Joe Biden Won't Forget the Number of Houses He Owns

John McCain got right on the edge of class warfare language along the lines that his pal (though resigned from the campaign) and potential Treasury Secretary Phil Graham did when the former Texas Senator accused Americans of being a "nation of whiners".

In recent days, John McCain has said that the folks he considers rich are the ones with assets of more than $5 million. And he also apparently has forgotten the number of houses he owns.

Compare this to Joe Biden who in 2005 was ranked 99th out of 100 senators in terms of personal wealth.

And amazingly in 2006, Open Secrets lists Biden as 108th out of all US Senators (i.e., negative 8! How did he do that?) with a near negative value on total income and assets.

Biden has not enriched himself through marriage, book deals, land swaps, or even betting on Intrade.

That's an interesting contrast to Senator McCain -- sort of like it used to be between Democrats and Republicans.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[TNwriter]

I really like Biden, but he's being under utilized in the campaign. Or is it just that the media is ignoring him?

[sclucie]

I cannot wait for the next time John and Cindy try to pull out that elitist crap. The more I know about John McCain the more I really, really dislike and distrust him. He is worse than Bush and I didn't think that was possible - and I am an independent voter and former McCain supporter.

[TrooAmerican]

Thank you.

Good to know some non democrats are willing to just plain look at the facts and discover with horror how far McCain has sold his soul to Satan to be pres.

[sherbug]

I hope that his book becomes a best seller and he is able to make some money like the rest of his crowd. You have to applaud the man for having so much opportunity to cheat the system and take kick backs, and he didn't. He rather mortgaged his house to send his sons to college.

I just want to see my home and my investments regain their value and for this country to get on a fast track to developing alternative fuels. I want to see America get back to being producers and exporters rather than the world's number one consumers.

I know that these two men, who are not from money, who have deep family values would be about helping people more like them, which is us.

Obama-Biden '08

[greylox]

**McCain did NOT say that assets of 5 million makes you rich. He said INCOME of $5 million makes you rich. There is a BIG difference there. McCain needs to ask Cindy if he qualifies as rich. He already knows he's miserable, so he suspects he probably is, but if he wants to be sure he'll have to ask.

[IowaDem]

A political reporter I know has met Biden and his extended family more than once. Says Biden is warm, thoughtful, funny and smart. Also, his family is incredibly nice. Biden took all of the local low-level staffers to dinner with his family - something none of the other campaigns ever do. He's an accessible guy who talks frankly about family concerns like you and I and doesn't have a phony bone in his body. While sharp as a tack on the important issues, Joe's a regular Joe you can relate to. That's refreshing and darn impressive when you consider the crowd he's been surrounded with over the his years in Washington.

[RIChris]

Biden won't forget the number of houses he owns; but I bet he wishes he could forget the number of times he SLAMMED Obama!!

[ibsteve2u]

I love seeing you Republicans posting on HuffPo.

Although you typically do not have much to contribute in the way of wisdom or insight, there is always the possibility that surrounding yourself with positive thinking instead of the division/d­erision/de­ceit/denig­ration that places like Fox depend upon will have a beneficial effect upon your outlook and humanity.

[Paul Rep Con]

If you had some speical insight to life, or anything else that makes you smarter then Republicans, you are not showing it here. No matter what you Dems do your still a split party and always will be. With gays pulling one way agaisnt Blacks pulling the other your party never can put 100% of their time into the party as a whole. And the poor women of your failing party, you never have time for the women pulling the their own direction, as was proven by shutting Hilary out.

[Gould123]

Obama said, he wanted some one who will call him out when he's wrong, and be as passionate as he is on changeing america back for the better! His choice is great to do that! So, he can use this as the reason he choose sen. Biden.

[Relax08]

Won't bother any of us. When you are running against Quick Draw McBush; all you have to do is point out McBush's temper and infidelity to sum up the whole of the man- which definitely is short in most ways.

[Beckyjo]

I am so glad Obama chose Joe Biden!! He has been my favorite from day one. An Obama-Biden ticket is awesome. Joe Biden is the one senator in Washington who has the ability to mix and talk with ordinary American citizens. He is talented, smart and approachable by anyone. Certainly he will be a contrast to Romney if Romney is McCain's choice for VP. Many voters will be able to relate to the tragedies and hardships in the Biden household.

