The Obamas released tax returns for both Barack and Michelle. The Clintons released returns for both Bill and Hillary. But when John McCain released his tax returns a few weeks ago, Cindy McCain’s tax documents will remain private.
It’s not too hard to understand why. The McCains are extraordinarily wealthy — one might even be tempted to call them “elites” — and Cindy McCain’s assets are estimated to be about $100 million, including a private jet, which her husband has been borrowing at a reduced rate.
Given the other candidates’ disclosures, and McCain’s own alleged commitment to transparency, will we ever see Cindy McCain’s returns? She was asked on the “Today” show this morning, and said, politely, “Never.”
I’ll tell you a little secret: at first blush, I’m not inclined to care. The McCains have more money than some countries, they haven’t been accused of any financial improprieties, and while it’s interesting when a guy like McCain opposes minimum-wage increases while flying around on his wife’s private jet, I’m not exactly itching to go through Cindy McCain’s tax returns. In fact, I’m not surprised that someone of her wealth would want to keep her returns free of scrutiny.But this is absolutely relevant in this presidential campaign for a few reasons.
First, John McCain, for all of his talk about the importance of transparency and disclosure, has gone out of his way to ensure that all of his assets are in his wife’s name. And as Kevin recently noted, “There’s only one reason for a politician to make sure that all his assets are in his wife’s name: it’s to make sure that no one knows anything about his assets. It’s not as if McCain is the first pol to try this, after all. Is the press really going to let him get away with this?”
Which leads us to the second reason this matters: McCain has always relied on his wife’s wealth, and has always “mixed business and politics.” If the point of releasing tax returns is to offer voters a chance to get a better sense of the candidate, then it’s incumbent on the McCains to stop acting like they have something to hide.
And third, there’s just the shameless hypocrisy of it all. In 2004, the Republican National Committee spent quite a bit of time and energy demanding that the Kerry campaign release Teresa Heinz Kerry’s tax returns. The candidate’s wife resisted, but after pressure from the GOP and the media, she eventually gave in and made the materials publicly available.
The situation is exactly the same. John Kerry made less money than his wife, who inherited most of her fortune. McCain is practically broke, and relies on his wife’s millions, which were also inherited.
In other words, if we hold the McCains to the standards set by the Republican Party, they owe the public some additional information. The press hounded the Kerrys on this; we’ll see if the media chooses to give the McCains equal treatment. I’m not optimistic.
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I thought Teresa Heinz didn’t release her records either. I’m I right? Quite frankly, I can’t stand Cindy, wasn’t she the other woman?
McPimple is stupid. He gives control of all his assets to his wife and then calls her the “C” word? That’s a free trip to Paupersville in my books.
Not smart there, dipshit.
BTW, where did her money come from?
From what i understand they signed a pre-nup. Wouldn’t any woman who cheated with a married man?
I hate to say it, but I don’t freakin care…. I don’t want them in the white house running things so why should I give a damn whether they want to devulge what they pay in taxes or if they are even paying taxes or not… I have a lot better reasons for not voting for this old fart then whether he or his missus is scamming on taxes or not…JD
She scares me.
McCain’s membership in Keating Five is enough reason to demand access to information about the couple’s money. What investments she has is the second. Too many in congress are making money from war and weapons-related investments. We have a right to know where their financial interests lie.
What a wonderful First Lady Cindy would be, who clud restore America’ reputation in the world, the rich and secretive beer lady who make millions selling Bud to the rubes.
You’re right Jack, I think most politicains are either tax evaders or find some other way to make themselves richer.
the gop and ALL those of this party
are total hypocrites and LIARS. if
this B*tch will not release her tax returns,
then mccain must not be allowed to run for
president. we have had 8 yrs of deception
and criminal acts by bush and cheney, we
don’t need another single digit intelligence in
the whitehouse.
Well excuuuuuuuse me!
Oh, No!!! You’re trying to start a CLASS WAR!!!
