Aug. 22, 2008
Houses Add Up To A Snag For McCain
Washington Post: Republican's Campaign Has Cast Obama As Elitist
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Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. speaks during a town hall meeting, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008, at the Pan American Center on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, N.M. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
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Sen. John McCain's inability to recall the number of homes he owns during an interview yesterday jeopardized his campaign's carefully constructed strategy to frame Democratic rival Barack Obama as an out-of-touch elitist and inspired a round of attacks that once again ratcheted up the negative tone of the race for the White House.
A week dominated by vice presidential speculation and the run-up to the Democratic National Convention was quickly overtaken by the McCain miscue. In an interview with Politico.com, the presumptive Republican nominee was asked how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, heir to a beer distributorship, owned.
"I think -- I'll have my staff get to you," McCain replied. "It's condominiums where -- I'll have them get to you."
Obama's campaign and the Democratic National Committee pounced with remarkable speed. By mid-morning, reporters had received a video log featuring Cindy McCain's childhood estate in Phoenix, an Architectural Digest spread on another property the McCains had owned previously, and tax records and photos detailing seven houses and condominiums -- in Coronado and La Jolla, Calif.; Phoenix and Sedona, Ariz.; and Arlington. By 11 a.m., the Obama campaign had produced a television advertisement titled "Seven" and was answering the question McCain could not.
"It's seven, seven houses, and here's one house Americans can't afford John McCain to move into," the ad concludes over an image of the White House. (If a California beachfront condo that Cindy McCain purchased for their children this year is included, the number of homes owned by the McCains rises to eight.)
That provoked a furious response by McCain campaign and Republican National Committee aides, who charged hypocrisy and argued that the senator from Illinois had received help purchasing his South Side Chicago mansion from businessman Tony Rezko, a convicted felon.
"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?" asked McCain spokesman Brian Rogers.
The senator from Arizona also quickly assembled a response ad, in which a narrator intones, "Barack Obama knows a lot about housing problems." The spot raises Obama's relationship with Rezko, saying that "one of Obama's biggest fundraisers helped him buy his million-dollar mansion," and charges that in return "Rezko got political favors."
By the day's end, the Democratic National Committee was threatening to escalate the fight further by highlighting McCain's connections to the "Keating Five" savings and loan scandal, in which the senator ended up before the Senate ethics committee.
"They go Rezko, we go Keating," said a Democratic strategist, speaking on the condition of anonymity to divulge potential campaign strategy. "If they want to escalate, bring it on."
For a Democratic candidate suffering from a barrage of attacks on his "celebrity," McCain's inability to recall the scope of his family holdings was a timely break.
"I guess . . . if you don't know how many houses you have, then it's not surprising that you might think the economy was fundamentally strong," Obama told an audience in Chester, Va. "But if you're like me, and you've got one house, or you are like the millions of people who are struggling right now to keep up with their mortgage so they don't lose their home, you might have a different perspective."
Obama campaign aides and Democratic National Committee researchers had been sitting on film clips, tax records, photos and other information on McCain's real estate holdings for weeks. The now-defunct Progressive Media USA, a liberal activist group, had done polling on the potential line of attack and concluded that it alone would have little impact against McCain, whose "brand" as a maverick Republican has proved difficult to crack.
But Obama aides were collecting documentation of separate incidents they wanted to string together as a narrative: McCain economic adviser Phil Gramm's comment to the Washington Times that the United States was "a nation of whiners" stuck in a "mental recession" and overstating the current economic woes; a McCain assertion that the economy is fundamentally strong; and the Arizonan's comment Saturday at the Saddleback Civil Forum in California defining the threshold for being rich as an income of $5 million a year.
When McCain made his comment to Politico, Obama communications director Dan Pfeiffer flashed the green light.
Even if the slip doesn't resonate broadly with the electorate, it could have meaning for the one group Obama has had the most difficulty with: working-class white voters, said Democratic strategist Tom Matzzie.
It also muddles what had been a clear Republican line of attack on Obama. Throughout the summer, the GOP had worked furiously to turn one of Obama's greatest strengths -- his ability to whip his supporters into a passionate movement -- into a weakness, framing him as an inexperienced, featherweight celebrity who is not ready to lead. Obama's edge in many national polls has dwindled since that line of attack was launched.
