Released Friday, McCain's return indicated that he paid $84,460 in taxes on taxable income of $258,800. He gave $105,467 to charitable organizations, most of which went to the John and Cindy McCain Family Foundation. The foundation then distributed much of the money to charities. The donations include royalties from five of his books, including the biographical "Faith of My Fathers" and "Worth the Fighting For."
His income included his Senate salary of $161,708, a Navy pension of $58,358 and Social Security income of $23,157. His return shows that he paid $17,700 in alimony last year; he and his first wife divorced some three decades ago.
McCain reported paying $136,572 in wages to household employees in 2007. Aides say the McCains employ a caretaker for a cabin in Sedona, Ariz., child care for their teenage daughter, and a personal assistant for Cindy McCain.
Aides say she will not release her tax returns to protect the privacy of the couple's four children; details of their wealth are included in her filing.
Because Arizona is a community property state, McCain and his wife each must report one-half of their shared income and expenses. So, though McCain reported $258,800 in taxable income on his 2007 return, the couple's joint taxable income was twice that amount. According to the returns, Cindy McCain's income from the beer distributorship, Hensley & Company, was $432,991 in 2007.
McCain's campaign also released his 2006 individual tax returns. For 2006, he reported paying $72,771 on taxable income of $215,304. He also reported charitable gifts of $64,695.
Earlier this week, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported making $4.2 million last year. That was a significant jump in their income from the previous year. Profits from his books "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope" accounted for some $4 million. The Obamas paid federal taxes of $1.4 million and donated $240,370 to charity.
By comparison, Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband Bill, the former president, reported $20.4 million in income for 2007 but have asked for an extension on filing their returns. Almost half the former first couple's money came from Bill Clinton's speeches. The Clintons have made nearly $109 million since leaving the White House in 2001, capitalizing on lucrative business ventures and his speaking engagements.
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
Damn, I need to become an elected official, and start writing books and making speeches...
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
Not worth having your soul ripped out and torn to shreds, pissed on, spit on, shit on, and stuffed back in.
Also, what the holy fuck is he getting social security for?? There are thousands of old people eating Alpo and not buying heart medication and this bastard's getting money from the government?
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
He IS the government. And soon, if he wins, he will be even MORE of the government.
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
quote:Originally posted by Daniel Butler: Also, what the holy fuck is he getting social security for?? There are thousands of old people eating Alpo and not buying heart medication and this bastard's getting money from the government?
He's 65, dude. He paid into the system, now he gets money back.
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
Isn't he 71?
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
Doesn't seem fair to me. He paid into the system and now he doesn't *need* it.
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
You sound just like one of his fans.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Fans make an odd chopping noise and usually accompanied by a hum from the motor. His make a different noise?
He's 71, got Reagan by a few years if he gets in.
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
My point is that he isn't even retired. He's got a high-paying job. He's got a lot of income and there are people who are suffering that could use that little bit of social security he gets - and it is quite *little* when stacked alongside the rest of it. I don't care if he paid in, it shouldn't be guaranteed, it should be conditional. The money he paid in should go to help people who didn't make it as well as he did.
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
That's the United States' Government for ya.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
quote:Originally posted by Daniel Butler: Not worth having your soul ripped out and torn to shreds, pissed on, spit on, shit on, and stuffed back in.
Also, what the holy fuck is he getting social security for?? There are thousands of old people eating Alpo and not buying heart medication and this bastard's getting money from the government?
You guys still have your souls? Virgins- the lot of ya! Anyone making over 100K a year should forefit any Social Security- but the Republicans would say it's his RIGHT (while trying desperately to abolish it). Like the current Equal Rights act that McCain says he supports but his party loathes and is killing.
Dont forget- as a member of the Senate, he gets lifetime medical coverage, and free security from the Secret Service (which sounds a bit like an invisible tea set to me).
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
The secret service scares me. On a class trip to D.C. once, we got to stand outside the gates of the white house. There were at least 10 snipers on the grounds and on the roof with their rifles trained on a bunch of 12 year olds...
Past presidents and senators and such get to keep their Secret Service agents, right?
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sean: The secret service scares me.
And that, I believe, is the point.
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
Past presidents, I think. Don't know about senators - I don't think so, though. Past presidents also get the right to a daily CIA briefing.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
I can see Bush's briefing: "Today we're still trying to unfuck the country after your administration."
I'm unclear on senators but noteworthy people have some sort of government security at all times- Al gore does and I'd think they are Secret Service, though Park Rangers might befit his enviro-friendly image.
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
I don't think even regular senators have protection all the time. The nominees for the presidential primaries get Secret Service protection starting some X number of months prior to the election; I remember Obama got it early because they were worried someone would shoot him because he's black. Or, you know, cafe au lait. Whatever. Anyway, he was a senator before that obviously, and apparently didn't have Secret Service protection.
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
He's beige.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
You're beige!
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
I'm pasty. I have no color.
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
The whole shade debate regarding Obama is just fucking shameless and undignified.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Childcare for their teenage daughter? What, are they worried she'll pop up in a Girls Gone Wild video? I suppose I should really Wiki to see if they actually have a disabled child, but fuck it. . .
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
Nim: I dunno. Makes for fun jokes and so on here and elsewhere as you can see I don't know what you expect, really, in America.
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
I don't know what you expect, really, in America.