Help John McCain count his houses! 1, 2, 3, 4, ... 7 or 10?

After Republican presumptive presidential candidate John McCain couldn't tell a "Politico" reporter exactly how many houses he owns ("I've have my staff get back to you?"), well, the you-know-what hit the proverbial fan. Reports vary on how many abodes McCain owns, lives in, owns but lets his daughter live in, rents, etc., as the above video asserts.

But one thing is certain: Owning more than one house does make the notion that Democratic presumptive presidential candidate Barack Obama is an "elitist" seem a tad off-base. Which is probably why McCain's house call instantly became fodder for Barack's new TV campaign ad.

Check out one of John and Cindy McCain's homes in Hidden Valley, Ariz., in House and Garden.

What do you think? How many houses is too many for one couple? And what about the ecological impact of maintaining that many homes?

Isn't that a pretty darn big carbon footprint for McCain?

Do you care how many homes he has?

Comments

[Michael]

Funny how Reagan, Bush 1 and Bush 2 are all "fiscal conservatives" and yet ran up incredible deficits. Clinton, the "tax and spend liberal", gave us 8 years of prosperity and a budget surplus. McCain says hes a "fiscal conservative", do the math!

[john]

McCain cheated on his 1st wife with a wealthy woman he later married (Cindy McCain) to get his wealth.

[Barry McAne]

It is absolutely amazing that those who never lived in Chicago characterize The Machine and upstate politics in general. It is by far not the most innocent mechanism of politics, but it IS the way things are done. Nobody really likes it, but its widely understood that you will get absolutely nothing done without working within this system. Obama knew this and worked within it (legally I might add). He committed no crime, nor has he ever been implicated in it. His crime was a guilt by association by working within The Machine and its laws. He is still considered an outsider by most of the Aldermen and party bosses.

This ability to get things done within the constraints of our existing political system is a mark of a successful politician. McCain is adept at this as well, and has a history of getting dirty in order to get things done. Keating, anyone?

[Kevin Pierce]

MULTI HOUSING FAMILY

Though the wealth is both his and his spouse's,
And he fancies he's close to the throne,
Politicians who live in glass houses
Should be briefed on how many they own.

www.newsandverse.com
Light verse, ripped from the headlines

[Uasked4it]

Since the Rat party has shown this is the way they want to play it, time for gloves off.

Time to start running ads on Obama's Bi-Sexuality and drug use.

We'll play your game all day long. Rats are getting deperate if this is all they have - and it shows.

[JL]

Didn't you see the entire answer to the question? Cindy McCain has many homes, some for personal use between family members and some for investment purposes that are rented or leased to others. Do you think he should concern himself with the number of homes in his wife's portfolio? Do you know how many pairs of shoes your husband owns? McCain doesn't seem like the kind of person to take a wild guess just to answer a question.

[Pamela]

An Elitist is an attitude, Obama fits it,
not McCain. How many investments Cindys trust lawyer handles, probably does'nt matter to John, but if he gave the wrong answer, he'd be pounced on. How many houses and investment properties do you think Ted Kennedy or John Kerry has? The answer... WHO CARES>

[JL]

Well? Which one your videos is correct? The first video says that the McCains own 10 homes and approved Obama Smear Ad says that they own 7 valued at $13million total. Where are the three phantom homes and where are they located?

[Pat]

What a pity. Mc

cain, Obama both filthy rich!

[Pat]

Yeah, this is sooo important! lol

[Michael Henry]

If a man does not know his own business how can he understand the business of others? more over the business of the richest country in the world? this is the reason that he showed lack of judgement in getting us into a war that is costing us over $10 billion dollars a month and has put a surplus of $79 billion dollars in the Iraquis pocket..Lack of judgement? he is touting about the his judgement about the surge, Which came first The war or the surge? could the surge bring back 4000 plus lives? heal over 24000 maimed and disabled. restore fathers to children? husbands to wives? sons to mothers? daughters to mothers and fathers? repair delapidated schools,? falling bridges, and a deteriorated infracture. Mccain has no capacity and or ability to lead this country

[nookly23]

Sen Obama has a multi million dollar house that he got a questionable "perk" loan on that seems to go ignored. Obama got a deal that the average person is not able to get. It was under the current rate. I guess that does not matter. The LA times would not report on it because of their liberal bias that is very clear.

