DNC Sees Cindy McCain's Wealth as Fair Game (Future Beergate)

ABC News ^ | July 18, 2008 | Jake Tapper

[keepitreal]

CNN this week took a look at Cindy McCain's wealth this week, reporting that she "is not only a wife to Senator John McCain, she is also his meal ticket. Her reported 2006 income of more than $6 million exceeded her husband's earnings 16 times over. That money pays for a wealthy lifestyle of high end condos, an Arizona ranch, flying in a corporate jet, and more." The story quoted a writer from the Politico saying that her beer distributorship funded his first congressional campaign and has subsidized his presidential campaign.

CNN correspondent David Mattingly reported that "as president, McCain would run a mammoth bureaucracy with regulatory control over alcohol sales, distribution and consumption. The next administration would probably have to deal with issues of beer taxes, labeling, maybe even the politically sensitive international merger just announced involving the giant Anheuser-Busch. These are all issues that could create a conflict because they could have an impact on the McCain family bottom line."

(snip)

Simmons said that shows that McCain is "not in touch where most of Americans are. That month where he was spending $750,000 on credit card debts, it was from March 2007 until the beginning of 2008, middle of 2008. And that's when they were spending all the money of credit cards. They would not have been able to keep the John McCain campaign alive had he not had this personal wealth."

[Michael.SF.]

Democrats, never afraid to take a cheap shot:

[pabianice]

Strange... they have no problem with Ted Kennedy’s controlling the import of all scotch whiskey into the U.S. while getting one dollar for every bottle as well...

[Paleo Conservative]

OMG!!! Cindy's rich and distributes beer!!!

I can remember reading about a former president's father who distributed whiskey illegally during prohibition.

[stuartcr]

Reminds me of all the ketchup remarks from the last election.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Some pothead, seminar caller called in to talk radio (Hannity?) yesterday and tried to resurrect McCain’s involvement in the old, worn out “Keating Five” thing. ROTFL!!!! Even the DNC knows that there is “nothing there” with that. They’ve already beaten that dead horse to death.

[Retired Chemist]

Did they take a look at Kerry’s wife’s wealth in 2004?

[Liberty Valance]

My dear friends ...



Who here wouldn't like their wife to own a beer distributorship?

[Joiseydude]

One word: Teresa Heinz Kerry

One word: NJ governor Jon Corzine, estimated worth $400,000,000+. Corzine's wealth doesn't seem to bother the DNC.

[GotMojo]

spot on! the media made a big deal about Bush & “Big Oil”, yet never took issue with Kerry’s cozy relationship with “Big Condiments”!

[cpdiii]

If the wealthest 50% of Congress were to step down, the Congress remaining would be solidly Republican.

[Liberty Valance]

Scandalous!



Let's ask Sam Adams or Ben Franklin what they think ...

[cpdiii]

Cindy McCain is rich, beautiful and owns a beer distributorship. If she wants to divorce John I am available! :) :) :)

[6SJ7]

I like Cindy. I like Beer. I like Money.

That line made me smile. Indeed. It's going to be pretty hard for the media to stir up the public against someone who makes beer. Big Beer?! Well, who doesn't want that!

[AU72]

It's going to be pretty hard for the media to stir up the public against someone who makes beer. Big Beer?!

In high school the most eligible girl to date was the nymphomaniac who's father owned a liquor store.

[VOR78]

Yeah, isn’t it ironic that just a day or two ago, Obama was whining because people were attacking his wife? But not surprisingly, the Dems don’t practice what they preach.

Hypocrites.

[TribalPrincess2U]

No, three words to be exact, so let's get this right /s and say it loud—we need to remind the dhimmies often.

Teresa Heinz Kerry,Teresa Heinz Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry,Teresa Heinz Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry

Frickin' idiot dhims have no game!

[Wiseghy]

If politco’s don't use their own money, they have to ask others for it. Is it better if an office holder is beholder to donors?

We all know how McCain feels about asking others for money. It is the basis of his work on finance reform.

Guess the Dems figure they can flip a Teresa Heinz on McCain.

However, Cindy is no Teresa.

[hope]

No doubt daddy had a hand in the shake down for that.

[ProfoundMan]

There are a lot of Freepers who are just beside themselves that McCain doesn't pounce on every opportunity to slam the Democrats and Obama at every opportunity and it gets a little tiresome sometimes. There are probably a thousand little hit pieces like this in "Draft" form in journalists' files across the globe and all McCain need to is say one little thing out of place to have them come cascading down on him (and us).

To be sure, McCain is hardly my first choice, but I do think we need to be a little more cognizant of the political reality he has to operate under.

So far, it appears he has the press thing down pretty good. I just wish he had the conservative thing down as well...

[GraceCoolidge]

You reminded me of the George Jones' song, "Nothing Ever Hurt Me Half as Bad as Losing You":

Well, it's not because you measure fifty, twenty, forty-four/ It's surely not because you own a chain of liquor stores/ It's not because your daddy is the richest man in town/ It's just that I've grown used to you and having you around.

Now that's country music!