McCain Doesn't Remember How Many Houses He Owns

John McCain said in an interview with Politico on 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 said. "It's condominiums where -- I'll have them get to you."

The answer, according to the group Progressive Accountability, is an even 10 homes, ranches, condos, and lofts, together worth a combined estimated $13,823,269.

John and Cindy McCain own a plethora of houses spread throughout the United States, including: two beachfront condos in Coronado, California, condo in La Jolla, California, a two-unit condominium complex in Phoenix, Arizona, three ranch houses located outside of Sedona, Arizona, a high-rise condo in Arlington, Virginia, a rental loft, and, according to GQ, a loft they bought for their daughter, Meghan.

As Politico notes, McCain's comments are a serious potential gaffe, as they dovetail with an increasingly aggressive effort to paint the GOP nominee as wildly out of touch on economic issues.

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.

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."

Story continues below

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.

UPDATE: The Obama campaign is letting out all the stops in its response, with immediate comments from Obama on the stump in Virginia, an new ad (see below), and actions by its top surrogates hammering McCain around the country.

UPDATE: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine piles on:

Obama V.P. prospect and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine mocked Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Thursday for not knowing exactly how many houses he owns.

"I understand that Sen. McCain was asked yesterday this question, 'how many houses do you own?,' and he couldn't answer that question. He couldn't count high enough, apparently, to even know how many houses he owns," said Kaine.

Here's the video, titled McCain's Mansions, released last week by Brave New Films and SEIU:

Comments

[Superdog]

I hope McCain picks Romney as his VP--then we can refer to them as The Undertaker and The Preacher! Biden will eat Romney alive.

[brndn81]

Can't remember who posted it, but I prefer "Senator Depends and Governor Wizard Drawers".

[The Keeper]

I love it!

[ninetwelve]

or undertaker and magic underwear

[blessedfrog]

Oh Big Deal - I am a democrat but Cindy McCain is loaded - everyone knows that - Good for her - so what - they own a bunch of condos and places around the country. Get over it . Total non issue

[nomac08]

It's an issue because McCain made it an issue when he called Obama an out of touch elitist. Appears to me and plenty others that it's he in fact who's out of touch. I don't want another dumb POTUS. It's an embassement to not know the number of homes you or your wife has. If you don't know, you are not concerned. You can't run a country if you don't know what happening in your own life.

[The Keeper]

Oh, he's not dumb. He's simply losing his memory - it's common in really old men.

[PlainBread]

It has become an issue because McCain didn't remember how many houses he got, which leaves two options: he got dementia or he got too many houses. How would you bring change to ordinary working people if you've never been one of them?

McCain never tasted poverty, food stamp, etc (both his dad and grandpa were navy admirals). The only one he got was to be a POW. But that doesn't qualify him to become a President. Even one of his friends who was also a POW wrote an article why McCain isn't qualitfied:

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.html

Obama and Biden, they're a perfect picture representing working class people who finally in their life earn what they deserve, being successful both in career and politics (unlike McCain who failed in his class and his military career. When he was at Obama's age his rank was Captain, that's why he decided to try political career in Washington to substitute an achievement of "dreams of my fathers"). Emphasize "earn", since McCain didn't earn whatever he's got now (houses, senate seat, second wife, assets from 2nd wife).

[1conservative]

I don't consider earning $4,000,000.00 annually "working class."

[ninetwelve]

it's an issue because he's accusing obama of being an elitist. what an absurdity.

[wittgene]

George Bush is a tremendous gift for the first black or female president, and John McCain is a token of that gift. Please John McCain, don't stop talking.

[Jefferson1776]

This is America. McCain deserves as many homes as he can afford and wishes to buy. We are free in this country, although freedom hangs by a thread. It seems to me that most Liberals are really anti-freedom socialist. Just look at Washington D.C. where you could not own a handgun for self-defense in your own home, until our freedom loving conservative justices took a stand for the second amendment.

[nomac08]

Your're an idiot, just like the majority of your party. You would rather have 2 of the dumbest men ever run the country? They are wealthy because they stick together & have people like Rush & Sean keep people like you so snowed, that your are blind. You need to wake up and try to think for yourself. What has the McBush clan done for you? If you were as wealthy as they were, you would be unconcerned (as they are) about the country. If you were as wealthy and out of touch as they are, you wouldn't be concerned about the messages going on here. You think winning as a Repub is better than seeing American thrive for ALL again, not just rich white men.

