The most important news event in the universe, according to Friday’s Good Morning America, was John McCain’s gaffe about not knowing how many houses he and his wife own, as ABC led off its morning newscast with the story. ABC’s Jake Tapper devoted nearly two minutes to recounting John McCain’s property holdings after snarkily pointing out that he and his wife own just one house — “well, actually the banks owns it, we pay a mortgage.”
ABC’s on-screen graphic throughout: “McCain’s Housing Crisis.”
But Tapper had just 13 seconds for McCain’s countercharge against Obama, that Obama’s house was bought with the help of convicted fraudster Tony Rezko, whom Tapper merely identified as “indicted.”
Here’s the transcript of Tapper’s story, which led off the August 22 Good Morning America.
Robin Roberts: “We begin with America votes, and a new flash point perhaps in the presidential race and the simple question that may have led to a major blunder. Our senior political correspondent Jake Tapper joins us with more on the so-called home front battle both of these candidates are caught up in. Good morning, Jake.”
Jake Tapper: “Good morning, Robin. How many houses do you own? My wife and I, we own one — well, actually the bank owns it, and we pay a mortgage — but the reason I'm asking is this is the question the Obama campaign wants you to be asking yourself as they seek to portray John McCain, a man who owns more than one house, as out of touch. A simple question for Senator John McCain from reporters from The Politico.”
Voice of The Politico’s Mike Allen (unidentified): “How many houses do you and Mrs. Mccain have?”
Voice of John McCain, with transcript on screen: “I think -- I'll have my staff get to you. They’ll tell you about that. It's condominiums. It's further -- I'll have them get to you.”
Tapper: “Barack Obama pounced.”
Obama at campaign rally: “True story.”
Tapper: “Trying to use McCain's apparent lack of knowledge of how many homes he owns as a seminal moment depicting the Republican as out of touch. ABC News, working with the McCain campaign, counted nine houses on seven properties [Graphic on screen: 9 houses, 7 properties]: McCain, his wife Cindy, and her family trust own property in Sedona, Arizona, with three houses on it; two beachfront properties in Coronado, California; one huge condo that used to be two condos in Phoenix; a condo in Arlington, Virginia; a house in La Jolla, California, where a relative lives; and a condo in Phoenix where their daughter lives. But then it turns out there is another Phoenix condo they own that the McCain campaign did not tell us about, so ten houses on eight properties. [Graphic on screen: 10 houses, 8 properties]
Obama at campaign rally: “I suppose if you got seven, maybe eight houses, the economy looks fundamentally sound to you.”
Tapper: “Obama is making the same charge in a TV ad.”
Obama commercial, with image of White House on screen: “Here's one house America can't afford to let John McCain move into.”
Tapper: “The McCain campaign responded with a TV ad of its own, criticizing Obama for getting help from shady political fundraiser Tony Rezko when Obama bought his one home; Rezko was later indicted for corruption. Both McCain and Obama have been portraying one another as out of touch and trying to appeal to working class voters. The question, of course, is who is going to get the upper leg?”
—Rich Noyes is Research Director at the Media Research Center.
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Well
August 22, 2008 - 07:50 ET by cvgbuckeyeWell, anyone who remembers the old movie Dr. Chivago would have the answer that would be satisfactory to our comrades in the MSM and the dem party:
Just take 6 houses away from them and have 4 other families move in the 7th one with them. Course that's right after nationalizing the oil companies and our health care system and shutting down talk radio and banning Christianity and policing speech and criminalizing speech that questions Islam and banning guns in our homes to defend ourselves while they kill babies and...............vote for Barack Hussein Osama, I mean Obama.
I'm not sure I understand
August 22, 2008 - 08:15 ET by Free ThinkerI'm not sure I understand this or what the goal of the Barak news media is here. McCain didn't answer a question very well but the question itself was silly and irrelevant, like whats on his ipod type of question. So, now Obama has attacked McCain and opened up a whole can of worms for himself. McCain isn't sure how many homes he owns (who cares) but now Obama is going to have to be on the defensive about his own elitism and the poor judgement and lack of ethics he showed in his relationship with a convicted felon. This seems to be a recurring theme in Obama's life. I'm actually quite surprised the msm would choose to make a huge mess for Obama.