But McCain's wealth was bound to eventually become entangled in the debate. The McCain campaign grudgingly released Cindy McCain's 2006 tax returns in May but refused to release the more detailed schedules that delve into the source of her wealth. Her 2007 tax returns have still not been released.
Those 2006 returns showed a woman with income that year of more than $6 million. Of that, just $299,418 came from wages and salary. The bulk of it -- $4.55 million -- came from real estate rentals, partnerships and other passive ventures.
Those real estate holdings include a Sedona ranch with three dwellings, worth $1.1 million; a Phoenix condominium suite that had originally been two units, worth $4.7 million; an $847,800 three-bedroom high-rise condo in Arlington; an oceanfront condo in La Jolla, Calif.; a half-million-dollar loft in Phoenix purchased for their daughter Meghan; another Phoenix condo, worth $830,000; and two beachfront condos in Coronado, Calif, one of which is valued at $2.7 million. The other was purchased just this year, as McCain was lamenting the difficulties that struggling Americans were facing just to make their mortgage payments. Cindy McCain told Vogue magazine the family needed the second condo because the first was getting too crowded as their family grew.
McCain's confusion could be rooted in the scattered nature of the family's holdings. Public records show they were purchased by various McCain family entities, with names such as Dream Catcher Family LLC and Wild River LLC, and at least one is listed as rental real estate.
The ferocity of the McCain campaign's response to Obama made it clear how seriously it viewed the potential for damage from the Arizonan's remarks.
"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?" Rogers demanded. In an interview, he was even more animated, saying Obama lived in a "frickin' mansion" in Chicago and adding that he is confident McCain resonates more with regular Americans.
"In terms of who's an elitist, I think people have made a judgment that John McCain is not an arugula-eating, pointy-headed-professor type based on his life story."
But recent events, some of them attributable to McCain or his advisers, have threatened McCain's regular-guy image.
Saturday night, during an appearance with the Rev. Rick Warren, an evangelical leader, McCain was asked to define the word "rich" and responded: "I think if you are just talking about income, how about $5 million?" Warren and the audience laughed, and McCain quickly added: "But seriously, I don't think you can -- I don't think seriously that -- the point is that I'm trying to make here, seriously -- and I'm sure that comment will be distorted -- but the point is that we want to keep people's taxes low and increase revenues."
McCain had distanced himself from Gramm after the "whiners" comment but welcomed him back to the campaign at a meeting of advisers last week.
And liberal bloggers have struck as well, pointing out that McCain's standard campaign uniform of blue "Navy" baseball cap and khakis is anchored by a distinctive pair of $500 Ferragamo loafers.
Staff writer Michael D. Shear and research editor Alice Crites contributed to this report.
By Jonathan Weisman and Robert Barnes
© 2008 The Washington Post Company





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See all 814 CommentsHowever it is interesting to point out that the Obamas are both self-made and come from humble beginnings, while the MacCains money is all inherited at it''s roots - hers from a beer distibutor. Given the religious right''s attitude to alcohol isn''t it rather wierd that their choice of first lady is someone who makes her living selling it?
This just goes to show you that McLame is suffering from Altimers.
McLAME cant remember how many houses he owns that Altimers 100%
Amazing what happens when these slanders hit the light of day.
When he resorts to these kinds of falsehoods, and casts such aspersions on his opponent%u2019s patriotism, John McCain is no longer putting his country first. If he were, he would recognize that the interests of the nation require a relatively truthful campaign. To fulfill his image of himself, McCain should stop lying about his opponent. For a man with his claims to honor and integrity, that%u2019s not too much to ask.
7 Houses and each house has a 3 car garage that 21 automobiles and each house has 4 bathrooms that 28 bathrooms and 28 toilets and each house has a front and back yard thats 14 lawns to mow and each house has ONE swimming Pool that 7 Pools.
Its McLame who could not remember dont blame the Libs McCain has Altimers.
That should not be a hard question to remember "How many Houses do you Own" This just proves how out of touch with America McLame actually is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJGudkju0g
View the video
Make sure you get the full URL, without the quotes
John & Cindy McMunster need those multiple Mausoleums
to keep up with all their friends, my friends!