[jellinda]

Jefferson- you miss the point entirely! which is just how much can you expect a man like McCain with his wealthy lifestyle to represent, much less empathize with Americans who have much less. He can hardly be a champion of the middle class or the poor of America, when he epitomizes the Republican capitalistic selfishness of "I got mine, and I'll get more". Yeah, McCain- you got your houses, but I'M HAVING REAL DIFFICULTY HOLDING ON TO MY ONLY ONE. You cannot possibly feel my pain.

[dumboldman]

Jellinda, perhaps Obama will help you with your finances. His brother in Kenya lives on the equivalent of One Dollar a month. Isn't Obama taking care of him? Surely he will do the same for you. You would have a better chance getting a job as a "community organizer"; apparently those jobs are easy to get and pay extremely well.

[Graz]

If he can't remember something as memorable as the number of homes that he owns, then that indicates the possibility that the man is slipping mentally. By the way, park that "freedom loving conservative" tripe at the door.

[1conservative]

Perhaps he is more interested in serving his country and the people thereof than trying to impress others by flaunting his wealth. This envy you all have is hilarious.

[georgiaR]

John & Cindy McCain keep their finances seperate. He probably doesn't know how many real estate investments his wife has and didn't want to give the wrong answer. John McCain made $400,000.00 last year - Obama made $4 million. Obama is a rich man.

[OhReallySheSaid]

4 million and MIchele complains on TV she has trouble finding the money in her budget for her children's piano and ballet lessons.

[georgiaR]

She's a phoney - trying to act like one of the little people.

[jellinda]

McCain keeps his finances so -o-o-o- separate, that he flies around the country IN HER PLANE.

[mijoda]

My friend,
Keep drinking the Kool-Aid. He was asked about houses, not real estate investments, and, if they are not his, he simply could have said that he does not have any, Cindy owns them all.
Obama's $4 million was from a book that he wrote (himself). It's not recurring income.
I wonder if McSame wrote his own books.

[1conservative]

He could probably write a few books given his past experiences. Do not be fooled, Mr. Obama is doing alright for himself. And don't forget, at the college graduation speeches, the Obamas don't want people pursuing the careers that pay well, they want you to become property of the government, thereby justifying their proposed tax increases. Don't forget, capital gains taxes will more than double if he becomes president.

[Gene1]

Sen. Obama, you won! There’s a timetable for Iraq withdrawal at last. Sen. McBush wants to stay there for 100 years. At that time he’ll be 172 years old and his eight houses will be decorated with flowers from Iraq gardens.

Sen. McBush, what does it mean that Sen. Obama made 4 million dollars? He’s graduated from Harvard. He’s a professor, a prolific speaker and author of best sellers. Heaven help those who help themselves. Most importantly, he remembers the number of houses he owns! What’s wrong with that?

With all your obfuscations, that pressman asked you a simple question about your house and you bombed it. Now your hypocrisy about being an average American has been exposed. It’s like when you got involved with Keating 5 scandal.

[THEhillbilly]

"...McBush..."

Another little kid checks in.

[OhReallySheSaid]

How can he forget how many houses he owns? He's reminded every day of the "indebtedness" and the chit he owes Rezko.

What's wrong with owning more than one house if you've earned it? The McCains got their houses from people drinking beer. And they got them without resorting to shady business associates under federal indictment. Big deal.

What does it mean you ask for Barry Hussein Obama to make 4 million dollars? Well, for starters, according to Michelle Obama its barely enough for her daughters to take ballet and piano lessons, she says she has difficulty finding the money in her budget just like middle class folks.

Why don't you ask Michelle just exactly how she got a 200,000 pay raise just one year after being on a $ 120,000 a year job. Was it a coincidence that the 200% pay raise happened within 24 hours of Barry Hussein Obama to the Senate? Of course not, it was just a coincidence. Right? Get real.

[nomac08]

Please explain how Cindy McCain became wealthy? Did she go to an Ivy League school & study law and land a 6 figure job--you know, like most folks?

Also, either call the man Barry or Barack Hussein Obama, you look like a idiot when you mix the two. Barry is the loving nickname given by his family, not haters like you.

Sounds like you are pretty angry about the Obama's wealth, what gives.? No matter how you believe they acheived what they have, isn't it the American way. You don't have a problem with Bush and Chaney going to war for more oil wealth & giving billions of our tax dollars to companies like Blackwater and Halliburton, & others do you?

[KaAp]

On the contrary most of the McCain's money came from her dad's fortune and her dad was a convicted felon with mob ties ...
He owes Rezko nothing and despite all the digging around there is nothing that is even faintly illegal or unethical about Obama's home ... sorry ... keep trying
However there is something terribly incommensurate with what you are saying especially given the history of McCain's wife's family in Arizona and where her fortune came from, who McCain himself dealt with: eg the Keating five etc

[LeftLeanWing]

Michelle a Princeton and Harvard Law Grad was promoted to Vice President in her company ... her salary was in line with the other VP's of that company...