They
August 22, 2008 - 08:33 ET by cvgbuckeyeThey are panicking FREE and they are losing their composures. As if they have not made big enough fools of themselves already in campaigning for this lightweight, just wait until Osama gets only a minimal bump from the dem convention and his VP candidate pukes on himself.
These MSM's are going to go more nuts than they already are.
McCain's homes
August 22, 2008 - 08:56 ET by BlondeYou say that McCain didn't answer that question very well, and I think I know why.
The Obama campaign has been quick to jump on every slight misstatement McCain has made, even when he quickly recovers (Saddleback rich comment...."$5 million....even though I know that will be taken out of context").
John McCain and his wife have pretty much kept their finances separate, from what I've read...filing individual tax returns, etc. So I'm sure when he heard this question, it went quickly through his mind that any answer would be technically wrong, and legally dissected, parsed, etc. by Obama & his MsM cohorts.
Let Obama carry on with the idiot attacks. It makes him sound petty and stupid (and what's with that fake southern accent, anyway?).
As my mum would say, people who live in glass houses.....
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Right on the Money, Blonde
August 22, 2008 - 09:17 ET by SmartypantsI thought the same thing myself when I heard the clip of McCain trying to answer the question. It was apparent that he really did not know how to answer depending upon the interpretation of the question itself. I'm sure he is smart enough to realize that, if he answered with a definitive response, the Obama campaign and his media buddies would try to nail him as a liar (assuming they subsequently found the number to be anything different than what he stated). Further, I don't think he wanted to go too deep in the issue, because then he would be harangued for being "out of touch with the common person" (which is happening anyway). Either way, we all know that a Republican candidate is not going to win with the media; it never has happened in my lifetime.
I turned on the radio this morning and could not believe that ABC News was still trying to make this a major issue. We have a candidate who openly took money from a nefarious criminal slumlord who thinks his grandmother is a "typical white person" and the media yawns. McCain hesitates in answering a meaningless question and it is a major story. No, there's no such thing as media bias.
Yeah,, and the dem talking heads
August 22, 2008 - 09:23 ET by BlondeAre saying "why was he evasive"?
John McCain is a 4th generation military career officer. He married into money. So what?
I am so offended by the notion that "money" is bad.
Sheesh!
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Blonde, the media is
August 22, 2008 - 09:30 ET by SmartypantsBlonde, the media is desperate to save a candidacy they see as in trouble for their Savior. This is a weak attempt at trying to help Obama, and I think the country is going to see right through it. I have faith that Americans are not that gullible. Some of us might be, but by and large we're smarter than that.
I've just finished "Obama Nation" and the word "evasive" does not begin to describe BO and what he is all about.
I think he was stuck
August 22, 2008 - 09:31 ET by Cool ArrowW hen you're 25, you want to be a gigolo.
When you're running for President, being a "kept man" doesn't seem all that powerful.
But since I ain't running for anything, I sure wish my wife was worth 100 mil. The amount of pride I'm willing to sell on that issue is certainly negligible
I ♣ my seal
Earnings?
August 22, 2008 - 13:35 ET by Copperhead RidgeA man who marries for money earns every damned cent of it.
You must credit libs like
August 22, 2008 - 08:33 ET by dscottYou must credit libs like Tapper with being deceptively creative. The real issue here is Tapper's attempt to obfuscate WHY the housing mortgage meltdown even occured. That would be because of CERTAIN Democrats who headed Sallie Mae and Freddie Mac irresponsibly loosening credit terms under the wrong headed Equality of Outcome argument that every person can own a home. You will note that since the meltdown started the lending rules of these two institutions buying mortgages has changed back to the previous more responsible requirements.
So here we have another liberal failure being dressed up to look like Repubs don't care about the common man. NO, it was the Democrats and their failed policies who screwed over the common man and now the taxpayer has to bail them out YET AGAIN!
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
The Real Issue
August 22, 2008 - 12:07 ET by JDWWhen have the libs and/or messiah media ever addressed the real issue?
