McCain can't remember how many homes he owns; Updated
By SilentPatriot Wednesday Aug 20, 2008 2:00pmOnly non-elitists have trouble keeping track of all their multi-million dollar houses.
Politico: (audio available here)
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."
Is McCain's memory so shot that he genuinely can't remember? Hell, a parking lot he owns is worth four times more than the average American home. Does he have so many that it's unimportant for him to even keep track? Whatever the reason, millions of Americans are at risk of losing their one and only home, and a new Obama ad is quick to point this out.
Senator Obama hammered McCain on this at a town hall today, too. McCain's response? Typically lame: Obama Worries About Arugula, Vacations In Hawaii
RELATED:
Tour McCain's Houses on Google Maps
Lifestyles of The Rich & Out of Touch
Meet a woman who knows how many homes she now owns -- zero!
UPDATE: (Nicole) McCains Bought Second Beach Condo At Around Time McCain Said Struggling Homeowners Needed To Skip Vacations...but will McCain's Media report it? How about one of his unmemorable homes being featured in Architectural Digest?
UPDATE 2: Have they no shame? The McCain campaign is in full damage control mode, and have resorted to -- you guessed it! -- playing the POW card.
Speaking to the Washington Post, aide Brian Rogers, in full damage-control mode, acknowledged that his boss had "some investment properties and stuff," but added: "This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years -- in prison."
Wow. They played this card after McCain was caught in the "Cone of Silence" lie. It appears that we are going to see this strategy employed every time the McCain feels he needs to kill a story quickly. It can't possibly work every time, can it?
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Who in the hell is going to vote for this old douchebag? I mean, honest to god. You'd have to be as old, senile, rich, and out of touch as he is before you could EVER consider him a viable candidate.
This kind of stuff needs to be thrown in the face of every idiot who swears allegiance to McCain.
Wow! I wish I had a couple mansions to throw myself around in. But seriously, how can you forget how many homes you own? Jeez!
But Senator Obama knows what arugula is and he vacationed with his grandmother in Hawaii, where she happens to live, so I guess that about evens things out, right?
I think the ad should have used McCain's own voice.
P.D. @ 2:
Either he is embarrassed by his wealth or he's dumb as hell.
mccain defense....he's a pow. hannity said it's ok for mccain to commit adultery because he's a pow. now, mccain's campaign is saying that he can be stupid and be out of touch because he's a pow. it's becoming a campaign of a noun, a verb and pow.
What the f--- does Obama loose to McCRAZY when the economy is in the tank are we American people that THICK??
pissed off patricia @ 3:
Yeah. I mean, he vacationed in the United States. He spent his vacation money in the U.S. It's not like he went to Paris or the Bahamas.
The RNC just blasted out a memo to that effect, and Rush Limbaugh is running with it:
This business about McCain not knowing how many houses he has. Folks, it turns out that Obama already knows. Obama’s got an ad: He’s got seven houses. They’re worth $13 million. That wouldn’t even pay for one of John Kerry’s houses.
And the second thing I have to point out to you is that I don’t care how many houses McCain has, he and his wife did not get a sweetheart deal from a fraud embezzler like Tony Rezko to buy their houses. But the Messiah did. The Messiah got all kind of sweetheart deals with Rezko, and who knows who else.
Keating Five open for business - Paging McCain's former good buddy, Charles Keating
John McCain remember the Keating Five Scandal, the collapse of most of the Savings and Loan institutions in the United States in the late 1980s.
In 1989, the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association of Irvine, Calif., collapsed. Lincoln's chairman, Charles H. Keating Jr., was faulted for the thrift's failure. Keating, however, told the House Banking Committee that the FHLBB and its former chief Edwin J. Gray were pursuing a vendetta against him. Gray testified that several U.S. senators had approached him and requested that he ease off on the Lincoln investigation. It came out that these senators had been beneficiaries of $1.3 million (collective total) in campaign contributions from Keating.
You've just opened Pandora's box
He's also pulled the POW card out now as well:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/21/141524/180/625/571940#c94
When he says "my friends" I guess he figures that makes him the guy next door. The guy next door to any one of his many homes.
You have to wonder if the guy could even define the word "budget" or has he ever actually lived on one. Like Obama said today, if McCain thinks making five million dollars a year is rich, then anyone making two or three million must be middle class. Where does that leave the rest of us?
"Single home families" as charitable cause. Kitty's one liner from episode of Dharma and Greg sitcom.
somebody said on TPM
Trigger happy and out of touch; That's how you can describe McCain's foreign and domestic policy.
John Kerry, everyone?? John Edwards. Bill and Hillary Clinton. Al Gore.