$4m book royalties... that's kind of a one time deal ...

McCain's wife paid $1.7 million in income taxes in 2006 wih $500k in deductions

Therefore her income alone was 6071428.57 + $500k

Michelle complains that her old man is---- ahem**--- is an OLD MAN.

[Gene1]

How many of us checked the motives of criminal backgrounds of our mortgage service persons before buying our homes? It’s ridiculous for Sen. McBush’s team to attack Sen. Obama for buying his home from a shady person. He’s in prison or convicted. What has that got to do with anything? Sen. Obama isn’t charged. The fact is this Sen. McBush can’t remember the number of houses he owns. He can’t vote to send others to war while securing houses all over the place. That’s disingenuous!

He wears $500 shoes. He can’t even remember the number of houses he owns. He relies on his staff to tell him. And he’s going to be given the secret code for nuclear weapons! Frankly, that’s scary.

Sen. McBush, if I own more than one house, I’ll put my country first anytime.

I’ll rather loose a war, and any campaign, than loose 8 houses Sen. McBush. Are you kidding?

You own more than 8 houses Sen. McBush and you have the guts to refer to Sen. Obama as elitist? That’s really wild.

They say many of our fighting soldiers are loosing their homes and even marriages. But Sen. McBush has his own several houses and he’s voting for his surge to keep others fighting. That’s really low.

[Gene1]

I bet you; you’ll never see Sen. McBush rush to appear n the same picture with Dictator Musharaff of Pakistan just as he avoids the president of the free world because of his low numbers at the polls. It’s all politics.

It’s wonderful to hear Sec. of State talk about timetables in Iraq. She can call it anything. “That which we call a rose by any other name will smell as sweet.” Now Sen. McBush has to ask himself how relevant his judgment is because he’s allergic to timetables in Iraq.

Now he wants to “drill drill and drill now.” That’s how he voted and voted for war in Iraq because he saw WMDs in Iraq. You see he has better judgments than any other in this planet but when it came to Keating 5 scandal, his great judgments and experience failed him.

Yes like the French say, Après moi, La deluge.

Sen. McBush has 8 houses but didn’t want the gov’t to help those whose homes were in foreclosure because they were irresponsible. But he wants their vote. Is their vote not irresponsible? This guy is really confused and old.

[Gene1]

Come on Sen. McBush, you don’t know how many houses you own. You need your staff to refresh your memory! So you can afford to loose both wars and campaigns. Who are you kidding?

Come on Sen. McBush, we need to stop this nonsense of “tying the withdrawal of our precious troops from Iraq based on the conditions on the ground.” You created the condition by voting to go to a needless war. The only way to change the condition is to beat your bellicose swords into ploughshares!

The only way to end the war in terrorism is when man recognizes the need to respect and accept each other. The idea that we fight them there so that they won’t fight us here Sen. McBush is a myth. Timothy McVeigh the Unabomber, the Anthrax Doctor, the brutalities on our streets is terrorism. They are already here Sen. McBush. What are we talking about?

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Sen. McBush used to claim how friendly he was with Dictator Musharaff of Pakistan. I don’t see him rushing over to assist him or say a word or two to cheer him up. It’s all politics.

[Gene1]

Sen. McBush was all over the place in Georgia when the world’s camera was rolling. He sent his own so- called ‘emissaries’ Joe Lieberman, the Democrat, the Republican and now the independent, and Graham. He called for Russia to be kicked out of G8. He spoke about his talks with Georgian President. It’s incredible. But you ask, why can’t this type of attention be paid to Darfur? Perhaps, they are not light skinned enough! I honestly care for Georgians, they’re my fellow human beings my point is we can’t play politics with peoples’ lives.

A son of a lady, who was using food stamps, becomes the standard bearer for the US Democratic party. And a war hero, a 25 year member of the US Senate, the son and grandson of admirals is ‘catching’ up to him in the polls to become a US president. Yet Sen. McBush has the audacity to refer to him as an “empty celebrity.” Frankly his 72 years on this planet is definitely catching up to him!

Nobody, I mean nobody’s life in this planet is more important or precious than the others. You can’t irresponsibly vote and put others’ lives in harm’s way and refer to it as success.

[Gene1]

Think about this. The “future first lady” of the US before she even moves into the White House has plagiarized twice, and the husband, Sen. McBush was involved with Keating 5 scandal and they are going to be with figures like Sarkozy, Merkel, Brown, etc. What image will they be projecting?