Libs do not address allegations, they accuse accusers. In this instance McCain used the Obama response as an opportunity.
JDW
DAILY WAVE
crisis?
August 22, 2008 - 08:43 ET by candanceABC is quick to call this a crisis, implying McCain has made some devastating move. Meanwhile Obama's ties to Rezko, Ayers and Wright are all treated as "swiftboating."
What is wrong with the number of houses someone owns?
August 22, 2008 - 08:46 ET by szampWhat is wrong with the number of houses that McCain owns? At his age, he probably had a lot of time to accumulate a lot of wealth. I bet Obama is much wealthier now than McCain was when he was as young as Obama is today.
It is amazing to see this people talking in a negative way about success, wealth, profit, enterprise, self-reliance, when they continue to become richer than ever.
These libs think we should live under one set of rules that doesn't apply to them.
Do they plan to create a law limiting the number of houses someone culd own? I bet they woul love to. If they could they would set a limit on everything someone could own. That's true communism.
szamp, this is not even
August 22, 2008 - 09:27 ET by Smartypantsszamp, this is not even about class warfare. This is all about trying to nail a Republican candidate for president at a time when the Dem candidate appears to be faltering. They see their buddy beginning to swirl down the drain and they need to run to prop him up. This is a very weak attempt at that, and I think it will backfire on them. The country does not care how many homes McCain has, or that he does not want to address his personal financial issues. In 2004, nobody in the media made an issue of John Kerry (and his wife's) vast fortune. Nobody cared how many homes they own all over the world, or whether Kerry could list them off of the top of his head. The same applies to John Edwards; the media gave him a pass on his immense wealth and the underhanded way he obtained it. Wealth only matters when it is Republicans that have it. What do we expect? The media tolerates and ignores overt racism when Dems spew it ("my grandmother is a typical white person..."), but Republicans are accused of being racists if they don't cover their mouths when they cough.
What scum the media are.
August 22, 2008 - 09:03 ET by mattmWhat scum the media are. So what if McCain doesn't know exactly how many houses he and his wealthy wife have? It's not like he lives in all of them. He probably let's the wife deal with all that stuff...
Yet Obombastic says he'll visit all 57 states and the media bury it. And they barely cover Rezko, the long lost brother, Jeremiah Wrong etc...
It's just like the Clinton days when the media blew off criminal behavior by Billary to focus on how mean-spirited those republicans are for demanding tax cuts and controlling government spending.
Six (6) Homes
August 22, 2008 - 09:47 ET by ScrapironMy sister and her husband own six homes, 5 rental properties and one they live in and have never earned $50,000 per year with both of them working. Four of the homes they built, one every few years, themselves (own hands) on property they bought, financed, and paid off.
Owning seven homes is a big deal, it shows McCain's wife is a smart business woman.
Buying a house from a mob connected criminal and feeding the criminal millions of dollars in tax money shows Hussein O and his wife are criminals even if they only own one house.
I see the Hussein O home as: A mob criminal, a politician (D) feeding millions to the mob criminal, a doctor (seller), a wife (hospital exec) salary over doubled after politician shoveled a truck load of money to the hospital, a $300,000 gift from Dr to politician (break on house price), an extra lot from criminal to politician. Was the Dr connected with the hospital that received the taxpayer gift, millions of dollars? Na, there is no criminal activity here. Just your average every day 'street organizer', whatever the he** that is, other than a leach on the taxpayers dole.
Old, Retired and glad of it.
Managing multiple homes is a BAD thing?
August 22, 2008 - 09:52 ET by CobraManI don't know about the rest of you, but I see the ability to successfully manage multiple homes as a GOOD thing. If he has managed to LOSE 8 homes, well, then I'd be a bit concerned.
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
so they have 7 or 8
August 22, 2008 - 10:06 ET by athoughtor2so they have 7 or 8 houses....how many does kerry have? how about all the hollywood elites? how many of those house were bought with the help of Tony Rezko?
Such a non-story
August 22, 2008 - 10:26 ET by r22weissTalking with people at work today, Dems, Reps, and indys, say there are more important issues than how many houses McCain has. We all think this is just a distraction to get the press not to cover the Russia/Georgia situation because that is a huge hit to Obama and bridge the talk to Obama's VP and the Dem convection.
