: Who exactly are "they?"
POSTIBNG: "What she does is no ones business when you are as rich as she is other people handle your money.
ANSWER: Wrong, and We the People about to prove that.
POSTING: "Besides with her money she doesn''''t have to give a *** what other people think."
COMMENT: Hmmm, you must be in the dying GOP.
POSTING: "This election won''''t change her life style one bit. You losers had better wish you had wives that look like her."
COMMENT: I''ve met the McCain''s in real life, and rest assured, she and John have an army of plastic surgeons. So if stretched skin, unnatural smiles and fake boobs are your fancy, then good for you.
Must Watch !
A Black Harlem Minister Threatning White Americans if Obama gets elected !!!
Is it that the investment class bears no responsibility for their investments?
Or, is it that the mutual funds are a perfect example of the passing the buck mentality of ruthless capitalism?
If your conclusion is the former, then let''''s continue this discussion. If however it''''s the latter, then we are in agreement.
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Posted by GreatDriveW at 09:31 PM : May 14, 2008
I''m not sure that enough is known to produce a reasonable conclusion. I guess my main point is that McCain''s wife may not have known about the holdings of her mutual funds. My financial advisor gives advice based on the performance of a specific fund and not what specific activities the money supports.
Currently my primary concern is having enough money to send my kids to college and, hopefully one day, retirement. Unfortunately, the victims in Darfur have more immediate concerns for thier families.
Sorry, it''s too late for a conversation... gotta go to work in the morning so I can buy more mutual fund shares Hopefully the money will support good causes AND provide a healthy return.
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Posted by dmw1167 at 09:38 PM : May 14, 2008
Good point!! I guess I kind of made an assumption there. Hard to imagine anyone not having an investment portfolio that includes some stocks or mutual funds. Not doing so would be irresponsible. Would such a ficticious person be hoping for a socialist government bailout... surely that would never happen.
Posted by dragonwagon5
A judge recently made the comment that freeing an innocent prisoner after 26 years was not justice, it was the end of an injustice.
Mrs. McCain unloaded the shares before the news was made public in a manner that was beyond her control. Now the McCains can keep quiet any news about the profits they made from the shares of these corrupt companies over years, and claim to be doing "the right thing".
"Hard to imagine anyone not having an investment portfolio that includes some stocks or mutual funds. Not doing so would be irresponsible." Posted by Glock4me
Investing money without information about the companies in which you''re investing is also irresponsible, so it seems that glock4me is indeed of the "investment class bears no responsibility for their investments" persuasion.
It would seem that by glock4me''s logic, if there were a pedophile ring making money, as long as glock4me could claim no knowledge of the "company''s" activities, it is ok to invest in and share the profits of such an enterprise.
But if she were Black....
HARBORER OF TERRORISM & TERORIST !!!
If this were Michelle or Barack Obama, with Investments in the Sudan, these Obama Haters, would be Calling them Hamas, Al Queda, Oil Money & Harboring & Financing Terrorist !!!
When your White, Its ...Alright !!!
If your Afro American...You had better not have Oil investments in the Sudan or Africa or near any Arabic Country.
But, if your White...Overlook, Excuse & No Accusations of Terrorism or lack of Patriotism !!!
It does`nt matter, because she`s White...
But if she were Black....
HARBORER OF TERRORISM & TERORIST !!!
If this were Michelle or Barack Obama, with Investments in the Sudan, these Obama Haters, would be Calling them Hamas, Al Queda, Oil Money & Harboring & Financing Terrorist !!!
When your White, Its ...Alright !!!
If your Afro American...You had better not have Oil investments in the Sudan or Africa or near any Arabic Country.
But, if your White...Overlook, Excuse & No Accusations of Terrorism or lack of Patriotism !!!
McCain has More to deal with, because Barack has dealt with his Dissentors, but McCain, is`nt Battle Tested on the campaign trail.
It does`nt matter, because she`s White...
But if she were Black....
HARBORER OF TERRORISM & TERORIST !!!
If this were Michelle or Barack Obama, with Investments in the Sudan, these Obama Haters, would be Calling them Hamas, Al Queda, Oil Money & Harboring & Financing Terrorist !!!
When your White, Its ...Alright !!!
If your Afro American...You had better not have Oil investments in the Sudan or Africa or near any Arabic Country.
But, if your White...Overlook, Excuse & No Accusations of Terrorism or lack of Patriotism !!!
When your White, Its ...Alright !!!
If your Afro American...You had better not have Oil investments in the Sudan or Africa or near any Arabic Country.
But, if your White...Overlook, Excuse & No Accusations of Terrorism or lack of Patriotism !!!
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Posted by Omaar-101 at 01:32 AM
You have said it so well. You are so right.
But wait!
Make her?
