I'm not an ardent McCain supporter, as if you haven't noticed. I'm still torn about whether I should hold my nose and vote for him against Obama, or whether I should vote my conscience and, unfortunately, "waste" one on Bob Barr. The thing with Bob is that, although we agree in principle, we have very divergent views on facial hair. I can't handle that mustache and am having a very difficult time justifying a ratifying vote.

But back to the point. I'm not much of a McCain person, but I am willing to call crap when I see it, and this is just that.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.

"I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you."

The correct answer is at least four, located in Arizona, California and Virginia, according to his staff. Newsweek estimated this summer that the couple owns at least seven properties.

In recent weeks, Democrats have stepped up their effort to caricature McCain as living an outlandishly rich lifestyle — a bit of payback to the GOP for portraying Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as an elitist, and for turning the spotlight in 2004 on the five homes owned by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Maybe Democrats weren't savvy to this back in 2004, but if you look deep enough, ever politician is an overpaid windbag who is marginally, if not significantly richer than the rest of America. This attack works against Democrats for the same reason stories about Republicans being secretly gay also works: on this particular issue, they tend to be hypocrites. When John Kerry, John Edwards, and yes, Barack "Poor me, I live in a three bedroom condo in the Loop" Obama, talk about the "other America," they usually neglect to tell you that they earned their money through taking advantage of opportunity. They earned their money with capitalism. What they want to do, however, is force rich people who have also taken advantage of the free market to give other people money in order to "even out" the system.

Republicans don't mind that people are rich. We understand that in the United States, if you work hard enough, like Mr. Heinz, John McCain's father in law, and even Obama (sort of), you can also be at the top. We don't hate the rich, and its highly unlikely that we're going to feel slighted knowing that John McCain's wife owns several houses that are rental or investment property. Because when you look at the paperwork, it seems that its not actually John McCain who owns any of the property that Barack Obama's camp is claiming. The eight houses that can be connected to the McCain family all belongs to his wife, his kids, or are part of an investment portfolio...but for affiliated entities.

The presumptive Republican nominee, though, may have some wiggle room in explaining why he couldn't immediately provide an answer when asked by Politico how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own. 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.

And if they are in his wife's name, it pretty much means he has no control over them. Not only did John and Cindy McCain execute a pre-nuptial agreement to protect her assets (something that was pretty progressive in the early eighties when they got married), but John McCain has had -- quite specifically -- no involvement in his wife's affairs (which would also explain his ignorance...at least, better than the cheap shot, senility). Obama got lucky...McCain was caught unprepared and it gave him some wiggle room where he could spread a memo that was right in line with lefty blogger talking points. Too bad its not going to stick.

Because, of course, there's this...

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said in response: "Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses? Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula and thinks regular people 'cling' to guns and religion in the face of economic hardship really want to have a debate about who’s in touch with regular Americans?

Yeah.

But don't take only my word for it. There are other lovely ladies writing about this very topic. Check them out!

Auntie M at Speak Out for Change discusses how this is relevant to the election from a very different perspective...a Democratic one. Kathy of Comments from Left Field is pleased to finally see the Obama camp go on the attack and utilize their resources in the Internet media, and finally the Gold Plated Witch on Wheels puts it all in perspective: Rich Guy versus Rich Guy.