It’s Not Just McCain’s Advisors with Financial Ties to Evil Dictators; It’s His Wife
The other day, Cliff did a post listing all the ties to bloody dictators McCain’s advisors have. They include ties to dictators in Myanmar, Zaire, Nigeria, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and–through Sun Myung Moon, North Korea.
Well, apparently, it’s not just his advisors McCain has to worry about. It’s also his wife:
Cindy McCain, whose husband has been a critic of the violence in Sudan, sold off more than $2 million in mutual funds whose holdings include companies that do business in the African nation.
The sale on Wednesday came after The Associated Press questioned the investments in light of calls by John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, for international financial sanctions against the Sudanese leadership.
[snip]
According to McCain’s personal financial disclosure, Cindy McCain’s investments include two mutual funds — American Funds Europacific Growth fund and American Funds Capital World Growth and Income fund — that are listed by the Sudan Divestment Task Force as targets for divestment.
"Those have been sold as of today," said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers.
Both funds have holdings in Oil & Natural Gas Corp., an India-based company that does business in Sudan. The American Funds Capital World Growth & Income Fund also has holdings in Petrochina, a Chinese government-owned oil company with vast investments in Sudan.
Last year, in a speech on energy policy to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, McCain cited China’s investments in Sudan as an example of regimes that survive off free-flowing petro dollars.
[snip]
On Wednesday, Rogers said: "Senator and Mrs. McCain remain committed to doing everything possible to end the genocide in Darfur."
Rogers also said, "Now that you’ve busted the McCains failing to meet the standards Senator McCain claims to uphold on the campaign trail, we’ve decided Cindy should release her tax returns, just so you can be sure there are no other surprises like this–or her onetime $400,000 investment with Charles Keating that almost ruined Senator McCain’s career."
Oh wait, he didn’t say that last bit. Silly me! The McCain campaign obviously doesn’t need help vetting its staff and Cindy’s bank accounts!
Update: small edits thanks to watercarrier4diogenes.
Wow. Score!
How unprepared is McCain he has run for president before holding stock in companies that deal with third world dictators is A FREAKIN OBVIOUS NO NO!
Stupidity should be punished.
What’s wrong with that?!? Darth Cheney’s company did buisness with all of the countries in the “axis of evil”.
Cheney was secretary of defense during the reign of George the senior. He bombed Iraq.
Cheney’s company, Halliburton, made millions doing business with Iraq during Clinton’s presidency.
Cheney is now bombing Iraq, AND making billions for his company, millions for himself, rebuilding Iraq.
I guess 2+2 really does equal -5!
” Stupidity should be punished.”
Not so.
It is no crime to have Downs Syndrome.
But stupidity and hubris seem to go together, especially in positions of power, making the stuff of many ancient Greek dramas that have become archetypal.
Bob in HI
She must also reveal any profit from these past holdings and divest herself of those profits. Their kids should too, by the way….
Easier just to release your returns, Cindy. Then we can help you find any remaining embarrassing items.
OT: lots of interesting stuff going on in Michigan today… and I love the timing.
I love it in about 10 different ways. I suspect it was in the works since Bonior endorsed. BUt it was played very very well.
All things being equal, Obama knows how to play his hand to its best effect.
Especially after Edwards pulled 7% of the vote in WV yesterday months after suspending. This endorsement really is good message management by Obama.
And I should confess, that I had a press pass for the Grand Rapids event, but I didn’t finish the book salon I’m doing for tomorrow, so couldn’t get out there for it.
Bummer.
Since you were sort of quiet after it exploded online, I thought you might be there… but I don’t know much about the geography of MI and how far away you are/were.
I meant to add that I love the timing AND the location. Giving the love to MI voters AND killing the WV story, all in prime time. He’s either real smart or has someone working for him who is.
I was in LA last night and missed all the WV coverage – I didn’t know Edwards pulled 7%. Man, I love me some JRE. A guy who can pull 7% after being out of the race for two months might help in Appalachia….
just sayin.
Well you must be head over heels for freaking Huckabee then….
heh heh. How’d Ron Paul do?
In fact, I should do a post on how, once again, MI gets to poke poor old WV in the eye.
Well, it will undoubtedly improve, but, so far, I am not sure Rich Rodriquez has been a gift….
Hmm, I thought EW meant politically, not in the gridiron sense… I have a soft spot for WVU. I had two roommates in DC that lived and bled the WVU blue-and-gold.