Tommy Flanagan lives
August 22, 2008 - 13:05 ET by pocomocoThe MSM’s new priorities.
Russia invades Georgia and kills thousands? NAH!
Russia threatens Poland with nuclear attack? NAH!
McCain has a “housing crises”? YEAH, THAT’S THE TICKET!
MSM: Where's Tommy Flanagan when we need him???
The reason
August 22, 2008 - 11:17 ET by Joe C.Here's why he wasn't sure, and didn't want them to say he lied:
"Sen. McCain himself
does not own any of the properties. They're all owned by Cindy McCain,
her dependent children and the trusts and companies they control."
Everyone with a brain - which excludes the MSM and Democrats - knew that that was the reason.
That’s right, Joe. And
August 22, 2008 - 14:11 ET by maggieqpublicThat’s right, Joe. And when it comes to real estate in Maricopa County (Phoenix area), Newsbusters can check for themselves. Filed documents at the Recorder can be read by anyone on-line. John McCain doesn’t own any real estate in the county.
http://recorder.mari...
Cindy McCain’s movements in and out of multiple properties through various family trusts and partnerships have occurred on a fairly regular basis. That John McCain doesn’t closely monitor his (heiress and business-woman) wife’s real estate transactions should not be shocking. I prefer that he concentrate on his presidential campaign and his job as a U.S. Senator (unless we’re talking about immigration or campaign finance).
Makes me wonder...
August 22, 2008 - 12:54 ET by c5thenWhere does Obama live when he is in Washington D.C. for the Senate sessions? I realize that he has been there rather sporadically lately, since he's been running for President for about a year and a half already, but where did he live before that?
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
1 "gangster" mansion in
August 22, 2008 - 13:01 ET by athoughtor21 "gangster" mansion in chicago. not sure if he rents or owns in DC though. if he owns in DC then he doesn't know how many houses he has either. he stated that he has only 1 home. so....
Or does Obama have a 'special' deal for his DC residence?
August 22, 2008 - 13:12 ET by c5thenMaybe he stays at the Rezko compound in the DC area when he is in town?
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
wouldn't surprise me or a
August 22, 2008 - 13:33 ET by athoughtor2wouldn't surprise me or a friend of rezko's
McCain pulled a Br'er
August 22, 2008 - 13:11 ET by ConservativeRexMcCain pulled a Br'er rabbit! I am convinced McCain's people flushed out Obami's people with this.
Here's my theory, Rezko has not been in the news since Clinton and Obami were fighting each other. When they asked McCain how many houses he owned (which someone in his camp knew the MSM would) he gave the answer he gave. Knowing full well Obami's people would jump on that like a duck on a Junebug, which they did. The McCain's are very wealthy, they can own 20 houses for all people care.
As soon as Obami himself raised a stink about what McCain said, all McCain's camp had to do at this point was hammer Obami on Rezko and for further measure, all his other corrupt money dealings. I love it when a plan comes together. If it did come down this way, then someone in McCain's camp is brilliant
We Are Family
August 22, 2008 - 13:31 ET by JDWRobin Roberts: “I just read about Mr Obama's brother, why do you think he does not live in a home?"
JDW
DAILY WAVE
Upper leg?
August 22, 2008 - 13:33 ET by fossten"The question, of course, is who is going to get the upper leg?"
Um...isn't it supposed to be the upper hand?
Or is he channeling Chris Matthews?
Perhaps mixing metaphores by
August 22, 2008 - 13:51 ET by MassConservPerhaps mixing metaphores by combining "leg up" and "upper hand"? Or Maybe he was hungry and hankerin' for some KFC?
Limbaugh had a funny line
August 22, 2008 - 14:12 ET by Jack BauerLimbaugh had a funny line along the lines of
"McCain still has less houses he's stayed in, than Obama has brothers he's never met."
Note that the liberal media
August 22, 2008 - 15:24 ET by deerjerkydaveNote that the liberal media didn't think this was news until Obama made it news with his commercials. The liberal media truly are the lab dog of the Democrat party.