Are Dems making Cindy’s cash a campaign issue?
While there are strategists in both parties who are eager to make the candidates’ wives a political issue this fall, both Sens. McCain and Obama have declared that they will run clean campaigns and keep the focus on one another.
Obama set the bar high last month when he said, “I would never consider making Cindy McCain a campaign issue and if I saw people doing that–I would speak out against it.”
So do accusations made by a Democratic strategist last night about Mrs. McCain’s go too far?
Democratic National Committee Adviser Jamal Simmons told CNN Tuesday night that Mrs. McCain’s financial transactions raise “red flags,” and there are questions about “whats going to happen to…Cindy McCain if he goes into the White House,” noting that she is an heiress to a beer distribution company estimated to be worth upwards of $100 million.
Simmons also alleged that the presumptive GOP nominee was only able to keep his once cash-starved campaign afloat partly because his wife incurred $750,000 in personal credit card debt during the primary season.
“They would not have been able to keep the John McCain campaign alive had he not had this personal wealth,” Simmons added, alluding to what would be an FEC violation given that McCain has said– and federal filings show– that he never borrowed from his personal wealth to keep his campaign in the black.
While the DNC and some outside observers have taken issue with the campaign’s reimbursement–or lackthereof –for the use of Cindy McCain’s private jet and releasing her tax return summaries instead of the full filings, Democrats have yet to solely target her wealth.
And though it can be argued that the use of the private jet saved the campaign some dough, citing her personal credit card debt to allege impropriety looks to be taking up the criticism a notch.
When asked about Simmons’ assertion, DNC spokesman Damien LaVera would only say that Democrats will continue to highlight what he called the McCain campaign’s “potentially illegal” use of her jet and “insufficient” financial disclosure.
“This isn’t about Cindy McCain. This is about John McCain and his promise to run a new kind of campaign with a new level of transparency,” LaVera said, noting McCain’s oft-repeated commitment to run the most “transparent” campaign in history. “We are going to hold John McCain accountable to his own campaign promises and we are going to make sure that when he doesn’t, the voters know about it.”
Tags: barack obama, Cindy McCain, dnc, john mccain
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Why shouldn’t she be a target, now that the right have declared war on Michelle Obama (and Hillary before her). A pill-popping. drug-and-husband stealer should be a juicy target.
I think the media is to blame for treating Americans like fools in covering McCain campaign. Nobody begrudges the McCains for their 7 homes? but considering how much we’ve had about Obama’s additional plot for his kids to run around in in his back garden. It almost looks like the media is in an embarrassing and tragic pack to pull a fast one on America with the so saintly coverage of McCain campaign. This is already beginning to backfire big time. People know instinctively what’s fair.
Funny how the democrats are trying to make a negative out of Cindy’s wealth.. I wonder why they didn’t do the same with Kennedy, Kerry, Edwards, Clinton, and Pelosi ?? Gee, it must have been an oversight …
It’s a campaign finance issue, not a personal attack. I don’t see how questioning the propriety of their personal financial contributions to John McCain’s campaign is in any way a personal attack on Cindy McCain. This is quite a stretch - even for FOX.
So the democrats are saying it’s o.k. for Obama to change his money system. Go Democrats.
Let’s see, has a spouses wealth ever been made a political issue? If so, why is this a subject since the precedent has been set? OR could we say that it sghould be an issue if a single party has made it one.
Or we could think of 100 reasons why ALL Americans should pull together for the next president. Wow, that’s silly since the political parties or the media would never allow that to happen.
Good luck to us all
whether a candidate has received financial benefits from another (second wife or not) seems to be a highly relevant election topic, especially when one claims to operate a “transparent” campaign.
If she’s contributing to the McCain campaign financially then it should be an issue if such contributions are illegal.
Personal attacks against her business, family, religion, character or ideology should remain off the table.
The quote is inaccurate, and out of context. If you read the article it isn’t clear whether Obama meant that he would speak out against criticism of Cindy McCain or of his own wife. Check the very next thing he said, about John McCain, for clarification.
And clearly, the subject is where McCain gets his funds, not Cindy McCain herself. Who is faulting her for her wealth per se? If McCain is made immune from criticism for dipping into a family fund, then he is being given a loophole around his own legislation.
If Cindy’s money is a issue then Michelles mouth should be a issue.
All of the candidates are wealthy compared to MOST of us. I am glad for them and hope I can better myself in the future if they don’t increase taxes.
CINDY HAS MONEY, AND THERE IS WAYS TO GIVE JOHN SOME UNDER THE TABLE AS THEY SAY.
I wonder why this is not in the HEADLINES AT FOX NEWS
How is McShame allowed to get away with this stuff
If Obama’s wife was rich his campaign would have been over.
BARACK THE VOTE !!!
The media’s negative coverage of Michelle Obama’s patriotism (or lack thereof) has been going on for months now culminating with an exhaustive discussion of the now infamous New Yorker magazine cover. That poor lady has been sliced, diced, and served up as chopped liver. Now you all are boo-hooing because someone mentioned Cindy McCain’s money? Give it a rest!! Please…give it all a rest!!!