Do people think this is really a winner?
And parking lots generate revenue. That and they're expensive to build and maintain- that one is silly.
remember the california condo in property tax default?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/06/cindy-mccains-c.html
An elite out of touch typical republican.
pissed off patricia @ 3:
Does anybody know where these multiple residences are? Any in Hawaii (you know, that exotic place) or (gasp) out of the country? If so, it indicates McCain hates this country (at least sometimes).
So, do condominiums not count as a residence?
Obama shouldn't touch the "POW" card. Even the less smart public may realize they are hearing that as an excuse from the McCain campaign more than they are hearing anything else. McCain's whole campaign book seems to be to lie about Sen. Obama with their attacks and to use the POW card as a defense and excuse for all McCain's gaffes and screw ups. Hopefully the public won't play the fool to their antics.
he remembers how many homes they have..he just didn't
have the pre-fabricated linguistic line from his consultants
ask mccain about the $1,930.00 a month social security
payment he receives. he should be able to answer questions about that program..he's been receiving payments since he was 65.....7years ago.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2008/07/14/daily79.html
Let's see, seven homes and $1,930 per month in social security.
That should at least keep the yards mowed and (in the case of condominiums) the association dues up to date.
Salt of the earth I tell ya.
McCain can’t remember how many homes he owns
ELITISTS!
John Kerry married into money well after his political career began.
The others you listed above MADE THEIR OWN FORTUNE(S) ; they didn't cheat on their spouse and then marry the mistress with the big bucks who also gave them their entire (shitty) political career.
Get a clue before you continue posting your ridiculously stupid insipid piss.........
Could he have sounded more elitist when he said he would have to have his staff get back to the questioner with the answer? Almost as if to say, I don't bother with those sorts of details, I'll have someone find out how many homes I own and get the answer for you.
If he didn't know the answer to that personal question about his own life, why should we trust him to know what is really going on in our country and the world?
Obama's media peeps need to use better shots and photos for these ads. It's not like he's been hit with the ugly stick or they don't have aw-inspiring footage. Black and White?....OAP?
Other than that, pretty decent for a quick response ad. And yes, they should use McCain's own words against him. Again, it's not like the soundbites aren't on YouTube.
BTW, McCain recently said he agrees with bringing back the draft. I mean, WTF?!?! Is he testing the American electorate to see how nuts they are?
I think McDumbass may really not know.......afterall, that c**t Cindy probably keeps those purse strings pretty tight.......
Dr. Toxic @ 1:
I hear ya doc...but those who have allegiance with McBain...also likely would never vote for a minority.
So it would be like talkin to a stump.
lipstickhottie @ 25:
HA! Zing!!!!
He may own seven houses but I bet he doesn't have ONE mortgage!
(I should own mine by the time I'm 78. Or dead.)
Poor Cindy too. She has to have a private jet because there is so much land in Arizona! I don't know how they get by. Breaks me wittle heart!
dennis @ 14:
Wow the right wing troll is starting to make less sense than an idiot wearing a parka in the Sahara.
And this is the guy who is going to answer that 3am phone call? What's he going to do when it comes, have his staff work on the emergency and he'll know what to do when they get the answer for him?
If he doesn't even know how many homes he has, what the hell else doesn't he know?
Love the way it says "McCain lost track. He couldn't remember." That's killin' two birds...
"I don't know how many homes I own. I don't know anything about economics or computers. I don't kow who's training Al Queda or who borders Pakistan or
what to call Czechoslovakia. I'm John McCain and when elected I'll be 72 years
young!"
MCMetal @ 22:
Know all that McMetal. I can't get into a flame war with you, but you do a terribly poor job of trying to nuance your way to any distinguishment between any of these people examples. Especially the part about cheating on their spouses. I only wish you were involved in advertising for Obama, that one would be a hoot.
Let's agree too check back here in a week on an open thread and see if this is still being discussed.
McCain has been so well trained to use the "I'll get back to you" line by his handlers that he no longer tries to think on his own. Then his handlers tried to say some of these homes were just investments. The McCains can prove this by releasing all their tax forms for the last few years. We could see all the rental income they claimed from these on their taxes. (Now that we know, we should make sure they are claiming all this income.) Of course, they will say an investment to them is to buy mansions and hope they increase in value. Investment advice for you: Do not invest in housing in the McCain/Bush economy. No wonder he needs a higher paying job.
Leave McCain alone! He's old and can't count that high!
pissedofpatricia@31, Notice how nobody is talking about McCain's draft statement? The Democrats would be wise to use that statement, add the multiple homes and Obama may get a bump.