$1.65 million -- $300,000 below the asking price + $104,500 (extra land purshased)
The Cost of 7 John McCain''s Mansions:
1. 4,660,000
2. 2,100,000
3. 1,942,365
4. 2,705,040
5. 1,000,000
6. 847,800
7. 500,000
Who''s richer?
So what you''re saying is that if John McCain hadn''t bought those houses, there would be 21 fewer automobiles, 28 fewer bathrooms, 28 fewer toilets, 14 fewer front and back yards and lawns, and 7 fewer swimming pools? My guess is that someone probably would have built houses, whether or not John McCain was living in them or not. Obviously this does however explode the myth that we require "immigrant labor" to meet the construction industries needs. Building all these houses, yards and pools where nobody is home most of the time, just doesn''t make sense. Then again, there would be those who would defame both candidates for sitting on their wallets and not spending some of their cash. Apparently, unless you''re broke or in debt, you won''t make a good President, unfortunately, if you are broke and in debt, you''ll never get a chance to run for President. It''s a conundrum allright!
The issue is that McCain is either being deceptive about his finances(not releasing his wife''s tax returns when she''s the one with the assets) and then characterizing Obama as an elitist, or he really is senile. Both are legitimate areas to look at.
Besides, Republicans, you wanted more humor in the campaign..remember?
And I am sorry everyone (almost) in Chicago knew what this guy was up to and to say that Obama was unaware of how shady Rezko was is just a lie.
It''s about time the media pick up on it.
Remember:
The media is only as liberal as the giant corporations that own it.
It''s about time the media pick up on it.
Remember:
The media is only as liberal as the giant corporations that own it.
I''m sooo glad I don''t own a television anymore.
Who cares about how many houses they own? Mrs. McCain is obviously wealthy, so are the Kennedy%u2019s, Edwards, Kerry, and the list goes on. Isn%u2019t that the point in America, the opportunity to succeed (even financially)? Oh yes, the liberals claim it is a crime to be successful (thus they wish to punish the successful with the burden of paying all of the taxes). It is truly pathetic how the liberals complain. I agree that most Americans are whiners %u2013 but only because I know how other people around the world live in comparison. And this includes Europe %u2013 which most socialist liberals use as a model for the USA %u2013 trust me, it is not better over there. Obama%u2019s math does not work when he claims he will reduce taxes for 95% of Americans %u2013 why, because 50% currently pay no taxes.
Who cares about how many houses they own? Mrs. McCain is obviously wealthy, so are the Kennedy%u2019s, Edwards, Kerry, and the list goes on. Isn%u2019t that the point in America, the opportunity to succeed (even financially)? Oh yes, the liberals claim it is a crime to be successful (thus they wish to punish the successful with the burden of paying all of the taxes). It is truly pathetic how the liberals complain. I agree that most Americans are whiners %u2013 but only because I know how other people around the world live in comparison. And this includes Europe %u2013 which most socialist liberals use as a model for the USA %u2013 trust me, it is not better over there. Obama%u2019s math does not work when he claims he will reduce taxes for 95% of Americans %u2013 why, because 50% currently pay no taxes.
Who cares about how many houses they own? Mrs. McCain is obviously wealthy, so are the Kennedy%u2019s, Edwards, Kerry, and the list goes on. Isn%u2019t that the point in America, the opportunity to succeed (even financially)? Oh yes, the liberals claim it is a crime to be successful (thus they wish to punish the successful with the burden of paying all of the taxes). It is truly pathetic how the liberals complain. I agree that most Americans are whiners %u2013 but only because I know how other people around the world live in comparison. And this includes Europe %u2013 which most socialist liberals use as a model for the USA %u2013 trust me, it is not better over there. Obama%u2019s math does not work when he claims he will reduce taxes for 95% of Americans %u2013 why, because 50% currently pay no taxes.
How much more has Obama forgot?
Besides, Republicans, you wanted more humor in the campaign..remember?
Posted by realpatriot1 at 10:12 AM : Aug 22, 2008
The real issue is his blatant incompetence.
How in the F*** could ANYONE forget how many houses they own, unless they''re a major property owner like Donald Trump? If you asked Trump how many he had, and he said, "I don''t know 100, 110 - somewhere in that range", then I could see it.
