Subscribe“GOP Reaps What It Sowed With Spouses”
From the Politico:
The AP dusts off a very flattering photo of Mrs. McCain from April 24, 2008.
Cindy’s fortune: An asset and a liability
By: Kenneth P. Vogel
July 2, 2008In 2004, Republicans demanded fuller disclosure about the considerable fortune of Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Now, the GOP is reaping what it sowed.
Having established a recent precedent for increased scrutiny of spousal finances, the party now finds its own presumptive nominee, John McCain, under an unwanted spotlight over the fortune of his wife, Cindy.
Already, Democrats have blasted Cindy McCain’s less-than-full financial disclosure, asserting that it calls into question John McCain’s commitment to transparency and suggests that he may be “hiding” information about how his efforts in Congress benefited his family.
Worse though, the burgeoning focus on Cindy McCain’s finances could attract attention to an aspect of the Arizona senator’s family life that is unlikely to be advantageous to him on the campaign trail: the affluent lifestyle and free-spending habits of the McCain clan…
In recent years, a Politico analysis found, the McCain family appears to have tapped its fortune liberally.
While Cindy McCain, her dependent children and the trusts and companies they control made as much as $29 million — and likely substantially more — from her family’s business interests from 2004 through last year, data from the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and the Center for Responsive Politics also reveals that they spent $11 million purchasing five condominiums for the family, hired additional household help and racked up progressively larger credit card bills almost every year.
Their credit card bills peaked between January 2007 and May 2008, during which time Cindy McCain charged as much as $500,000 in a single month on one American Express card and $250,000 on another, while one of their two dependent children had an AmEx card with a monthly balance as large as $50,000…
In addition to the American Express cards — which carry no monthly interest charges — Cindy and John McCain jointly hold a credit card through Chase with a steep 25.99 percent interest rate. It had a top balance as large as $15,000 last year.
John McCain has his own credit card, his aide said, but its balance for years has not exceeded the $10,000 threshold that triggers the reporting requirement for listing liabilities on Senate or executive branch personal financial disclosure statements.
The last year John McCain reported holding a credit card with such a balance was 2004, when he had an American Express Platinum card with a top balance of $15,000. Cindy McCain also had a Platinum AmEx that year, with a top balance of $100,000, as well as a Business Platinum account with a top balance of $50,000, and charge cards from Saks Fifth Avenue, MasterCard and Visa with top monthly balances between $15,000 and $50,000 and interest rates between 10.49 and 24.49 percent.
And in 2004, one of their dependent children had an AmEx Business Platinum card with a top monthly balance of $50,000. The McCain aide wouldn’t identify which child got the card, but their oldest, Meghan, turned 20 that year.
What a preposterous article, even for the Politico.
Having established a recent precedent for increased scrutiny of spousal finances, the party now finds its own presumptive nominee, John McCain, under an unwanted spotlight over the fortune of his wife, Cindy.
Questions were raised about Ms. Teresa Heinz Kerry because she not only funded his campaign (through illegal loans based on one of her houses), but because she ran the so-called Heinz Foundation.
Lest we forget, the Heinz Foundation funded the Tides Foundation and countless other ultra-left organizations that were a major factor in the 2004 elections.
But of course the reporters at the Politico were unaware of all of this.
They are too busy going through the McCains’ credit card bills.
[T]hey spent $11 million purchasing five condominiums for the family, hired additional household help and racked up progressively larger credit card bills almost every year.
Remember all of the breathless stories from our watchdog media about the numerous palatial estates the Kerrys owned thanks to Teresa (or rather, her former husband, who was a Republican), and how much they spent keeping them going?
I don’t either.
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12 Responses to ““GOP Reaps What It Sowed With Spouses””
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July 2nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Ummmm…so what? So they used credit cards. I don’t see a problem with that. I would have a problem with them not paying off their debt, but this article makes it sound like they’re not having that problem.
I do have a problem with some of those interest rates, though!!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:24 pm
This hit piece is no doubt in response to this Associated Press-Yahoo poll :
[quote]The new Associated Press-Yahoo poll shows 30 percent of Americans view the outspoken wife of Barack Obama favorably while 35 percent view her unfavorably. That compares to the 27 percent of Americans who view John McCain’s wife, Cindy, favorably and the 17 percent who hold an unfavorable view of her. Mrs. McCain is clearly less known than Mrs. Obama — 56 percent said they don’t know enough about the Arizona senator’s wife to render an opinion while only 34 percent said the same for Mrs. Obama. [/quote]Yes, they are sure if only we knew Mrs. McCain we would surely hate her. As for the rest of voters against Michelle Obama – racists!!
