McCain has 7 Investment homes...what's the big deal?

[yeahYeah]

McCain unsure how many houses he owns - Jonathan Martin and Mike Allen - Politico.com

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."

The correct answer is at least four, located in Arizona, California and Virginia, according to his staff. Newsweek estimated this summer that the couple owns at least seven properties.

In recent weeks, Democrats have stepped up their effort to caricature McCain as living an outlandishly rich lifestyle — a bit of payback to the GOP for portraying Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as an elitist, and for turning the spotlight in 2004 on the five homes owned by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Pro-Obama labor groups have sent out mailers highlighting McCain’s wealth, and prominent Democrats have included references to it in comments to reporters.
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Twice in the past two weeks, those Democrats have focused on McCain’s houses.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Politico’s Ben Smith that it was McCain “who wears $500 shoes, has six houses and comes from one of the richest families in his state."

And David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist, referred in an interview with Adam Nagourney of The New York Times to an imagined meeting of McCain strategists “on the portico of the McCain estate in Sedona — or maybe in one of his six other houses.”
The Obama campaign seized on the house issue Thursday with an ad called "Seven," claiming that's the number of houses McCain has.

The ad closes with a shot of the White House and the narration: "Here's ONE house American can't afford to let John McCain move into."

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said in response: "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.”
At a campaign appearance in Chester, Va., on Thursday morning, Obama said: "Somebody asked John McCain, 'How many houses do you have?’ And he said, I’m not sure. I’ll have to check with my staff. True quote: I’m not sure, I’ll have to check with my staff. So they asked his staff and he said, at least four. At least four! ...

"If you’re like me and you’ve got one house – or you were like the millions of people who are struggling right now to keep up with their mortgage so that they don’t lose their home — you might have a different perspective. By the way, the answer is: John McCain has seven homes. So there’s just a fundamental gap of understanding between John McCain's world and what people are going through every single day here in America."
McCain’s comments came four days after he initially told Pastor Rick Warren during a faith forum on Sunday his threshold for considering someone rich is $5 million — a careless comment he quickly corrected.

In the interview, McCain did not offer an alternate number, but had a new answer ready.

“I define rich in other ways besides income,” he said. “Some people are wealthy and rich in their lives and their children and their ability to educate them. Others are poor if they’re billionaires.”

McCain, by anyone's measure, is well-off, if you account for his wife's fortune. Cindy McCain inherited control of her father’s beer distributorship, the largest in Arizona, and has an estimated worth of more than $100 million.

I'm sure if Obama didn't take a low paying "community organizer" positions, he'd have more homes than the one he has now that he got through a shady real estate deal.

I have no issue with this at all.

[CrAz3D]

Does John own these separately, are they jointly held by he and his wife, or just her's? HUGE difference in that.

Furthermore, I know two a couple, both of whom are teachers, that own at least three houses.

[Brickboy240]

BFD.

Unless McCain obtained any of those properties through shady means...more power to him. I'd love to own 7 pieces of real estate....many Ameircans aspire to do the same. Hell, I know several people that own properties they rent as investments...this is nothing new or illegal. In fact, its a common way many build wealth as real estates is a good investment many times.

At one time, my parents owned three rental properties. I own two residences...so does my brother. Big deal. Not a mark against anyone if you ask me. Real estate can be a good investment...I can speak with experience on this.

John Kerry owned some very impressive properties...did you see their Idaho country home...wow. Ted Kenedy probably owns more property than McCain. I'll bet Nanci Pelosi and her very well off hubby own more properties than McCain as well. Who cares?

A total non-story and just another classic example of stirring up class envy with no teeth to the argument. They did this with Dick Cheney and Dubya.

Move along here folks...nothing to see. Just leftys ramping up class envy straight out of their playbook: Das Kapital.

- brickboy240

[AZXD]

At one point my mom had 7 or 8 houses ... I can't remember ... Now she has 5 that are paid for .... Yea, I'll go along with BB ... BFD

If someone can figure out how to do it ... More power to them!!

[yeahYeah]

if i could own 7 in this market i would....

[Brickboy240]

I can almost guarantee you that there are at least 10 other Congress members that have ALOT more wealth than John McCain.

Ted Kenedy, John Kerry, Nanci Pelosi, Diane Feinstein, John Rockefeller...all donkeys...and all have alot more cake than McCain.

Again...BFD...a non story as long as he obtained the properties through legal channels.

You want somebody making 50 grand a year or living in an appartment as our Commander in Chief?

I don't notice the DNC running anyone that is not wealthy as THEIR candidate...do you?

- Brickboy240

[yeahYeah]

McCain is a lightweight compared to some of the others in the house/senate.

[afmo]

I think a much more interesting story is Nancy Pelosi's investment in T.Boon Pickens' energy company.....

[Krackels]

Originally Posted by CrAz3D

Does John own these separately, are they jointly held by he and his wife, or just her's? HUGE difference in that.

Furthermore, I know two a couple, both of whom are teachers, that own at least three houses.

McCain earns a Senator's salary, so he's not rich by any stretch of the imagination.

His wife however is very wealthy and I'm thinking that these were purchased with his wife's money and not McCain's limited cashflow.

I don't see what the big deal is...
...is it a crime to be wealthy or married to someone wealthy?

[yeahYeah]

Originally Posted by afmo

I think a much more interesting story is Nancy Pelosi's investment in T.Boon Pickens' energy company.....

the media won't touch that story. you should know that