10/02/2008
John McCain: 'I'm Not a Rich Man'
On Morning Joe this morning, John McCain made the following claim (which I'm aware is a common turn of phrase):
"I think the Dodgers are not to be underestimated given the fact that they’ve got some pretty strong pitching. So I think it’s very possible that both of those teams, both the Dodgers and Red Sox, could surprise everybody. But that shows why I’m not a rich man."
The McCains have assets of at least $36.5 million and some have put Cindy McCain's assets near $100 million (see video). If you'll remember, at the Saddleback Church, McCain defined "rich" as having over $5 million.
The Senate just passed a $700 billion bailout measure in part to help many Americans avoid foreclosure on their homes, and McCain is making jokes that he's not rich???
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
Previously
John McCain Doesn't Know How Many Houses He Owns [tr]
John McCain Defines Rich as Over $5 Million [tr]
He also said that the bill that he just voted for is "putting us on the brink of economic disaster."
In related news, McCain running mate Governor Sarah Palin claims she's "everyday working class" even though she has a $250,000 income, five properties, two boats, and a plane:
"Their combined income of nearly a quarter-million dollars last year was five times the median household income for Wasilla's 7,000 residents. They own a single-engine plane, two boats, two personal watercraft and a half-million-dollar, custom-built home on a lake that is worth three times the average of other homes in town. For the future, they also have a 401(k) retirement account compliments of Todd Palin's years as an engineer with oil giant BP."
Posted 10:57 AM EST by Andy Towle in Election 2008, John McCain, News | Permalink
Like it?
Subscribe to FREE Towleroad daily headlines with our RSS feed!
RECENT STORIES:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Well, actually, he probably isn't a rich man. He just married well.
Posted by: peterparker | Oct 2, 2008 11:15:52 AM
Robert Dole was a much more dignified Republican candidate than John McCain. Why do Republicans with integrity always have to turn into right-wing lunatics once they win their party's nomination?
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Oct 2, 2008 11:20:24 AM
Oh god - I'm a democrat but gheesh being liberals need to chill with exaggeration!!! He was probably referring to gambling on the teams and how the odds are... i guess gay men don't understand that. My god it was joke...gheesh...don't exaggerate it so much.. THIS is why libs aren't taken seriously at all
Posted by: over-exaggeration? | Oct 2, 2008 11:20:59 AM
"At a time when Congress [actually, only the Senate] just passed a $700 billion bailout measure in part to help many Americans avoid foreclosure on their homes"?!
If the Senate wanted to help many Americans avoid foreclosure on their homes, then it should have rebated that $700 billion directly to homeowners. There is no provision in the bill that will help home owners and no agreement from the banks that they will use the money to stop any foreclosures.
Do you know how much $700 billion will buy? It would completely eliminate all existing student loan debt off the books. It would provide all uninsured Americans with 5 or 6 years of health care coverage.
Instead, the Senate has passed yet another Bush economic policy just months before the end of his administration. If this bill does pass Congress, Obama has stated the result will be to "delay" his own spending plans and "curtail" the implementation of his policies. Looks like we will have "four more years" regardless of who now becomes President as the Bush administration has suckered the Democrats once again, and the American people get jack.
How can the Dems complain about Bush economic policies and then implement his biggest Wall Street giveaway?
Posted by: HOGB | Oct 2, 2008 11:21:14 AM
Back to the usual screen name, troll?
Posted by: 24play | Oct 2, 2008 11:34:25 AM
Oh come on I'm as liberal as they come but this is a bit far fetched, it's just an expression being twisted. In context he was by no way talking about his actual wealth.
Posted by: Jeremy | Oct 2, 2008 11:34:53 AM
Maybe he meant rich in knowledge.
Posted by: crispy | Oct 2, 2008 11:37:36 AM
Um, I believe Andy knows McCain was being sarcastic. Andy's point was at a time when the people of our nation are suffering severely economically McCain made a tasteless joke. Of course McCain knows he's wealthy. Plus, McCain's statement about $5 million being the definitive line for "wealthy" just serves McCain's purpose politically in that most people will never see that kind of money in their LIFETIME, thus allowing a broader generalization of wealthy.
Posted by: Cj | Oct 2, 2008 11:42:37 AM
well thank holy christ some of you have some sense around since daddy mccain was obviously using a figure of speech... but wait 'till the palin debates... oh baby will that get some of your panties in a bunch...
Posted by: the queen | Oct 2, 2008 11:44:48 AM
HOGB,
Do you have any idea of what's happened to the credit markets? Read a newspaper! Cities, colleges, and businesses can't get loans or access to money they put in accounts of some large banks.
The result is that things are grinding to a halt.
Do you honestly think Democrats want to hand money to Bush? Get real! Bush originally wanted a blank check with no oversight on spending for $700 billion.
Read the legislation to understand that now there is Congressional oversight, money is broken up into chunks, and some assistance is given to average Americans. It's a flawed bill but the reality is that Bush & Co. f*cked things up and Democrats have to try to fix things.
You really should read the various opinions of economists to understand how scary the situation is.
I would prefer that $700 billion went to health care, education, and green technologies.