[Clarifying]

The issue is not that McCain has 7 or 8 houses, it is more that he has to consult his team to ''tailor'' his answer, I thought he was a hypocrite, now I know for sure. McCain’s ceased to be a Maverick for me.

If he genuinely did not know the answer then it raises further questions of whether we should entrust our economy to a guy who has no handle on how many houses he owns? I mean, give me a break, how did he get to be nominated this far? In this case, is just incompetent.

[vegasgirl]

Uasked4it: It is McCain, not Obama, that has gotten the free ride here by the media. It's just too damed bad your sainted little GOP candidate can't just be coronated to the office, huh?
This is 2008, Uasked4it, not 2004. Deal with it.

[J Michael]

For your personal tour of John McCain's homes, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qtBATTiT7Y

[Chase]

A common tactic the Vietnamese used against POW's during the war was to humiliate them by raping them. Is it possible that the portion of the McCain medical records that is blacked out deals with this horrific ordeal he may have suffered at the hands of his captors. Also, Isn't it probable that during almost 6 years as a POW in Vietnam, John McCain had sexual relationships with other men? I am quite certain that the Viet Cong didnt provide female sex partners for the POW's.

[Chase]

A common tactic the Vietnamese used against POW's during the war was to humiliate them by raping them. Is it possible that the portion of the McCain medical records that is blacked out deals with this horrific ordeal he may have suffered at the hands of his captors. Also, Isn't it probable that during almost 6 years as a POW in Vietnam, John McCain had sexual relationships with other men? I am quite certain that the Viet Cong didnt provide female sex partners for the POW's.

[Dave]

Obama has a home with wine cellar and 4 fireplaces bought and paid for by convicted felon Rezko.

Obama who has made 4 million by his books and just got back lingering on a private beach in Hawaii.

Obama who is still of the liberal Hate America wing and his racist wife Michells who is only proud of America now cause of the black angle

[AThinkingMind]

I truly don't care how many houses McCain has but since he wanted to go on and on about how Obama is an elitist and since I remember a big deal about Kerry's houses he should be able to take it (without throwing out more references to him being a POW)

[tomk]

If you don't know how many houses you own, you own too many. Really, the very idea is ludicrous.

What Senator McCain really means when he calls Senator Obama an "elitist" is that the Senator from Illinois attended prestigious universities.

Even though our previous President also attended fancy schools, it appears all that book learning didn't stick. Or did we "misunderestimate" him?

Doesn't his example prove we need a President with more education rather than less?

[Bob Stone]

Back in 2000 I liked McCain, now with his current alignments and seemingly out of touch with the general public, Obama is looking better all the time. I can't begrudge someone for doing well, but he is a carreer politician with 10 high dollar houses. Something just don't add up. How many of those those houses have the taxpayers paid for?

[Rezko Bollocks]

Here is what happened with Rezko:

Someone splits their land into a lot with a house and a parcel of land, and lists them on the market. Obama buys the lot with the house at market value. Rezko's wife buys the lot next to it. Sometime later, Obama wants a driveway but there is not enough land. The lot Rezko's wife bought is still vacant. Obama asks Rezko's wife if she will sell part of her land at market value so he can build a driveway. They agree to a price which is market value. Obama buys the extra land at market value. Nothing shady at all. No special deals. Obama bought all of his property at market value with his own money plus a mortgage. There were no favors. This has already been investigated by the FBI and found to be clean!

Rezko later got convicted for corruption but this had nothing at all to do with Obama and his house. Read the facts people and stop spreading lies that the GOP wants you to believe. Are you sheep?

[Liberal hater]

Liberals have become the new fascist and communist of the 21st century. Since when is having wealth a crime?

Obviously, liberalism is a mental disorder. So please stop your childish whining. Oh wait, you can't because your idiotic liberals.

Thank me very much,

[anonymous]

Neither candidate works as hard as me and I don't have one house. The Republicans have put the U.S. economy down the shithole. Their support of pigs who got richer, including themselves, not to mention their own steal-the-election tactics of 2000 and 2004 make the Republicans the real Fascists.

At least Obama comes from a background that is REAL for representing the U.S.

[danielle]

Remember in May, when Barack Obama couldn't remember how many states there were... hmmm?

What's worse...thinking you're running to preside over 57 states... or not knowing how many homes you own.

Huh?