I can tell you how many tv''s are in my house, I can also tell you how many computers are in my house.
But he has NO CLUE how many houses he owns?!?!
Posted by esmen at 10:18 AM : Aug 22, 2008
Howard Dean said it perfectly last week:
"John McCain of 2000, wouldn''t vote for John McCain of 2008."
How much more has Obama forgot?
Posted by oshawn1 at 10:20 AM : Aug 22, 2008
What, exactly, are you talking about?
Do you have links to support this BS you just made up?
- Cindy McCain stole money from her charity for her drug addiction.
- John McCain nearly flunked out of the Naval Academy after daddy pulled strings to get him in (kinda like W the world''s biggest failure and embarrassment), then proceeded to crash 5, count them 5 jets at taxpayer''s (your) expense, resulting in his capture, where he sang like a canary to the enemy (but that''s ok, he''s PRO-TORTURE now.
- How McCain dumped the woman who waited years for his return for a rich better looking woman just because his first wife was disfigured from a horrible accident. How he CHEATED on his first wife in "exotic" HAWAII, how he is a SERIAL ADULTERER, probably had another affair with a lobbyist, and has the moral fiber of a back alley pimp.
- How McCain has flip flopped on nearly EVERY issue of importance in the past 8 years. McCain makes John Kerry look like a rock!
- How McCain is shamelessly pandering with the right-wing Christian crowd at SaddleBack, despite having called them "agents of intolerance" in the past and having urged Bush to be more pro-choice in his policies.
- How hollow McCain''s economic plan is since his personal economic plan consists of "dump the old wife for a beer baron heiress"
- What a crook he is and how the "maverick" BS is simply an attempt to cover his Keating 5 corruption.
- How he stole his famous war story of the guard drawing a cross in the sand from Alexander Solzhenitsyn and his times in the Soviet Gulags. Even his wife lies about her family background, saying she''s an "only child" to cover up the embarassment of how her father left the other two children out of the will".
- How non-partisan groups like Media Matters have come out and dismissed nearly all of McCain''s comments about Obama as pure BS. Especially on taxes. What else is he lying about????
- How McCain and his turncoat buddy Joe Lieberman are chomping at the bit to invade Iran. A three front war according to nearly all military brass will require a DRAFT (which the machinery is already in place for). Hope you are prepared to take care of your children after they return mangled, limbless, psychologically scarred, or in body bags. What did you think he meant when he said "there will be other wars"?
Typical class envy ploy going on here.
you own? ( Just remember how the question is phrased, they didnt ask how many you and your wife own, or how many might be part of investments you have, you make the
wrong answer and your painted as a liar.) And then you
have the chosen one, who had part of his property paid for by a convicted swindler, who he did political
favors for. Wow glad to see cbs has that story up..
NOT. Barack stepped right into that one. So I quess thats the kind of Hope and Change you will see under
his administration. Hope that the media doesnt report
it, and change the subject if they do.
Posted by lanesharon at 10:29 AM : Aug 22, 2008
The issue isn''t whether McCain is "rich" or not.
It''s a matter of his blatant incompetence.
He''s so F***ING clueless, he doesn''t even know how many houses he owns?
Typical class envy ploy going on here.
Posted by Xlib at 10:30 AM : Aug 22, 2008
The issue isn''t whether McCain is "rich" or not.
It''s a matter of his blatant incompetence.
He''s so F***ING clueless, he doesn''t even know how many houses he owns?
How could ANYONE vote for someone so stupid, and with such a low mental capacity?
- Cindy McCain stole money from her charity for her drug addiction.
- John McCain nearly flunked out of the Naval Academy after daddy pulled strings to get him in (kinda like W the world''s biggest failure and embarrassment), then proceeded to crash 5, count them 5 jets at taxpayer''s (your) expense, resulting in his capture, where he sang like a canary to the enemy (but that''s ok, he''s PRO-TORTURE now.
- How McCain dumped the woman who waited years for his return for a rich better looking woman just because his first wife was disfigured from a horrible accident. How he CHEATED on his first wife in "exotic" HAWAII, how he is a SERIAL ADULTERER, probably had another affair with a lobbyist, and has the moral fiber of a back alley pimp.
