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Cindy McCain's Business Relationship With Charles Keating

politicalbase.com — Cindy McCain went on the Today Show and said she'd never release her tax returns, even if she became First Lady, because she's "not the candidate" and citing "a privacy issue." Yet, it was her fortune that launched McCain's first campaign and this long forgotten business relationship between her and Charles Keating -- of The Keating Five!

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  • redcolumbine, on 05/09/2008, -12/+21Well, now we know his approach to white-collar crime.
  • thirdcoastborn, on 05/09/2008, -13/+18why then allow her husband to use her personal jet for campaign stops, illegaly. she opened up her finances right there for his presidential run.
    • knumbknuts, on 05/09/2008, -1/+7It's legal... the beef is that the rules only require him to play first class seating rates because they are married.

      The more you know, ding-ding-ding.
  • anshuman, on 05/09/2008, -11/+12"Fair Game applies to Everyone and everyone I say , except when it comes to me " McCains
  • TubeDigger, on 05/09/2008, -11/+11Mcain has felt no pressure yet it's all been on obama and hillary. Lets test his boiling point.
    • twiztidsinz, on 05/09/2008, -7/+4We really don't need to 'test' it.
      Based on his past, it's quite short.






      That's what she said..
      • funkyloki, on 05/09/2008, -0/+0Who?
        The girl at the picnic...ba-dum-dum-dum-cymbal
    • knumbknuts, on 05/09/2008, -6/+4That only applies to those of you who were watching the Disney Channel the last time McCain ran for president.
    • Tomchei, on 05/09/2008, -4/+1It will get tested at nomination time when his delegates don't vote for him.
      If he doesn't get the first round of voting like he thinks he will get, he'll turn pink.
  • mustafya, on 05/09/2008, -10/+13This is one of many things that has led me to dislike McCain. There are too many things that hint at him being corrupt as hell. Almost like all his shouting about things is to distract you from what is going on under the surface.
    • Rotzooi, on 05/09/2008, -7/+6There's not much substance under that surface, hence the shouting, arm-waving and distracting.
      Once people get over his pow-status, and stop letting him get away with everything, we'll see the old man crumble.
  • oldhick, on 05/09/2008, -7/+14While I believe there are many reasons to avoid McCain at all costs, this one doesn't bother me TOO much. They purposefully have filed independent tax returns their entire relationship together. If she doesn't want to disclose her finances, good for her. Legally she doesn't haven't to.
    Of course, the rest of us are free to view this has hiding something and not being forthcoming . I wish I could say this was going to make me not vote for him, but I never was.
    • DaviDTC, on 05/09/2008, -1/+4This doesnt bother me at all cause like you said, they have file independent tax returns forever. This isnt anything they started to do in the last 5 years. We arent asking Clintons major donors to release their taxes.
    • WilliamDavis, on 05/10/2008, -1/+1Then she needs to not do business with the scum that buys her husband.
  • whiterice0, on 05/09/2008, -10/+26Yeah. Cindy's so wicked. Let's look at who she is: She has a Bachelor of Arts in education and a Master of Arts in special education. While in college, she participated in a movement therapy pilot program that laid the way for a standard treatment for children with severe disabilities, and her work was published in professional periodicals. Then she was a special education teaching career working with children with disabilities at Agua Fria High School in Avondale, Ariz. When she married McCain in 1979, they made a prenuptial agreement that kept most of her families' assets under her name; and they always kept their finances separate, including tax returns - though she did loan money to her husband's bids for Congress. She also walked door to door in his first bid for Congress in 1982. In 1988, Cindy founded the American Voluntary Medical Team, a non-profit organization that organized trips for doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel to provide MASH-like emergency medical care to disaster-struck or war-torn third-world areas such as Micronesia, Vietnam (before relations were normalized between them and the U.S., Kuwait (arriving five days after the conclusion of the Gulf War), Iraq, Nicaragua, India, El Salvador and Bangladesh (Her adopted daughter, Bridget, came from an orphanage in Bangladesh). Cindy led 55 missions over seven years, with each being of at least two weeks' duration. The organization also supplied treatment to poor sick children around the world.
    In 2001, she became actively involved with Operation Smile, which provides cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children worldwide, taking parts in trips with it to Morocco, Vietnam, and India. She was honored by the organization in 2005, and sits on its board of directors. She joined the board of directors of CARE in 2005, one of the largest international relief and humanitarian organizations in the world. She is on the board of the HALO Trust, which removes amunition and landmines in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, and AngolaShe makes financial contributions to three latter organizations via her family trust, and views her role on in them as watching them in the field and to ensure they are frugal and their money is being spent effectively.
    In 2000, she became chair of the now $300-million-a-year Hensley & Co. following her father's death, who founded the company. She became a frequent consultant to the company CEO on major initiatives such as new products, new plants, or employee welfare. By 2007, she had an annual income of over $400,000 from Hensley & Co. and an estimated net worth of $100 million. With her children, she owns a minority stake in the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team.