I am praying for the "McCain Moment," the one that makes eveyone sit back and say.... uh, no. Not this guy. I'm waiting for the moment when McCain falls from a dais, like Bob Dole in Chico, CA. Something that makes everyone finally realize he's a doddering, cranky old man who may or may not be in complete control of his facilities. Not to say Bob Dole was, but the perception was the reality. We need McCain to do something, anything, that makes him look physically or mentally frail, less than virile enough to handle the strains of the presidency.
I'd never wish any harm to him, nor would I want him to seriously hurt himself or someone else. We just need McCain to do something that raises the question of his mental or physical fitness to hold the nation's highest office. Not that it would convince everyone, but maybe just enough to move the election in Obama's direction once and for all.
I do have to admit my vote is split between Obama and Barr. I figure either way, I'll hurt McCain... but would I be hurting Obama in the process? Thoughts?
Class against class politics seems to work. Not in 2008 but against Kerry in '04.
(By the way, S.P.: The "typically lame" McCain stuff...that seems to be working too.)
The..."I don't recall"...party.
vs.
the ..."I'm totally appalled about it and will talk about FOREVER, 'till I'm re-elected party"
Patty D. @ 37:
That comment he made to the lady, agreeing with her about the draft, should be on every big web site, including the right wing ones. It should be shouted from the rafters. Then start the countdown until one of McCain's handlers comes out with a statement that McCain didn't hear her say the part about the draft.
Everyone knows that this election will be decided on the basis of EXPERIENCE. Obama's got none, compared to John McCain. McCain has been a long-time Senator and has accomplished many more things than Barack Obama. For instance, look at this list of McCain's accomplishments throughout the years:
* He was deeply involved in the Keating 5 savings and loan scandal of the 1980's when thousands of working class investors lost their retirement money and the U.S. government had to pony up 2 billion dollars in bailout funds.
* McCain enthusiastically supported the North American Free Trade Agreement which has been a cross-border disaster for working people of all the nationalities involved.
* McCain opposes affirmative action programs that help overcome the racial and gender discriminaton that is still very much alive and well in this country.
* When the Lilly Ledbetter bill came up in the Senate which allow women to sue companies that cheated them out of wages by discriminating against them, McCain opposed its passage.
* McCain opposes the Protecting America's Workers Act which would increase penalties against employers who kill and maim employees with risky unsafe workplace practices
* McCain supports at least partial privatization of Social Security. After the wonderful job Wall Street did with home mortgages, that would be risky business at best.
* McCain opposes the Employee Free Choice Act which would make it harder for employers to coerce or fire workers who want to join a union
* McCain has voted to weaken laws governing overtime pay and minimum wage.
* McCain voted to cut funding for both Medicare and Medicaid.
* McCain wants to essentially continue the Bush tax plan which cut taxes for the wealthy while starving social services crucial to a decent working class lifestyle.
* McCain has supported cutting veterans' health and education benefits.
* McCain supported the invasion of Iraq. That condemned our largely working class military and private contractors to an open-ended unpopular occupation and its thousands of resulting deaths and injuries. The toll on the Iraqi people was far higher. All of this agony was for a war whose real motivation was all about the oil.
* Of course this is just the short list. Poke around a little bit on your own and you can easily double the length.
NOW THAT'S EXPERIENCE REPUBLICANS CAN COUNT ON!!!
dennis@14
do you defecate your brains out every day? there can't be much left between your ears.
hmoore @ 38:
A vote for Barr is one less vote for Obama if you are torn between the two. Please consider Barr is still very right wing in so many areas. Please also consider if Barr did win, he would, like McCain, lean toward supreme court justices who would see women's bodies as something that should be the property of the law.
New Pro-Obama book coming out soon ...
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Obama's media peeps need to use better camapign shots and photos on these ads. It's not as if they haven't got any awe-inspiring footage or he's been hit with the uglu stick. Black and White? OAP?
Other than that, pretty decent for a quick response ad. But McCain's own words should be incorporated into attack ads. Again, it's not like the soundbites aren't on YouTube.
BTW, McCain said he agrees with bringing back the military draft. I Mean, WTF?!?! Is is testing the American electorate to see how nuts they are?
Hey denny poo...
Defend THIS!
http://tinyurl.com/62bmgt
McCain doesn't own any homes they belong to Cindy. McCain lives of his stolen money and his Social Security checks. Now Cindy buys his clothes and let's him use the plane so he looks rich. McCain is a brought and paid for man and when Cindy is finished he will have just what he came with nothing. Cindy is like the Desperate Housewives and has a few men on the side. Teflon John uses viaga for the young chicks and the prostitutes he hires for services.
chicano2nd @ 43:
Yes, yes indeed he does...oh he keeps fillin that empty space with lies, hate and propanganda...