Think about this Sen. McBush votes against GI Bill. Votes against insurance for children (chips), votes against minimum wage raise, votes against mammograms test for women. Votes against equal pay for women and then goes into the grocery store with cameras to find out how much milk and eggs cost. To show he feels others’ pain! That’s laughable.

Do you now see why Sen. McBush’s Iraq surge is morally wrong? He has his own surge in private house holdings. Yes, seven houses for one family and then he votes for a surge in the number of human beings (youths) who go to Iraq to fight and possibly die. It’s incredible.

The fact that our army is a volunteer army doesn’t justify her being deployed in reckless wars. In fact that fact alone means that any war they’re involved in must be justified to go to Iraq is reckless. Referring to a reckless war as success is even more reckless!

[Gene1]

Indicate true or false.
1)We found WMDs in Iraq. T F.
2)Thousands of people lost their lives. T F
3)So much billions were wasted. T F
4)Nobody welcomed our troops with flowers. T F
5)There was no democracy established. T F
6)So how come Sen. McCain is talking about success in Iraq? None of the above.

Sen. McCain was seeing Cindy even while he was married to his 1st wife. So how come he says he’s a reformer? Doesn’t reform start with self? No, in his world, it’s only others that must reform.

Sen. McCain says the economy is strong. If I can’t count the number of houses I own like him, the economy will really be strong.

Sen. McCain it’s said wears $500 shoes. That’s more than an average minimum wager takes home to pay for rent, eat, buy medicine, dream and exist. Yet Sen. McCain voted against minimum wage increase! That’s a great way to feel for others.

I don’t care if Sen. McBush surges in the polls or even gets “elected.” My concern is with his Keating 5 scandal, he shouldn’t be running for office in the first place! That’s is if America wants to be what she preaches to the rest of the world every single day.

[1conservative]

Umm.. His wife owns the properties. He merely gets to use them. But from the sound of it, he doesn't do that frequently. You know envy is really a very UGLY thing. You should put this much effort into volunteer work, as it may help to release the negative energy you have. By the way, this is America, and anyone who works hard has the opportunity to be successful. However, if you follow the enlightened ones path, you should be subservient your entire life. Don't push yourself and go after the corporate jobs or start your own business, no way. Do volunteer work and take jobs with your government and sit around all day grousing about it. I love this attitude.

[JayHorus]

Let me see if I understand you...you would rather have a Kept man in the White House instead of someone that knows about the hard work you speak of? Please tell me more about John McCain's hard work! He was born into a well to do family, got into Naval school because of his daddy even though his scores weren't good enough to be there, he got into flight school with the help of daddy even though his test scores say he shouldn't have been there. Then he married a former model, divorced her after an accident took away her looks, married a younger woman that was also born into money, signed a prenup to get in the marriage, was given a job by his new father in-law, and then used his new wife's money to get into the House of Representatives and then the Senate. Now Barack?? Went to good schools mostly on academic scholarships, got into college because of his academics and hard work, married a middle class woman who got into college from her parents hard work and her hard work, After college had a small job as researcher and writer dealing with understanding overseas markets, then he became a community organizer, then state senator and then the US Senate. Now tell me which one actually knows about hard work? McCain or Obama.

[georgiaR]

True or False:
We have not had another terrorist attack in our country because of the policies of George W Bush.
Thank You President Bush!!

[GaiusLucilius]

Conveniently, you neglect to mention that the reason we had terrorist attacks in the first place was because of Republican-sanctioned interference with the governmental affairs and oil production of Middle Eastern Countries...
As a great bumper sticker once put it---"Don't believe everything you think," Georgia on my mind!

[Gene1]

A few weeks ago Sen. McBush was campaigning in Mexico and Columbia. He’s still referring to Czech Republic as Czechoslovakia. He demands, “We bomb, bomb, Iran.” Now he wants us to ask his staff for the number of houses he owns! And some of you folks out there want him to be president. You want him to be given the secret codes for nuclear weapons. Oh Lord, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Talk of Sen. McBush’s good judgment, now the Sec. of State is doing precisely what Sen. Obama has been saying for long establish a timetable for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Sen. McBush opposes it but forget to oppose his participation in Keating 5 scandal.

Now this is our man who feels our pains at the grocery stores. He has a surge in his private house but votes against simple GI Bill for fellow Americans who put their lives in harm’s way.

If I don’t know the number of houses I own. If I rely on my staff to calculate the number of houses I own, then I can love this nation as much as Sen. McBush does.

[Raymondf]

What about the Sweetheart deal Obama made with Rezco 14,000,000 never paid back.

[Raymondf]

One of his homes, his mother lives in.