    • warlokaz2004, on 05/09/2008, -4/+7...and I saw her on jay Leno...she's totally hot. What is she, 50? I'd totally hit that.
    • wendelgee2, on 05/09/2008, -5/+6Wow. She's worse than I thought.
    • swrostmore, on 05/09/2008, -8/+8Did you include the part where McCain was happily married when they met for the first time? Your post was too long for me to read the whole thing.
      • WasabiBomb, on 05/09/2008, -3/+5How about the part where Cindy and John both lied about their ages to each other (he said he was much younger, she said she was older), and they each didn't find out the truth about each other 'til they got their marriage license?
        • TheOther1, on 05/10/2008, -1/+1And you never lied to a chick to get laid?!
    • elipabst, on 05/09/2008, -3/+5Nobody is suggesting that Cindy McCain is evil. The problem is that her financial dealings have clearly put him in awkward political positions before, such as in the Keating 5 scandal. If she refuses to release her tax returns how can we be sure that the same situation won't happen again except this time he'll be President of the United States and not some junior Senator. I think it's important to be aware of potential conflicts of interest, especially in a time when the next President will likely be dealing with the sub-prime credit issue. What if Cindy has a personal stake in a creditor who needs to be bailed out? Do you honestly believe that just because their finances are separate on paper, that she has no influence on him? I mean I think it's great and all that she works with disabled children, but I don't think she should get some kind of free pass because of it, especially with their history.
      • WilliamDavis, on 05/10/2008, -2/+1"Nobody is suggesting that Cindy McCain is evil."

        Yes they are. How else do you wind up married to John McCain?
    • higgs, on 05/09/2008, -7/+2Even hitler loved puppies. What are you trying to say? She can't be a complete ***** because she fixed a few cleft palettes?
      • TheOther1, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Hitler only loved German Shepard puppies.
    • anillop, on 05/09/2008, -1/+5Damn she sounds like a real hateful bitch. /sarcasm

      I love how everyone here complains about negative politics but then digg up crap like this. Give me a break can we have some issues here for once.
    • jabberwolf, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2yeah lets attack Cindy,,, because there isn't much on Mccain.

      Sadly Cindy is even cleaner than Mccain is !!
    • ZenMasterMojo, on 05/10/2008, -1/+2So, if everything is already publicly known about and her business dealings, then WHY WON'T SHE DISCLOSE? All the other candidate's wives in the past have.

      She thinks she's entitled to hide her finances from voters? TALK ABOUT "ELITISM"!!! Wow.

      What is she hiding? What is she too embarassed to reveal? Sorry, but if you or your spouse wants to run for president then you have put up with public disclosure & less privacy! If you want to keep your finances private then don't seek public office! Sen. McCain lives in homes owned by his wife and travels on her dime. The public has a right to know. It would be all to easy for someone to thwart campaign finance laws & buy access to Senator McCain by giving expensive gifts (like homes, cars, planes, etc.) to his wife. Gifts that he and his campaign would directly benefit from!
  • willynilly, on 05/09/2008, -7/+15Who gives a *****? Harping on this is nearly as bad as harping on Obama's pastor. Assess McCain, not his wife, and certainly not his wife's tax returns.
    • stuartgoff, on 05/09/2008, -6/+4I'd rather ASSess Cindy - Thank you
    • fleischner, on 05/09/2008, -4/+6I reject your premise that's it's "bad to harp on" BHO's pastor. If McCain got his spiritual guidance from David Duke, I'd say the same thing about McCain.
      • crweaks23, on 05/09/2008, -2/+1We were all given governmental advice by a retarded president, that doesn't mean his views have any effect on mine. Disgruntled teachers fail as role models. Twisted priests rape little boys. Nobody is "guided" by anyone but themselves. You have a choice to accept another person's words as truth, or reject them as *****. Obama is not an idiot, he's an intelligent member of the elite, remember? He has appropriately deemed the comments by his former pastor as BS. End of story.

        There is a reason that Clinton carries the votes of UNEDUCATED whites. Anyone with a brain knows what's going on here.
    • masterm1nd, on 05/09/2008, -1/+1Except with this we don't even know if any wrong doing took place or not... BIG difference.
  • minox, on 05/09/2008, -8/+6They have filed separately their entire lives. They have a prenup. She is a wealthy woman with children. She is probably not releasing her returns because of security reasons.
  • mrinsanity, on 05/09/2008, -1/+1GOOD ARTICLE!