What "nuance" is needed to explain that the all the people you mention DID NOT cheat on their spouses in order to accumulate their money and that McDepends did ?
The thread (and my response) is about Mcdepends' inability to know how many homes he owns , and I simply reminded your dopey ass as to how he accumulated those houses.
Yet , you mention Dems whose only similarity with Johnny boy is perhaps one transgression/category each.
I'd love to see you go on Rachel Maddow's new show and try to defend your GOP presidential candidate with your laughable arguments against her ; she'd kick your dopey ass all over MSNBC's studios.............
liberalNmoderation @ 47:
All they do is ask questions, libNmod. That's all conspiracy theories ever do.
So I'll just go with the standard John McCain is a POW and a war hero.
The ad would be much more effective if McCain's own response were used otherwise ... Obama's lying or distorting or taking out of context or ...
This was printed in the AP article posted on MSNBC:
For the love of Pink Unicorns!
Even though McCain has 150000000 houses Obama associated with a crook even though he wasn't a crook at the time but we'll mention it anyway for no real reason except we are in the McCain club....
MCMetal @ 50:
It appears Rachel considered the thought of going to Fox News instead of MSNBC, McMetal. But really, you think that highly of me that you'd actually want to watch me debate someone? Yeesh.
But again, I can't get into this with you here. Would love to, though.
It doesn't matter how many houses John McCain has. After all, he was a POW.
What does matter is that his brain is MIA and his intergity is AWOL.
dennis @ 51:
POW yes, hero no.
A hero, by definition, does something heroic - something above and beyond the call of duty. Throws himself on a grenade to save his comrades, takes out a whole enemy machine-gun nest single-handedly at great risk to himself, etc.
McCain did nothing of the sort; at best, he only obeyed (as far as we know) the rules applicable to his situation. He is a victim, he is a survivor, but he is no hero.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
That "thought" is a negotiating ploy , you ignoramus ; man , you really are naive' , aren't you ?
And , no ; I do not think much at all of you , much less "highly".
I think you're a GOP suckhole sycophant , and morons like yourself are the ones that have had control over the US for far too long and are ruining our once proud nation.
Watching you on Ms Maddow's show would be akin to the Romans who attended the Coliseum to watch the lions go to work on those poor Christians........
A lovely graphic of McCain's 7 properties (one of which has 5 houses by itself) can be found here:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/apache.3cdn.net/8a830b268131dd3027_ufm6bnfiz.jpg
If McCain's memory is that weak, can he be trusted to lead the country?
I don't know about you, but...
"I'm voting for the guy who knows how many homes he owns."
BUY YOUR PIN OR BUMPER STICKER TODAY!
I don't know the details of the issue, but Obama has an opportunity to get out in front of the Rezko thing here. He should flood the nightly tard shows with some surrogates to muddy the waters.
Again, I don't know if it's a real issue or not but we all know that doesn't matter.
"Well, see, its kind of complicated because some are condominiums and some are technically being repossessed, and some are actually negative capital gains corporations... it gets a little confusing, and I'm no tax lawyer. I'm pretty sure a lot of down-to-Earth working folks in West Virginia and Ohio know what I'm talking about here. Not like with Sen. Obama, he's an elitist Harvard-educated fancy-talker. Get it, I'm a maverick and he's a muslim - boogity-boo!"
Aw hell, I think McCain morphed into Bush (the lesser) about half way through that.
dennis @ 51:
Is this a dennis impersonator? That is some funny stuff!
That spot kicked ass!!!!! Let's see more of that!!!
Rusty The One Shackleford @ 56:
Good Lord, Rusty. I don't know how I could've put that in a way that was any more tongue in cheek. But not going home when offered by the N. Vietnamese captors because there was someone in front of him that he said should go first may not have been 'heroic', but it was something highly admirable. You'd have to acknowledge that much.
Good Catch!!
This will turn the tide - no?
dennis @ 14:
Seriously? You are trying to defend this? The guy doesn't know how many houses he has, and he tells the media he'll have one of his staff look into it?
You think Al, John, John or Billy would ever forget how many houses they have?
I think sometimes you've just got to say, "Yep, our guy sure stepped in it today..."
I hope McCain keeps playing that POW card every chance he gets. It's starting to get to the point of absurdity and irrelevance, just like Giuliani's 9/11 card.
Remember Bush in the debate when he said, "Really, I own a lumber company?" *snort chuckle* "Want to buy some wood?"