Posted by: noah | Oct 2, 2008 11:50:37 AM
"Oh come on I'm as liberal as they come but this is a bit far fetched, it's just an expression being twisted."
Yeah, I agree. John McCain's an expert in twisting lots of things, including the truth.
Posted by: Frank L | Oct 2, 2008 11:57:55 AM
Did he just then confirm with that comment the New York Times story Saturday regarding his gambling problems and ties to the industry? He's betting on baseball???
Posted by: Brian | Oct 2, 2008 11:59:32 AM
"Figure of Speech"?
Yep, don't be gettin' all literal with them figures of speech - like lipstick on pigs.
Regardless of whether this example is a mere figure of speech, McCain/Palin are trying to cultivate an image of "aw shucks we're just regular folks." As usual, reality is the opposite of what he/she says.
Posted by: Dave | Oct 2, 2008 12:13:04 PM
Point exactly...McCain JOKED. Jesus, we're at a point where there can't even be jokes without attacks. Nice. This should be a fun life for us all.
Posted by: BC | Oct 2, 2008 12:31:26 PM
Aw, Brucie, lighten up.
Posted by: 24play | Oct 2, 2008 12:35:10 PM
Just a figure of speech...i don't think he meant it to be a jab at anyone or trying to make light of the dreary financial crisis...
P.S. Boston Sucks!
Posted by: daveynyc | Oct 2, 2008 12:36:07 PM
Point: McCain. IT WAS A JOKE, come on folks.
I still won't vote for him.
And the biggest joke is coming tonight!
Posted by: Rad | Oct 2, 2008 1:12:57 PM
I'm interested in learning more about the bailout plan and its details, but can't seem to find a source for more information that isn't super-partisan and full of craven "spin". Can anyone recommend a site that is relatively balanced (and not in the FOX News way) that can provide details regarding what this bill contains, what it's going to do, and what would happen if it didn't pass?
Posted by: The Milkman | Oct 2, 2008 1:39:04 PM
Hey Milkman, Talking Points Memo has been a pretty good source of info for me. I know they are generally partisan, i.e. liberal, but they've been referencing a lot of economic experts and their links have been quite helpful.
Yglesias (or at least the experts he's been linking to) has also been helpful.
Posted by: Sami Jiries | Oct 2, 2008 2:39:51 PM
anybody remember the reverend from poltergeist 2?
i hope this site allows links. here's a pic of the reverend at the link below.
http://cdn.myxertones.com/tn/c/454907/big/?t=20080420123333
Posted by: macguffin54 | Oct 2, 2008 2:54:50 PM
Its clearly a reference to him not knowing the outcome of a sporting event, because if he did he would strike it rich through sports betting. sheesh. what an overreaction.
PLease someone correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that McCain didn't say that someone with $5mil is rich, he said someone making over $5mil is rich. He's talking about annual income.
Posted by: Dan B | Oct 2, 2008 3:33:07 PM
But, I have a very rich wife.
Posted by: charley | Oct 2, 2008 3:48:21 PM
Come on guys, McCain says a lot of really dumb and dishonest things, but this is a very common figure of speech that I've heard for years.
Noah: as for the bail out bill, let me point out a few things. This Bail Out Bill which has been renamed "The Economic Rescue Pacjage" or some such thing, was a bad bill when it went to the Senate from the House and has now been turned into a worse bill by some misguided Senators. It's been loaded with pork to entice GOP house support, the bill now contains corporate tax cuts for businesses and other costly goodies.
Here's what it does NOT contain:
1. There is oversight, but NO enforcement provisions provided the oversight committee. The oversight committee has no teeth, no real power. All they can do is sound an alarm before more funds are allocated.
2. There are NO penalties, fines or imprisonment for any CEO or exec who manages to find a way of stealing or misdirecting the "bail out" cash.
3. There is NO provision to rewrite any mortgage to avoid foreclosure, and NO way to force banks and lenders to do so. So all this money will not stop one foreclosure.
4. There are NO teeth anywhere in the entire bill. Payback options for the $700 Billion are only suggestions. There is no concrete provision for payback of the $700 Billion.
5. Over 200 economists say this bill may actually make matters worse and don't know if it will actually help unlock credit markets at all.
It would be cheaper to give each American adult one million dollars to pay off their mortgages, cars and credit debt, put money in savings and pump cash into the economy than to throw $700 + billion to thieving bankers who are not being punished at all for their crimes to date.
Yes, we need to do something, but this is not it and I don't like being railroaded by Bush and his cronies the way we've been railroaded into war with Iraq, the Patriot Act, FISA and all sorts of other crappy, dishonest and bad legislation. I'm supporting Obama, but I cannot support this bill.
Posted by: Bob R | Oct 2, 2008 4:54:03 PM
Hey, "Joe Six-Pack" is a figure of speech too. That's what Sarah Cunt and her fascist hubster claim they are. Grifting Alaskan taxpayers has made them millioaires. But they're "Joe Six Pack Millionaires."
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Oct 2, 2008 5:04:03 PM
@DAN B...Apparently, McCain was defining 'rich' as anyone who earned over $5 million per year. The L.A. Times reported on it here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-rich18-2008aug18,0,1063695.story
Posted by: peterparker | Oct 2, 2008 5:08:34 PM