    /bad_comment
  • nsummy, on 05/09/2008, -4/+10While there is no way I'd vote for McCain I love how the shift of stories are going from anti-HIllary to anti-McCain. The crowd mentality on digg is so great.
  • lupinus, on 05/09/2008, -7/+13McCain was accused of corruption. How quickly do thee forget.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_five
    He should have not run for President.
    • masterm1nd, on 05/09/2008, -1/+4Lol, the other 4 are all dems. Do you even know the difference between and accusation and conviction. Hint, Obama is an accused racist anti-American.
    • roggie15, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Like masterm1nd said, there's a difference between being accused and being convicted.
      Plus you've got this right in the wikipedia article itself...
      "The Ethics Committee concluded that Glenn's and McCain's involvement in the scheme was minimal."
      Also...
      "Bennett, who was the special investigator during the Keating Five scandal that The Times revisited in the article, said that he fully investigated McCain back then and suggested to the Senate Ethics Committee to not pursue charges against McCain because of "no evidence against him." "
      So yea, let's try to find some new things to attack John McCain for, shall we?
    • TheOther1, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1And I accused Hillary of being a *****. She should not have run for President.
  • MikeFallopian, on 05/09/2008, -12/+9Manufactured outrage at its finest. If McCain and his wife keep their finances separate, then there is no reason that she should make her tax returns public. The people who are crying foul over this are the same people who cried foul over Clinton not realeasing her tax returns... and when she finally bowed to pressure what did we see? Nothing out of the ordinary or scandalous (not that anyone apologized for their baseless accusations). The real issues are foreign policy and the economy, not preachers and tax returns.
    • defska42, on 05/09/2008, -4/+4When someone is financing another person's candidacy, we deserve to know where the money came from if for no other reason than the person running for the position will owe the person financing them something when they win that position. It is relevant. Especially for a candidate that preaches transparency in government.
      • MikeFallopian, on 05/09/2008, -1/+3To my knowledge, she is not financing her husband's campaign. If she was, I would agree with you - do you have evidence that she is?
        • elipabst, on 05/09/2008, -2/+3Oh so she's just financing their lives, clearly no conflict of interest there. They may have separate bank accounts, but who do you think foots the bill for their house, food, cars, vacations? You honestly think she splits it down the middle and then bills him?
        • defska42, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1The article clearly states the it was her finances that got him into the House in the first place. In fact, so does the summary of the article above.
    • elipabst, on 05/09/2008, -1/+3You're missing the point. It was her separate finances that got him into trouble in the Keating 5 scandal. Given that there is a clear history here, why should she get some kind of free pass when her husband is running for President? If she has ties that could influence his decision-making (just as it did in Keating 5), then we deserve to know. Why shouldn't the crusader of transparency in government step up to the plate and stop being a hypocrite.
      • MikeFallopian, on 05/09/2008, -1/+0If she funds his campaign she should make her tax returns available to the public. Otherwise, she is under no obligation to do so.
        • elipabst, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1There is an obvious conflict of interest. The first lady holds considerable power and influence over government whether you want to acknowledge it or not. Her financial interests have already put her husband in a position where he was reprimanded by Congress for his inappropriate actions. Why should we turn a blind eye when he's asking to become the most powerful man in the world?
    • jocknerd, on 05/09/2008, -0/+2Except it was the Republican Party that screamed over and over in 2004 for Teresa Heinz Kerry to release her tax returns, which she did eventually.
      • MikeFallopian, on 05/09/2008, -1/+0I agree that was innapropriate. Two wrongs don't make a right.
  • rficwizard, on 05/09/2008, -8/+5It should not be necessary for us to see the tax returns of the candidates themselves, much less those of their spouses. Candidates don't become public property. I wish candidates had the guts to stand up and say "My private life is none of your business." This is not a soap opera, this is an election. I need to know what the candidates think about the issues. I need to know how they plan to do their job. I don't need any details about their religion, sexual orientation, how they earned their money, which charities they support, what their first car was, what kind of music they like, how they exercise, or any of the other irrelevant details we are bombarded with. As long as we concentrate on trivia, we will get the sort of campaigns we have been getting. Most people, most of the time, get the government they deserve.
    • ZenMasterMojo, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1No one is forcing him to run for office! Don't want to disclose your finances or your wife's THEN DON'T RUN FOR PRESIDENT! It's a simple trade-off. It's a public office. Even non-elected govt officials like judges, prosecutors, and FBI agents MUST DISCLOSE every penny of their income and the incomes of their immediate family - to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

      Do you really think the President should be scrutinized less than a district attorney?