There has been a class war going on for a long time. It’s just that the Democratic Party hasn’t been fighting back. Abortion is a class issue. Roe v. Wade just made it available to people who couldn’t afford to fly out of the country to have it done. Same-sex marriage is a class issue. The wealthy and privileged don’t need to get health insurance through a partner’s employer, and won’t be kept out of the ICU because they’re “not family.”
The privileged class needs to get a taste of their own medicine. Don’t let go of this. I’m contacting the MSM to demand they press the McSame’s.
Forgetting about the Keating Five, are we?
The Obama campaign went ultra-negative early and often suggesting that the Clintons were hiding something evil by not releasing their tax returns the moment the ultra-negative Obama campaign demanded they release them.
When can we expect to hear the ultra-negative Obama campaign make the same case against the McCains?
When will that be?
Why do we even ask to see tax records
Or medical reports
Unless we suspect corruption
Or impending death
In which case corruption will come soon enough.
Tereza Heinz Kerry did release “a portion” of her 2003 return.
http://taxprof.typepad.com/tax.....nz_ke.html
However, if the only thing that can be used against McCain is his wife’s tax returns, we may as well hum Hail to the Chief and kiss the country goodbye.
ysbaddaden, by the looks of McPimples face, the corruption has already started.
Death! Where is thy sting!?
He is a walking corpse.
I am starting to see a consistent but disturbing rationalization on this site. The “republicans did it too” line is a really sad attempt to justify suggested actions for Democrats. The goal is not to “do to them what they did to us”. The goal is to fix a horribly toxic and divisive environment and return to some sort of functional government. It is always tempting to get some payback but (at the risk of being accused of elitism) I would rather not stoop to the level of what’s been done.
Cindy McCain is rich. So what? So was Ms. Kerry. I see no reason why either should be coerced to share private information.
Today, John McCain’s wife Cindy declared she would never release her tax returns. Unfortunately, the McCains are bucking the tide of public opinion regarding her income and $100 million fortune. The American people by lopsided margins overwhelmingly believe presidential candidates should disclose their tax returns. And as they showed four years ago in the imbroglio over Theresa Heinz Kerry, the leading lights of the Republican Party and the conservative movement used to agree.
For the details, see:
“Polls, 2004 GOP Say Cindy McCain Wrong Not to Disclose Taxes.”
I mean I could give two hoots in hell how much money she made. But what I love is it’s just another rich-ass Repug hiding the ball. Keep it up knuckle-draggers.
JoGoBamma(formerly Jo) @ 2:
A beer company.
I could not help but notice the age difference between her and Sen. McCain. He was 39 y/o and she was 21 y/o when they married. She said they have been married 28 years. Assuming they dated a couple of years before they married that means he was dating a teenager when he was 37 y/o. I’m glad for their successful marriage. But…………. my daughter is 18 and if some 36 y/o man came stiffing around her I would pay him a little visit and remind to pick on someone his “… own size or I going to whup your ass like your Daddy should have done years ago.” What kind of man dates a teen-ager when he’s that age? Cindy may not have to release her tax returns but I think it’s a fair question to ask candidate McCain what he thinks about a middle-aged man dating a teen-ager girl. Lets’ face it. That ’s exactly what it is.
Funniest part about Obama’s demanding the Clintons release their tax returns was his tax returns showing such a lack of charity until he started his run for the Presidency. According to his returns, he couldn’t even be troubled enough to donate to Katrina relief!
Hey, might as well start showing us how secretive his admin will be now, right?
Who needs open government, anyway?
ysbaddaden @ 14:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So we’ll know who’s a** they’re kissing and to whom they are beholden. It does matter how they make their money; and if there is nothing shady to hide, why not disclose? Cindy, Dear, you may not be the candidate, but you signed up for this ride right along with Johnny Boy. You knew what you were getting into.
I donot blame her!
tc at #16.