In other news, the Padres have just given up the third HR to Soriano in the series with the Cubs (3 games), and his second straight game he led off with an HR.
Oh no, it means nothing if you don’t throw the football in there too.
My biggest regret (I must be getting sappy in my old age) is I tuned in too late to the warm-up for Edwards/Obama to hear them playing Hail to the Victors (I do hope they got MSU in there too).
Jeez, I dunno, how knowledgeable are individuals supposed to be in stuff like this? My law firm had, before we split up, a sizable pension and profit sharing plan administered by Smith Barney. I am pretty sure one of the rotating funds we were in and out of at different points was the American Funds Capital World Growth and Income Fund; if not, one that sounded just like that. I would have had no idea in the world that it had Sudanese investments. Actually, not even Sudanese investments, but an Indian company that did business in the Sudan. What portion of the fund is based upon that Indian company? 5%? How much of the Indian company’s business is the sudan part? I’ll be not a huge percentage; which means the net impact of the Sudanese business on this fund is probably pretty damned small. Man, it is a complex and global investment world any more, and funds and entities also have an obligation to do the best they can for the beneficiaries/participants. I can see it if they directly owned stock in some Sudanese company or something, but this is starting to look a little remote to me.
It’s a lot easier if you go public with your tax returns–you get a little help.
After all, if Gluehorse is calling for sanctions, he’s asking for people to exercise the same kind of scrutiny.
Heh, I spent every bit of money i used to have, so I don’t have those worries anymore….
Well, as far as ethical investing/consuming goes, I’m just glad that Hensley Co. only distributes Bud and not any beer worth drinking!
So what’s the odds nowadays that Hillary makes the finish line in June, drops her bid then, attends a final Obama primary campaign event where she endorses Obama, and then he, at the very same event, selects her as his VP running mate?
I think the odds are good. Why wouldn’t he guarantee himself Hillary supporters? He’d be in control of her power.
MadDog, if we’re taking bets, I bet no on HRC as Veep. After the Cheney debacle, that office will return to being not worth a warm bucket of spit, and HRC knows that. My money is on some middle-aged white guy from a border state or a Mountain State. Someone smart but inoffensive.
OT, Keith will have a special comment on Bush and his giving up golf claim.
Keith Obamermann can bite me. For a few months now, he has been one of the most unprofessional, disgusting, pitiful excuses for a journalist I have ever seen in my life. If he were any further up Obama’s rear end, his head would be brown. The hatred and sarcasm towards Clinton just pours out of him. A few minutes ago, he just referred to locations and people that voted for Clinton as “unusual Democrats”, “pseudo-Republicans” and “Democrats in name only”. What an asswipe.
And I might note that I am no flaming Clinton supporter and prior to the primary election coverage this year, thought KO was the best there was on teevee, broadcast or cable.
nevertheless, you have been throwing elbows today! you’re on fire!
You’re right, and it seemed timed with the Schuster “pimp” punishment. I think Keith was really pissed that after what Matthews had done for months of Hillary bashing, with no consequence, that Schuster was out of work for the one (generational) comment.
And I really like Schuster. He did make an inappropriate comment; but i don’t think it would have caused anywhere near the stir it did if it had not been what Matthews had been doing for so long. I have had a bee in my bonnet on this for a while now. Must give it a rest. The gig is pretty much up and over now anyway. Just bugs me….
Hey, I voted for Hillary in California, and supported her for a long time (until Bosnia). I do hope the Dream Ticket is offered.
I haven’t been watching Keith lately, so I’ve missed the anti-hillary thing. Like everyone else, I’m glad to have him if only to enjoy the truth being reported on the cable MSM for a change.
I really like Shuster too – is he not back yet? WTF? Is there something they aren’t telling us?
Naw, he’s back and has been for quite a while now. And that is exactly my opinion of KO, that is why I have been so pissed off. I dunno, maybe I am too sensitive on this due process of journalism jag; but to me, he has been so egregiously out of bounds that I don’t even know how to describe it. I. Must. Quit. This. Subject.
Heh, at least it wasn’t the pitcher yanking one out of the park on the Friars. I might have been misreading EW’s reference, but generally, I think Mountaineers are still hopping mad over UM stealing both their basketball and football coaches.
Whoo hoo! Keith tells Bush to Shut the Hell UP!
Okay, this is WAY cool:
Rocket man flies on jet-powered wings