      What hypocrisy! GOP & Limbaugh/FoxNews have been whining for years that Hillary should disclose donors to Bill Clinton's presidential foundation and about Obama buying and subdividing a property for his home with Tony Rezko (who's been indicted on a matter totally unrelated to Obama). But, NOW you want to claim that knowing who paid for the home he lives and pays his wife for his travel expenses is OFF LIMITS!!! LOL
      • rficwizard, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Running for office does NOT mean that private details become public. You could just as well say that if they don't want to pose naked then they shouldn't run for President. Why should people disclose irrelevant details in order to apply for any job? I refuse to do it, and so should candidates for public office.

        I would like to see the law that says that any candidate for public office needs to disclose their income TO THE PUBLIC. Feel free to point that law out to me; I am happy to admit when I am wrong.

        Your hypocrisy charge is off base. You could very easily find out that I made essentially the same argument about personal details, regardless of which candidate is under discussion.
    • WilliamDavis, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1"I don't need any details about their religion, sexual orientation, how they earned their money"

      They mostly earn their money by scamming you, so they may as well have to work at it.
      • rficwizard, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Wow, I know I pay a lot in taxes, but I didn't know that I personally was completely supporting the current crop of candidates. America, let me take this opportunity to apologize for this entire presidential campaign, which I apparently funded. I have no excuse, and can not expect your forgiveness.
  • SubjectiveC, on 05/09/2008, -3/+6People, believe it or not, want it or not, it's going to be either McCain or Obama. It doesn't matter how many times you report this crap, one of them is going to be president. Is Barrack Hussein Obama a secret muslim? Is John McCain's wife filthy rich? Who cares?! Of all the election coverage on Digg, I've hardly seen the candidates' actual policy plans being discussed. It's always this drama that has no bearing on a real presidency.
  • Sogui, on 05/09/2008, -5/+7ITT: We have nothing of substance to say so lets blow steam.

    Quick let's spin a 2 decade old scandal that's played itself out like it's real news!
    • hellsing47, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Hi
    • xen0blue, on 05/09/2008, -0/+3hit the nail on the head, my friend
    • Infidelcastr0, on 05/09/2008, -1/+1Yea! why should we look at things like this?, it's not like we're putting him in charge of our economy or anything.
  • dildoolielly, on 05/09/2008, -6/+8Alcoholics fund John McCain's endeavors

    Cindy McCain is an Arizona businesswoman and the wife of U.S. senator John McCain. Since 2000 she has been the chairman of Hensley & Company, the Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship founded by her father in 1955.

    She met John when he was still married

    John McCain was old enough to drink when Cindy was born

    These people are lobbyists. They represent large corporate interests, not the people. They are not for "Democracy", they are for a plutocracy.

    Which is why they should never be allowed anywhere near the seat of Gov't or anywhere near our CHILDREN!!!

    They belong in treatment counseling or in the looney bin
  • heystoopid, on 05/09/2008, -2/+4All this from a wife of a man who voted against equal pay for equal work and educational qualifications at the same time.

    Why am I not surprised !
  • UtubReptilian, on 05/09/2008, -8/+6John McCain admitted to being a war criminal and killing hundreds while piloting for fun. Cindy McCain has confessed to stealing prescription drugs and taking up to 15 a day. She is also a billionaire thanks to Budweiser and that's how they have been able to buy the e-voting machine companies. LOSERS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5KzCXVDiQ8
  • laserblazer, on 05/09/2008, -4/+6Let's not forget that Income Tax is strictly forbidden under American Constitutional law.
    • laserblazer, on 05/09/2008, -0/+2Clear Fourth Amendment violation: unreasonable seizure of assets.
  • papipablo, on 05/09/2008, -8/+4Well there's one thing I agree with John McCain on: Cindy is a *****.
  • SydBloom, on 05/09/2008, -4/+5Now we will see how the liberal stalinists turn on a decent American hero, like they do our soldiers in the field. It will be a pleasure to scour the streets of America with the most liberal anti-American ewver to run for President..Osama the Obamanation.

    Maybe Cindy can't find the tax returns..like the Rose Law Firm Billing records?..Payback is going to be VERY sweet.
    • Infidelcastr0, on 05/09/2008, -2/+2Tard.
    • Disregard, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1McCain crashed a jet and got beat up for five years. That a hero does not make.

