Posted on 08/21/2008 1:36:26 PM PDT by Schnucki
Republican candidate Senator John McCain scored perhaps the biggest own goal of the US presidential campaign so far when he admitted that he did not know how many houses he owned.
For a candidate who portrays himself as a man of the people the blunder was potentially hugely damaging, coming at a time when many Americans are struggling with rising inflation, energy costs and unemployment.
Asked about his properties on the campaign trail, Mr McCain told Politico.com: "I think - I'll have my staff get to you. It's condominiums where - I'll have them get to you."
The senator and his wife Cindy, a wealthy heiress, own at least four properties. Their main house is a lodge in an exclusive resort district in Sedona, Arizona. They also own one or two apartments in the state capital Phoenix and properties in California and Virginia. Other estimates have put their total residences at seven.
The McCains' wealth had already emerged as a factor in the campaign after the senator, who turns 72 on Friday half-jokingly said at the weekend that only anyone earning over $5 million could be considered rich. That is $1 million less than the amount Mrs McCain earned in interest on her assets in 2006. Estimated to be worth $100 million, she controls her late father's Budweiser distributorship based in Arizona, one of the largest in the country.
But his new faux-pas provided a ready gift to his Democratic opponent Senator Barack Obama, whose supporters have been unnerved as Mr McCain has against expectations drawn level in opinion polls, and who has laboured to convince voters he can improve their standard of living.
Speaking on the economy to voters in Virginia, Mr Obama said there was "a fundamental gap of understanding between John McCain's world and what people are
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
“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.” –McCain spokesman Brian Rogers
Can the O team be this politically incompetent?
Honestly, I just don’t see what the big deal is here.
Same story two titles. What’s up with that?
More power to you Senator McCain. Though I don’t agree with everything you say, you certainly are a Republican, if not a true conservative, and that’s 75% of the way there. Buy a few more houses to upset the Obama camp into making more hay of this. The more he puts his foot in his mouth, the better.
They can, they are and they will be..
The writer had to slip in a bit o'spin there, eh? I don't know anyone outside the Obama camp who thinks McCain was even remotely serious when he made that crack.
'Yes, John McCain does own seven homes, and Tony Rezko didn't help him buy any of them.'
Houses?
Hey Obama - how many meaningful bills have you written and had passed? Maybe that committee that you head that your’re not even a member of can answer. Yea, get back to us.
Houses? House this..
Oh yeah, Who care how many houses McCain has! There are more important things like Barry the born alive baby killer and lying about it. Then there’s terrorist buddy Aries and a Commie mentor. I hope McCain comes out with Obama/Rezko housing scam and really hammers OB-1-k-Dopey.
The pro-Obama spin in the article is palpable. Calls it a “major gaffe” by McCain. I don’t think it’s a gaffe at all. So what if he has 27 mansions. Great; it’s a sign that he is a successful person and that’s what I’m looking for in the next president. Now, if you tell me he got those homes by arranging shady preferential treatment in exchange for political favors, and made those arrangements with a now-convicted felon who was then under Federal investigation, I would NOT be looking for that kind of character in the next President. Now, who has the better character here? Problem is, you won’t hear the MSM make that connection or comparison.
Whats the old saying about people in glass houses not throwing stones? McCain has been playing slow pitch softball with this upstart up till now. I knew Obama was stupid but to get in a mudslinging contest with a documented past like his is suicidal. Maybe BO is really on the RNC payroll? lol
I suddenly have an image of him prancing in leotards.
I can’t even listen anymore, and I believe now that my 2 cats are more intelligent then this ding-a-ling.
‘Yes, John McCain does own seven homes, and Tony Rezko didn't help him buy any of them.’
And he didn't finance any at below market rates with Countrywide
This wasn’t a gaffe.
It was brilliant.
The gaff was opening the door to allow McCain to talk about Obama’s mansion and the sleazy way he got it.
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