- How McCain has flip flopped on nearly EVERY issue of importance in the past 8 years. McCain makes John Kerry look like a rock! He''ll say whatever he thinks you want to hear to get elected.
- How McCain is shamelessly pandering with the right-wing Christian crowd at SaddleBack, despite having called them "agents of intolerance" in the past and having urged Bush to be more pro-choice in his policies. Look it up.
Whether Vladimir Putin is from Russia or Germany. Imagine the scenario where an aide comes in to tell McCain Putin is attacking Poland and McCain orders nucular (Bushism) strikes on Berlin.
When he heightens hostilities with Russia for cutting off oil or natural gas to Cxechoslovakia (McCainism) yet again.
Orders Nucular (Bushism) attacks on the Iraq - Pakistan (McCainism) border to send Bin Laden to the "Gates of Hell" and end the War on Terra''. (Bushism)
McCain claims the military use of Nucular Power has always been safe as the Navy admits to a submarine leaking nucular waste later determining the leak has been occurring without detection for over two years. While appearing at the site of a nucular reactor that almost had a meltdown and ignoring the radiation leaks from Three Mile Island and disaster Chernoble as well as failing to assure the existence of a secure storage for nucular waste before expanding it''s use. Kinda like a repeat of McCain''s own now repudiated bill to provide legal status to illegal aliens in this country before securing the border.
This repeated problem with details is significant. Perhaps Senator McCain should spend the next 4 years trying to accurately determine how many houses he and his wife have without forgetting which ones he has already counted and which ones he hasn''t.
have the chosen one, who had part of his property paid for by a convicted swindler, who he did political
favors for. Wow glad to see cbs has that story up..
NOT. Barack stepped right into that one. So I quess thats the kind of Hope and Change you will see under
his administration. Hope that the media doesnt report
it, and change the subject if they do.
Posted by guad07rg at 10:30 AM : Aug 22, 2008
You might want to go and reread the Chicago Tribune story.
You''ve got it ALL wrong.
- What a crook he is and how the "maverick" BS is simply an attempt to cover his Keating 5 corruption.
- How he will sell out and boot lick even the same people (Rove/Bush) who did push polls in 2000 telling voters "would you vote for McCain if you knew he fathered an illegitimate black child". He even HIRED Rove''s hit squad to manage his campaign. Ha! Talk about NO INTEGRITY!
- How he stole his famous war story of the guard drawing a cross in the sand from Alexander Solzhenitsyn and his times in the Soviet Gulags. Even his wife lies about her family background, saying she''s an "only child" to cover up the embarassment of how her father left the other two children out of the will".
- How non-partisan groups like Media Matters have come out and dismissed nearly all of McCain''s comments about Obama as pure BS. Especially on taxes. What else is he lying about????
- How McCain and his turncoat buddy Joe Lieberman are chomping at the bit to invade Iran. A three front war according to nearly all military brass will require a DRAFT (which the machinery is already in place for). Hope you are prepared to take care of your children after they return mangled, limbless, psychologically scarred, or in body bags. What did you think he meant when he said "there will be other wars"?
Still can''t understand why none of you leemings are bringing up the Keating 5. Could be because the majority, save for mccain who was cleared of all charges, were dems.
Say, maybe the messiah''s buddy rezko could help the mccain''s get another home.
Posted by Xlib at 10:32 AM : Aug 22, 2008
I''ll bet if you asked Kerry how many he owned, he''d be competent enough to answer!!
What''s the matter, johnny?
Wasn''t Leiberman there to whisper the answer in your ear?
F***ING incompetent, senile, old fool!
Posted by hungry1968 at 10:33 AM : Aug 22, 2008
And if your guy is soooo much smarter, why wont he debate the old basssstard in the town hall formats like McCain has asked him to do??? Answer no scripts
from his bootlicks and no telepromptors. He showed his
intel at the minidebate last week...sounded like
Tedy Tumor..er er rum er er rumm beyond my pay grade..
ha ha ha ha
by rfahey22 on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 03:16:02 PM EST
McBush is a lying piece of scat. he''l send all your children to war so he can look like a hero.
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