[bigforkgirl]

I echo all the above. He went to Catholic high school in Wilmington, and is a devoted alum. He is very down to earth. HIs house (which I have visited) is very nice, but no McMansion. Joe's sister, Valerie, has been a huge part of his campaigns and she is a terrific person. Joe is firmly rooted in Wilmington and DE. His friends are very long term, from "back in the day". He and Sen. Carper have worked very hard to keep Amtrak going; and both take Amtrak to work and back every day. (It's a nice ride, by the way).

And he knows his stuff. He's no "staffed" Senator. He doesn't have to depend on aides for any "talking points" because he's studied, in depth, many many policy issues. He knows all the foreign leaders, and their opposition, too. He'll be a terrrific asset to Obama (no policy slouch himself) and isn't at all concerned about playing hard ball in Congress, nor around the world. With his gift of talking, he may be able to actually get diplomacy back to the prominence it should be in our foreign relations.

[ibsteve2u]

"He and Sen. Carper have worked very hard to keep Amtrak going; and both take Amtrak to work and back every day."

I'm willing to bet that there are a whole lot of people who live on the Eastern seaboard who will be positively influenced by publicizing that tidbit - having Amtrak available when gas took off probably enabled more than a few people to keep making their house payments.

When I review all of the decisions that Bush, Cheney, & PNAC, LLP made which contributed to the soaring cost of energy, I guess I have to conclude that they were actually secretly working to make the Obama/Biden team more electable.

lollll....

[Promise]

I was impressed by the fact that Biden rides home every night. How long is the Amtrak ride from DC to Wilmington?

[CrissieP]

Gonna kill two birds with one stone - by buying Joe's book:

1) Get to know the soon to be VP better; and
2) move him up some on the senate personal wealth ranking list.

going to Amazon.com right now.......

Obama / Biden '08

[FdeBear]

Biden's a good choice. As usual Obama has excellent judgement. Can't wait until the debates now!

[racetoinfinity]

Yes, great contrast. I'm glad Biden isn't wealthy. Btw - I doubt McCain actually forgot the number of houses he has (although there is more of a possiblity that that's true thatn with most, with his apparently moderatly bad cognitive and memory problems). I think he was caught off guard and flustered by the question, and did not want to admit to owning seven houses; he knows how elitist (as in UPPER CLASS) it looks; so he panicked, and said, "I don't know."
That's my theory, although, either way, it shows McCain up as out of touch, terribly out of touch.

[JoRLA]

Let's face it. McCain is a philandering opportunist who rode his admiral father's coattails to Washington after Viet Nam and never looked back. He dumped his long-suffering wife, hooked an heiress and has been a "kept" man ever since. He hasn't got a clue about money, economics or anything else. His wife has provided for all his needs and wants. "Need transportation? I'll buy an airplane..­.whatever.­" He jumped right into Washington politics surrounding himself with special interests and powerful lobbyists who now work for his campaign, and he is a giver of favors to all his buddies. He doesn't do it with earmarks, he just "facilitates" land deals, bank deals, and slipped right under the public's radar, except for the "Keating Five." He's almost worst than Bush.

[cassidynj]

Joe Biden spent all these years in public service without enriching himself at the public's expense?

That is the equivalent of counter-cultural today!

That is definitely worthy of respect.

[Americanium]

Sen. Biden is a combination of Vinegar and Honey. He will not take crap from the Anglo Sheik who cannot keep count of his many homes.

[personalpolitical]

Biden was definitely one of the better picks. I'm glad Obama didn't go with a military person, it would have been a mistake, even though the "conventional wisdom" would expect it. I personally liked Richardson, but Biden will do. He is witty, I enjoyed him at the debates.

Noun, Verb, POW.

[cardtosser]

Being weathly shouldn't preclude one from the presidency. Few of our leaders have been paupers.
What concerns me is McCain's appearant ingnorance of his own wealth. Is his focue immune to the real world?

[Daly]

Bingo