She made him with her big bux. Cindy McCain is somebody we need to know a whole lot more about.
Before we should even consider him for Prez.
How about it, McCain?
How much does she really control McCain''s positions?
Why are her financial interests a secret in a campaign for the President of the United States?
says anything about that.
Problem with this figure is that McSame does NOT live on that money along; not when he has access to CANDY''S jet, meals, travel, etc. He is trying to have Americans believe that he is POOR - GIVE ME A BREAK - IT''S NOT WORKING OLD MAN!
Probably because it is totally irrelevant.
Definition: I am wealthy and do what I want. I have different laws and moral responsibilities, being of silver spoon breeding.
says anything about that.
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Posted by truthyness at 05:46 AM : May 15, 2008
+ report abuse
Now I think the TRUTH is more like ONE of his Parents came from Sudan or something like that wasn''t it? Kinda like some of my wifes people on her mom''s side came from GERMANY! Does that mean she''s a NAZI? I''m serious I have a hard time following you Obama haters sometimes.
Posted by ObamasLady at 06:10 AM : May 15, 2008
Tell you what.....if McCain is Bush''s third term, then Ubama is Jimmah Carter''s 2nd term. Fair enough?
You libs are so f**king lame it would be funny if it weren''t so sad - and dangerous for America.
Posted by navpro at 07:04 AM : May 15, 2008
And that just burns your arse doesn''t it? Just can''t stand to see other people doing well while you have to wait tables or greet patrons at the door at Wal-Mart. You are a pathetic pile of horse squeeze!
Posted by LibH8er at 08:23 AM : May 15, 2008"
Why not ... We would have been better off with a couple of more Carter terms than any of Bush.
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Posted by LibH8er at 08:25 AM : May 15, 2008
+ report ab
In reality you are the one that can''t deal with life.
You are the one in all probability asking the customers "If they would like fries with their meal"
But would like to pretend you are something else. You may even be able to do something about your bed wetting problem...
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Posted by LibH8er at 08:25 AM : May 15, 2008
+ report ab
............
What''s really pathetic is that this woman who neaver worked for any of these millions will probally enjoy a lower tax rate than the greeter or waiter.
You libs are so f**king lame it would be funny if it weren''''t so sad - and dangerous for America.
Posted by LibH8er at 08:23 AM : May 15, 2008
Proving your stupidity again, eh?
McSame is considered Bush''s third term, because their policies are nearly identical.
Carter and Obama don''t share any political ideals, and Carter was a president almost 30 years after Obama will be one - do you really think the world is the same place today, that is was then? If the problems are so vastly different, then how can the solutions be exactly the same?
The "GOLLY GEE GEORGE I''M JUST STUPEEED just DOESN''T FLY - RONNIE had an excuse -ALZHEIMER''S for his "forgetting".
I DON''T think PLASTIC BARBIE does - MAYBE she''ll claim a "valley girl moment" but that kind of LACK of POLITICAL ASTUTENESS from BOTH of the McCains is right up there with King George''s "Mission Accomplished" claim.
GREED for KEEPING a "profitable fund" WITHOUT acknowledging or supposedly (which I doubt) CHECKING WHY it was "profitable" is tantamount to Marie Antoinette''s alleged "let them eat cake" comment - TOTALLY OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY!!
Empty WORDS WHILE HIS WIFE PROFITS is a TYPICAL SMOKE AND MIRRORS PROFITEERING PLOY!
HOW MUCH DID THEY MAKE ON THIS DECEPTION???
ARROGANT, ELITIST, NON-CARING, SELFISH and INEPT.
When your White, Its ...Alright !!!
If your Afro American...You had better not have Oil investments in the Sudan or Africa or near any Arabic Country.
But, if your White...Overlook, Excuse & No Accusations of Terrorism or lack of Patriotism !!!
Posted by LibH8er at 08:20 AM : May 15, 2008
Was it ever confirmed - how much she''d been donating to Planned Parenthood e.t.c ??? Anyone ????
Posted by zerato at 03:43 PM : May 15, 2008"
It might also make her look like idiot arm candy...good thing they got out from under this now before people started calling her a home wrecking wh0re and a useless t1t support system.
Posted by LibH8er at 08:23 AM : May 15, 2008"
Crawl back into your dumpster you Republiscum tool.
Just like a Republican. Says the right thing(s), but is just too greedy to act on them.
Remember Cheney/Haliburton was doing business with Iraq (Saddam) while the U.S. had imposed sanctions on them.
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Posted by LibH8er
How about Walmart''s corporate subsidies? These multi-million dollar give aways to the corporate world undermine free enterprise, so do favorable tax policies.
I for one believe in free enterprise. Until we can all play on a level playing field I say the waiter has a tangible reason to be upset.
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