      A proper fascist hero would, you know... win victories.
    • jocknerd, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1And don't forget that Obama is a Muslim. You do believe that don't you? At least thats what the neo-cons have pushed.
    • MattBrown, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Unlike how the conservative fascists turned on a decent American hero, John Kerry. They don't support the troops, they see them as cannon fodder.
      Come to think of it, the liberals I know dislike McCain for his politics and support the troops by wanting their lives to be treated with more respect.
  • dpazar2, on 05/09/2008, -3/+3Well ***** McCain to protecting and showing loyalty to his wife!!! Right? Is that what is going on here. I could understand if they hadnt filed seperate...but they didnt and there are far greater issues than this.
  • planes, on 05/09/2008, -3/+3The people who harp about needing to see the tax returns are simply nosey people. How much money they make should be nobody's business, especially in this situation.
  • Infidelcastr0, on 05/09/2008, -1/+3Who better to lead in the wake of the subprime meltdown than one of the Keating Five!....... YA!
  • xen0blue, on 05/09/2008, -3/+6spin it, democrats! spin, spin, spin away!
  • wishninja, on 05/09/2008, -1/+3from ye ol' conservative handbook of breaking down people's privacy:
    "Well if you have nothing to hide why don't you want to show us _______?"
    If she doesn't want to she shouldn't be forced to publish that information but Obama has every right to nag her about it.
  • Pedestrian101, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2It should also be noted that they signed a contract at marriage that John McCain gets no money from her on divorce/death. I know all you Obama lovers hate rich people and want to start a communist revolution, but don't be that stupid.
  • Cyrus042, on 05/09/2008, -3/+2Both Obama and McCain are calling for honest, respectful campaigns, and what do their supporters / surrogates do? Try and drag people like Cindy through the mud. If people want soap operas, stick to daytime television. Stop promoting irrelevant issues that are nothing more than a distraction in a very important political election.
    • scamper22, on 05/09/2008, -1/+0precisely why Obama's presidency will be failure.
      Wait, don't digg me down yet :)

      Much his platform assumes the 'good intentions' of people. Which is nice and belongs in the non-profit sector.

      Yet if his supporters (who are supposed to be the down trodden, regular honest hardworking folk), are acting so maliciously now, imagine what happens when obama's platform actually comes to fruition. It will taken advantage of 100 fold and will collapse under itself. This doesn't even speak of those 'bad' people in our society who actively seek to take advantage of others.


      Just to give you an example.
      Obama plans to pay teachers with a master's degree more than those without...sounds great...almost reasonable. Unfortunately, dangling that kind of guaranteed pay increase just for getting another credential is a recipe for abuse.

      People might recall the flagrant abuse of such a system in Florida a few years back where if teacher took certain courses they were paid more. Of course, this resulted in bogus courses being created, people would just get certificates without actually taking courses...in the end...it turnout to be a scam more than actually improving the quality of education.

      which is why obama should stick to the non-profit sector instead of government.
  • jabberwolf, on 05/09/2008, -3/+2yeah lets attack Cindy,,, because there isn't much on Mccain.

    Sadly Cindy is even cleaner than Mccain is !!
  • alais, on 05/09/2008, -3/+1the hypocrisy of the average digger just cracks me up
  • ZenMasterMojo, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2No one is forcing him to run for office! Don't want to disclose your finances or your wife's THEN DON'T RUN FOR PRESIDENT! It's a simple trade-off. It's a public office. Even non-elected govt officials like judges, prosecutors, and FBI agents MUST DISCLOSE every penny of their income and the incomes of their immediate family - to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Do you really think the President should be scrutinized less than a district attorney?

    Can't stand the heat? Then get out of the race! Serving in public office is a privilege that comes with resposibilities! She wants to be First Lady of the USA, but she doesn't think the public deserves to know what financial conflicts of interest her husband might have because of her? Or, who might be giving her expensive gifts of houses & planes, etc. to curry favor with the Senator?

    What arrogance! Talk about ELITISM!!! Wow.

    What hypocrisy! GOP & Limbaugh/FoxNews have been whining for years that Hillary should disclose donors to Bill Clinton's presidential foundation and about Obama buying and subdividing a property for his home with Tony Rezko (who's been indicted on a financial matter totally unrelated to Obama). No evidence that Obama ever did anything to help Rezko.

    But, NOW you Bush/McCain supporters want to claim that knowing who paid for the home McCain lives (and who's paying her while he's travelling on her dime) is OFF LIMITS!!! Get real. LOL

    This isn't going away. McCain should disclose everything right away, or get out of the race! Rumors about what she might go to such lengths to hide will only get worse!
  • Olfster, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Was not Mr. McCain one of those five? Hmmm. Yea "trust" is not the first thing that comes to my mind.
  • jplily, on 05/10/2008, -0/+0Who gives a *****?
  •  

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