If there were any justice in the world, Christiane Amanpour should have walked up to him right there and kicked him in the nads.
mccain's $12 million dollar home in sedona.....this POW
is doing pretty well good thing he collects that $1,930.00
monthly social security payment he can pay the heating bill
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/features/archive/mccain_slidesh...
Old Billy Hussein @ 62:
Hey O-Bill. Stupid thing for McCain to say, I agree. There was that one condo that they let slip about paying the R/E taxes on because they thought some Trust Dept. somewhere was taking care of it. Sounds like he has holdings that he or she doesn't pay that much attention to, and you can't say he hasn't been busy the last couple of years. I doubt he's got those on his mind. Anyway, the fact of the matter is he married Cindy McCain 30 years ago or so and she has benefitted through some good markets and has a fortune. What should they be doing with the money that wouldn't be considered elitist? I mean, if Donald Trump ran for President and people found out he had all those R/E holdings, people would just say that's smart business practice.
Again though, McCain looks kinda silly not knowing what he owns, even if it's not him who manages their holdings, which I think is the case. Wish I had that problem.
When is he going to be hammered on his draft stance?
Such an ordinary, average guy. That is why he uses "my friends" as a crutch phrase; he relates to us common folks so well. He has turned into the affluent, pasty old white guy who sends younger, braver and less affluent men to war while he plays golf or vacations in at one of his many homes. Bill Kristol Club.
dennis @ 64:
That's one of the rules I was referring to. The Code of Conduct prohibits a POW from taking preferential treatment at the expense of another POW - e.g., by taking early release ("first in, first out"). Based on the available information, McCain did not break this rule. Which is dandy, but not heroic, unless you're setting the bar for heroism at "obeying the rules." Which is so low I guess McCain might qualify, except there is no evidence that he made any effort to escape, which the Code also requires.
So I guess even if you set the bar for heroism at "obeys the rules" he STILL doesn't qualify. Nonetheless, those five years of sitting out the war, not being tortured (by his own standards), worked out pretty nicely for him in the long run.
They were built from wood bought from boosh's unknown owned wood-mills.
"Wanna buy some wood? Heh heh heh."
dennis @ 71:
You and me both.
Generally speaking, classism isn't a winning argument in America - just like you said, Cindy McCain invested her money well apparently. On the other hand, if a candidate could paint this as "wealthy people have access to tricks like tax shelters and buying influence from politicians," then you've got something - but you'd have to be super-squeaky clean on any residential deals you made in the past with any shady Chicago politicians too. So, for Obama, he has to stick to the "Wow, how out of touch..."
ysbaddaden @ 75:
Hey, Ysby. Where you been?
BTW, I beat you by six on the lumber mill.
This is why he has to pick Giulianni for his VP candidate. Two guys with two cards.
POW/911 08
Right, Billy. And it gives the McCain team the perfect opening to fire back with the Rezko stuff, which is what they're hitting back hard with today. So I honestly don't know who wins this one, and we all lose because it gets everyone away from the issues. But apparently defining the other candidate as the one who is out of touch is very key.
dennis @ 79:
The Rezko smear is a loser.
Everybody understands "McCain owns so many houses he can't remember them all." The Rezko thing will have to be explained every single time (except to the Hannity fanboy choir) and people's eyes will glaze over. I don't know how you think it will stick. For pete's sake, you have VIDEO of Wright acting crazy and that's already fading from the public consciousness.
I would hit him hard on this and never stop bringing it back. This is even worst than when Bush Sr. couldnt figure out the scanner in the supermarket. Here is an opening to define HIM as elitist and out of touch, run with it.
THIS JUST IN: McMoney Bags actually owns 8
PorridgeGun @ 82:
Are they counting the place that is two luxury condos knocked together as one or two?
Camp McBush: "“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?”
Jesus...Fucking...Christ.
So the white guy who marries into a $100 MILLION fortune, has everything handed to him, owns several mansions, and has more money than his great-grandchildren will ever be able to spend is more "in touch with regular Americans" than the black guy who grew up on welfare, was raised in the still-contetious shadow of the Civil Rights Movement, and had to work for EVERYTHING he owns.
Only in America. McFuckup straps on a baseball cap and a button-down shirt (with the top button unbuttoned, no less) shows up at a half-empty wafflehouse in Middle of Nowhere, America, and HE'S in touch?
Hopefully those repulsive story and the McBush camp's DISGUSTING remarks get drowned out by the VP story tomorrow.
And price of arugula? They're STILL pushing that? As one commenter aptly pointed out at the time, this shows that the Obamas actually shop for and cook their own meals. "What the fuck does Cindy McCain make for dinner...besides reservations?"
Unbelievable!