You must have a memory issue Karnak. The Repub’s made a huge issue out of Mrs. Kerry’s wealth.
To all who don’t know it. There are more wealthy Democrats in the house and senate than Republicans. It’s all a matter of public record. Obama is bought and paid for by the Sorros, Huffington left.
Move over Capitalism, Socialism is moving in. If he wins, he’s a four year Carter all over again. then Hillary well have another chance.
He’s an empty suit who lacks the ability to think without a speach writer and the Democrat machine pulling the puppet strings.
For God’s sake, John Kerry’s wife is a billionaire, and that wasn’t a problem.
Of course, I don’t think the media is even trying to hide their bias anymore, so who cares? Isn’t it what we come to expect from the media, that the Democrat is right and the Republican is wrong, no matter what the issue is? So, let’s just get over it.
And, for the record, both Obama and McCain are useless. Vote Libertarian!
The wifes should be off limits. They are not the canidates. The media should respect this. The media left the clinton kid alone when asked-even during Hillarys run. Leave the wifes alone….
B.O. is a FRAUD!
The Republicans certainly made the wealth of Kerry’s spouse an issue. Turn around is fair play.
The wives of Both candidate’s should be off limits……
How ridiculous - you can’t turn back the clock and take Cindy Mccains Inheritance back. What do I care how much money this lady has been given by her heirs. She’s a lucky woman - I envy them. What’s that got to do with the “price of gas”? The Obama’s made over a million last year - that’s obsene too. Get on them.
dont let Mccain keep his drivers license, he might run us over .
has his age shown or what? wait till the debates
Mcain its time to retire.
McCAIN RETIRES IN 08 !
This is the DNC trying to paint the Mccains as elitist. What difference does it make how much money anyone has?
I heard an up and coming story is going to be McCain’s sexuality. Apparently he had a homo relationship with another guy in the military! Please god let that not be true!
McCain ‘08! (cuz we can’t have black people running the country)
This is a legitimate question about undisclosed campaign contributions, not about personal matters relating to Mrs. McCain. On the other hand, FOX has been all over Michelle Obama attacking her. If FOX can’t see the difference, well, they don’t want to see the difference.
What will happen in the McCain administratoin is that officials will be drinking more beer and less wine or whisky. That is good for publicity, since beer is popular among rank and file Republicans. Leave Cindy alone, this is ridiculous. 75,000 buys a few dinners on the campaign circuit and that’s about it.
I can hear a flip-flop coming…as in (flip) flop obama. It is not if Sen. Obama will flip-flop on an issue, but how quickly.
Obama is an admitted substance abuser, so why shouldn’t he be made to take a drug test by a doctor (other than his own), and have these records made public? I would think anyone running for the most important job in the world, every precaution should be taken. This should be true with any public official who have a history of drug abuse.
John McCain’s wealth really isn’t the issue (both John McCain and John Kerrey earned it the old fashion way, they married it); but his wife’s business should be. The alcoholic beverage industry is heavily regulated and licensed by the federal government. McCain got around this conflict of interest by not voting on any issue affecting it in the Senate. But he can’t avoid it as President. It will be his Treasury Department, Securities and Exchange Commission, etc. that will be making decisions affecting his wife’s company. Will he come clean on how he will avoid this conflict of interest? He hasn’t answered that question yet.
Cindy has not been made an issue if you compare the attention given to Michelle. She has been treated like a princess……I recall Kerry’s wife was a huge issue. But she hadn’t even forged prescriptions so I really think Cindy has been treated more than fairly. Except of course from the Bush campaign last time around, they were horrible to spread that rumor about her adopted child. That was the worst ever.
Fox News and most of the right wing media have tried to paint Obama as an elitist. Any one who dares to look sees he does not come from an elite background, and the statement is rediculus. What about oil executives, (one of which recently retired from Exxon-Mobil with $403.000.000). What about Mitt Romney with all his millions, along with John and Cindy McCain, heiress to Budwiser. Are these people not “true elitists”? If the “elitist” attacks were not put out about the Obama’s, this wouldn’t be an issue for the McCain’s. Maybe people have forgotten how John Kerry’s wife wse attacked for her wealth by Republicans in 2004.
In response to the previous comment by LEOO. Yes Obama is an admitted previous drug user, “as a teenager or young adult”, just like millions of other Americans. Yes, he is honest about his past instead of saying, “I don’t remember if I used cocaine or not”, like George W. Bush. I know that honesty and the thought that we might have someone in the white house who actually has a brain and acts with honesty may be something foreign to you, after living with what we have as Americans for the last 7 years. Sen. Obama has spoke to groups of teenagers and warned them about the perrils of using drugs. I am sure your consern about Sen. Obama using durgs may just be wishfull thinking on your behalf.
now now libtards.. john kerry married some wretch named theresa heinz for her money.. so who is calling the kettle black?? mccain 08