You see no reason why they should release info? What if he made money chewing the heads off rats at a rock fest. Wouldn’t you want to know what kind of a president that would make him?
I’m not saying he does chew the heads off rats, even though he looks like he does, I’m just saying the voter needs to know what the hell is going to be sitting in the white house. And where he got his money to get there.
POdVet @ 22:
This ought to be interesting
http://tinyurl.com/3qhcc2
General_Rennenkampf @ 20
A beer
companydistributorship.FIFY :D
Can’t see why she doesn’t dump him and take all his hidden assets with her. Would serve him right.
I was liking Obama alot till I saw this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AaL1Se38gg I don’t mind so much what he said (though I don’t agree), but hte fact his campaign disabled comments on this SPECIFIC video is telling.
She didn’t say ‘never’ , silly..
… she’s a Republican ..
She said ..”f*** you and kiss my rich white a**.”
Does anyone think his marriage to ” a much younger woman” undermine his character? what hasn’t the tabloid press, corporate media or blogosphere talked about that?
Even Keating Five was what, 20–25 years ago?
Than we should be asking for medical records and regular tinkle tests from Obama because of his admitted drug use as a young man.
env @ 32:
It’s part of his straight-talk maverick persona. He didn’t just date her when he was young, he went over to her house and said to her parents, “My friends, let’s have some staight-talk. I want to fuck your daughter.”
McCain 2008.
We shouldn’t be asking for tax records, especially of spouses.
We should be asking for open elections where all contributors are reported.
Or publically funded elections with no campaign contributions at all.
too bad you have to be a millionaire to run for politics.
the chances that everyday americans are going to get someone to represent their interests for a change are about those of a snowballs chances in hades
we’d be better off picking names out of a hat, get a true representative sample of the american people in congress and the country will get back on track
right now, its just crooked rich guys in there to screw over average americans
how about a third house of congress appointed by a lottery system, say 100 people per state, picked at random, who would have final approval of legislation drafted by the other two houses full of “elected” crooks
env @ 32:
Ehh, I would rather leave the personal sex lives of the candidate out of the picture entirely.
Did John Kerry’s wife disclose? Just askin.
JeffS @ 34:
Ok, that actually made me laugh. :)
It’s Me @ 13:
and here we have another gop get-the-facts-wrong “moron”. the obama
campaign and obama himself did not go negative early on or even first.
try telling the truth or at least listen before you speak again.
JeffS @ 34-
It’s part of his straight-talk maverick persona. He didn’t just date her when he was young, he went over to her house and said to her parents, “My friends, let’s have some staight-talk. If you are worth millions of dollars, I want to fuck your daughter.”
FIFY :D
hazmaq @ 31:
Who gives a shit?
I venture even you would like to have a “rich (fill in the color) ass” for everyone to kiss. I know I would.
She has something she’s hiding.
Thats the bottom line.
Andy K Jong Il @ 28:
Thankee. :)
POdVet @ 22:
He gave 10% of his income -before the books made him wealthy -to his own church- 10%, to a church, not the Pastor.
Barack also gave a lot of his own campaign money to help elect other Dems, including Hillary.
While Bill and Hillary gave less money, percentage wise, to charity -after becoming 25 TIMES as wealthy as the Obamas. And, Hillary refused to use her campaign coffers to help other Dems get elected.
There’s charity, then there’s bullsh**.
When checking facts, I found your words almost verbatim -from FOX
General_Rennenkampf @ 44
Whew! Glad you appreciated it! Sometimes people don’t. Just thought yours needed more specificity.
BTW, didn’t you say lately that you’re collecting a diploma soon?
jdrabe @ 36:
Waaaah?
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Speaker.”
Next well thought out idea?
hazmaq @ 45:
That’s such crap. Dropping the “Fox” sliming would have been a better finish.
L.A. Confidential @ 43:
She probably put all her money in Euros like Bush and Cheney did a few years back when they knew they were going to tank the dollar.