‘It’s a frickin’ mansion!’

Responding Thursday to the reports of the multiple homes owned by John and Cindy McCain, spokesman Brian Rogers came a little bit unglued:

“We’re delighted to have a real estate debate with Barack Obama,” said spokesman Brian Rogers, adding that the press should focus on Obama’s house. “It’s a frickin’ mansion. He doesn’t tell people that. You have a mansion you bought in a shady deal with a convicted felon.”

The felon reference was to Tony Rezko, a former Obama friend and financial backer who was convicted on fraud and bribery charges this year. Rogers vowed to intensify efforts to link Obama to Rezko in the coming days.

“That’s fair game now,” he said. “You are going to see more of that now that this issue has been joined. You’ll see more of the Rezko matter from us.”

The McCain campaign was in full damage-control mode as the housing story took off today. Rogers tried to play down the story, saying that reports of the many McCain houses were overstated.

“The reality is they have some investment properties and stuff. It’s not as if he lives in ten houses. That’s just not the case,” Rogers said. “The reality is they have four that actually could be considered houses they could use.”

Since the McCain camp wants to go here, let’s oblige. Tony Rezko did not help the Obamas buy their current, and only home. From Bloomberg.com:

“The couple who sold Barack Obama his Chicago home said the Illinois senator’s $1.65 million bid “was the best offer” and they didn’t cut their asking price because a campaign donor bought their adjacent land, according to e-mails between Obama’s presidential campaign and the seller.”

The Chicago Tribune:

“When Sen. Barack Obama decided to buy a stately $1.65 million home last year on Chicago’s South Side, Antoin “Tony” Rezko and his wife wasted no time. The same day the Obamas closed on the house, the Rezkos closed on the purchase of the adjoining vacant lot, which once was the estate’s lush side yard.”

The ‘frickin’ mansion’

The photo of the Obama’s home clearly shows that the ‘adjoining vacant lot’ purchased by the Rezkos is in fact the yard for that home. In a deal that Obama himself admits was a ‘boneheaded’ move, he purchased a portion of the vacant lot from Rita Rezko for $104,500, or a sixth of their original $625,000 purchase price, because he was acquiring a sixth of their land. Hardly any bargain of a deal, as the Obama’s had the lot appraised, and the appraiser estimated the 1,500-square-foot portion at a market value of $40,500. Difficult to fault Obama too much for wanting a yard for his children to play in, and certainly not his fault that the Rezkos snapped the property up.

While McCain’s camp comes up with attack plans for Senator Obama’s ‘ties’ to Rezko, let’s take a little look-see at John McCain’s questionable relationships. Just this week, McCain held a Ralph Reed-linked fundraiser that netted $1.75 million:

John McCain raised more than $1.75 million for Republicans Monday at a fundraiser clouded by confusion over the role of a political operative connected to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The downtown event was promoted by Ralph Reed, a former head of the Christian Coalition. McCain’s campaign said the event was organized by the Republican National Committee — not Reed, who was linked to the Abramoff scandal that McCain investigated in the senate.

McCain didn’t raise the issue during his 22-minute appearance. Rather than explain the relationship with Reed, he instead simply thanked donors to the Republicans’ umbrella campaign fund.

Not surprising that McCain didn’t want to raise the issue, as within his very campaign he has at least 159 lobbyists on leaves of absences from lobbying running his campaign, fundraising, and shaping his policies.

Straw hats

Before McCain’s spokesman finishes with the press today, he had to toss what the campaign seems to use as their ace-in-the-hole:

“This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years — in prison,” referring to the prisoner of war camp that McCain was in during the Vietnam War.

I find it rather degrading to an otherwise distinguished service record to use this ploy whenever his own people can’t take the heat that comes back at them when they fight an underhanded campaign, rather than stick to real debate of Obama’s policies.

McCain’s staycation

While the McCain campaign staff busily craft their next attack ad, Senator McCain is taking what’s reported as his “first vacation” of the campaign at his home in Arizona.

Nothing “elitist” about having your own private patio off the master bedroom with fireplace and lighted pond with water fountain, now is there?

Obama roots pretty humble

If you take a look at the Obama’s home again, and then take a look at the childhood home of Michelle Obama (see below) I think there’s a hint of similarity there.

Sitting on the SouthShore area of Chicago, Michelle was raised in the upstairs apartment of this brick home in a middle-class neighborhood by a family who all gathered around the dining room table for meals every evening. While no doubt the Obama’s current abode is grander, I wonder if that hint of similarity is intentional? I’d like to think that it is, and that it explains why the Obamas make such a connection with Americans from all walks of life. They have embraced the best of their upbringings to form a loving family living together in one home while fighting to make the world a better place than it was when they found it. I know it has been a long time, but I think that’s what we used to call the “American dream.” Only someone too far removed from everyday America would possibly confuse that with elitism, perhaps someone who needs to check with his staff to find out how many homes he owns?