PDA

View Full Version : John McCain, the charitable candidate



I can't think of a name
04-19-2008, 01:37 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/18/mccain.taxes/


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain is considered one of the wealthiest members of Congress, but you wouldn't know it by looking at tax returns released Friday by his presidential campaign.


Sen. John McCain and his wife, Cindy, file their taxes separately.

Out of 535 members of Congress, Roll Call newspaper last year ranked McCain the ninth richest.

In 2007, McCain's total income was $405,409; his taxable income was $258,800; he paid $188,660 in taxes.

The campaign did not release tax returns for McCain's wife, Cindy, heiress to a fortune from her father's beer distribution company, Hensley and Company, for which she now serves as chairman.

According to last year's Senate financial disclosure form, the McCains have assets of at least $36.5 million. Some estimates put her worth at $100 million.

Before marrying 27 years ago, the McCains signed a prenuptial agreement to keep their finances separate and they file their taxes separately.

McCain's campaign said Cindy is not releasing her returns "in the interest of protecting the privacy of her children."

Michelle Obama, who has young children, did release her tax records, filed jointly with her husband, Sen. Barack Obama.

Sen. Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton file taxes jointly.

"My life has not been one of privilege and luxury. I had the great honor of serving in this country," McCain has said.

The 71-year-old presumed GOP nominee received about $23,000 last year in Social Security, and paid nearly $18,000 in alimony to his ex-wife. He received more than $58,000 from his Navy pension.

He earned nearly $177,000 in book royalties, which he and his wife donated to charity -- and McCain donated an additional $17,000.

McCain donated about 26 percent of his income to charity. By comparison, the Clintons gave 15 percent, and the Obamas gave 6 percent.

Almost all of McCain's donations went to the John and Cindy McCain Family Foundation. The foundation supports charitable ventures such as clearing land mines and aid for children with cleft palates, which the McCains' adopted daughter had.


The Democratic National Committee released a statement Friday calling the McCains' lack of transparency troubling and said not releasing Cindy McCain's taxes "raises questions about what he is hiding."

McCain campaign advisers defended not releasing his wife's tax returns by comparing the situation to Democratic Sen. John Kerry's campaign four years ago. Kerry's multimillionaire wife refused to disclose all of her tax returns, which Republicans criticized.

Vandervahn
04-19-2008, 05:19 AM
I donīt get it. Why the fascination with entirely private details of the US presidential candidates? What do McCains tax statistics matter to anyone?

It is sufficient to say that anyone working on the federal government level is nicely equipped with cash and a long shot off of the lower caste in any way. But the exact figures are IMO noone elses business.

These presidential campaigns are really, REALLY annoyingly private-life-centric.

Invisigoth
04-19-2008, 08:59 AM
McCain donated about 26 percent of his income to charity. By comparison, the Clintons gave 15 percent, and the Obamas gave 6 percent.

So what the article is saying is that he's stashed his cash with his wife, who isn't releasing her tax returns and that way he gives 26% of practically nothing to charity?

My hero :roll:

BugHunt
04-19-2008, 09:04 AM
Yes but 88% of people with poltical leanings believe 95% of articles written by political hacks of the same persuasion.....

AGE-Ranger
04-19-2008, 09:24 AM
I donīt get it. Why the fascination with entirely private details of the US presidential candidates? What do McCains tax statistics matter to anyone?

It is sufficient to say that anyone working on the federal government level is nicely equipped with cash and a long shot off of the lower caste in any way. But the exact figures are IMO noone elses business.

These presidential campaigns are really, REALLY annoyingly private-life-centric.

I find it very interesting that nobody had any objections with giving Bush a good 8 year work over, but the second the pressure is on democrats there is all this hand wringing about vetting the candidate.

Invisigoth
04-19-2008, 12:38 PM
I find it very interesting that nobody had any objections with giving Bush a good 8 year work over, but the second the pressure is on democrats there is all this hand wringing about vetting the candidate.

Sorry but criticizing someone's stupidity while bending over and taking their policies up the ringer is not 'a good work-over', its complete failure. 9/11 gave the President a cake-walk in implementing some terrible terrible policies and people didn't have the nuts to stand up and say No because they were afraid of the msm and the terrible 'anti-patriot/american' label.

Power_serj
04-19-2008, 02:11 PM
[/i][/u][/b]So what the article is saying is that he's stashed his cash with his wife, who isn't releasing her tax returns and that way he gives 26% of practically nothing to charity?

My hero :roll:

You should read the article again. He gave away around $200,000 away to charity. Let's see you give $200,000, or 26% of your salary away [whichever is least, which I'm assuming would be the 26%].

Is that [rolling eyes] smiley implying corruption or something? His wife is a chairman of a company. Is that supposed to be bad or something? That has nothing to do with anything. Hardly anyone gives away 26% of their salary. That is probably a bigger percentage than Oprah. :slap:

How much Cindy McCain gets is irrelevant. She earns every dollar as a chairman on the company.

Invisigoth
04-19-2008, 02:22 PM
You should read the article again. He gave away around $200,000 away to charity. Let's see you give $200,000, or 26% of your salary away [whichever is least, which I'm assuming would be the 26%].

Is that [rolling eyes] smiley implying corruption or something? His wife is a chairman of a company. Is that supposed to be bad or something? That has nothing to do with anything. Hardly anyone gives away 26% of their salary. That is probably a bigger percentage than Oprah. :slap:

How much Cindy McCain gets is irrelevant. She earns every dollar as a chairman on the company.

Silly argument, my girlfriend doesn't have a 100 Million dollars. What I am saying is that it's rather easy to give 26% of your salary to charity when your wife has 100 million bucks.

And pointing the finger at the Hilderbeast is, in this rare case, not appropriate since she might give less of a percentage of her income to charity, but in total its way more than the gnarly war hero.

Power_serj
04-19-2008, 11:55 PM
If he called a press conference and began bragging about it, I could understand your complaints, but he wasn't. It is still significantly more than Hillary and Obama gave to charity, plus he served our country his whole life. Period.