[quote][/quote]White Americans appear particularly suspect of Mrs. Obama. The poll shows those voters hold an unfavorable view of her by nearly 20 points while about 80 percent of black voters reported positive feelings about Mrs. Obama. [/quote]http://politicalticker.blogs.c.....lle-obama/
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I surely hope someone at Politico will be looking into the Obama family finances, just to be fair of course.
So politics has come to this - people pursuing a career in politics must now make all their purchases in cash?
I also doubt Mrs. Obama has been shopping at Costco…
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
“In addition to the American Express cards - which carry no monthly interest charges”…….
What a dimwit. American Express must be paid off each month. If not, I can tell you from personal experience, the “monthly interest charges” are steep.
Where do they dig up these “reporters”?
Perhaps we could question why Mrs. Obama’s salary doubled once her husband was elected to the federal Senate?
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Trying to tie this into the whole Heinz-Kerry thing is nonsense, of course, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want some details on the spouse’s finances when we’re talking about candidates for POTUS, or even for a Congressional seat. Granted, you don’t give up all of your privacy when you start trying to be elected, but you’re still throwing yourself out there. I have absolutely no doubt that the McCain family has been wholly honest with its financing - I don’t especially like the man, but I think he’s honest and honorable - but I’m sure that none of us think that every candidate for high office is just as honest. So, I’m afraid I would expect Mrs. McCain to give up a bit more information about her finances. Similarly, I think Mrs. Obama’s finances should be equally subject to scrutiny. I suspect the results of that last would be a good deal more interesting.
July 2nd, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Actually, we should not mind this at all. Mrs. McCain certainly can hire enough attorneys to “answer” any real questions.
The real question is whether there is anything to find. When I lived in Arizona, I don’t remember a single article about her in the news section.
McCain is not universally liked even in his home state so if there was anything to know we would already have heard about it. That’s why I never even blinked over that “love child” story.
Let the snoopers snoop - they’ll get tired of wasting their time soon. And if they don’t - who cares?
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:31 pm
BTW, surely I’m not the only one here who permanently switched to Hunt’s ketchup after the 2004 election season…
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Good! Put the politicians under scrutiny! Identify their flaws & call them on it. BOTH parties. Which of course, isn’t going to happen, but I consider all pols to be scum anyhow. Ann Coulter has a great column about McCain this week.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:25 am
Is anyone looking to Mrs. Obama’s salary which is paid by a non profit organization? Is she still collecting her paycheck while she stumps for her husband, telling America she is finally proud of her nation?
And what is Cindy McCain doing? Going to third world countries with Operation Smile to help disfigured children. But I am sure that stumping for your husband, telling Americans how they should help the less fortunate, is much better than doing it yourself.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Did you hear Zarcozy questioning Bush during his last visit with him?
“George, I can’t understand why your presidential race is even being run.”
Why’s that?
“Well, on one hand, you have a b*.*tch who is a lawyer who is married to a lawyer. On the other hand, you have a lawyer who is married to a b*.*tch who is also a lawyer. And then you have a decorated war hero who is married to a smokin’ blond who owns a beer company. WHY EVEN BOTHER!”
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Reality Bytes
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:29 pm
++++++++++
ROTFLMAO. You owe me a latte and a keyboard.
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:35 pm
BillK - it was hard but I did switch - I knew a Hunt heir (once when I was, myself considered rich) - not any brighter than Ms Heinz-Kerry or whatever she is calling herself these days. Beer, ketchup - what’s the diff they are both staples of trailer
trashoops park cooking.When it is a Dem - what does it matter what the spouse said, did or how much money they have or who they know - when it is a Repub - it is always suspect, no matter what.
I personally don’t like any of the four and I’m praying that someone (delegates, hint, hint) get the message that the voters are not happy with the msm, RNC and DNC chosing their nominees before all the primaries (heck even before half) were done. And then, does something about it.
Otherwise, I will have to vote for None of the Above.