The McCains’ Tax Mistake

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This week’s issue of Newsweek has a heck of a story: The McCains forgot to pay their taxes for the past four years on one of their seven homes.

For the past four years, San Diego County officials have been mailing regular notices that the La Jolla condo was in default. After Newsweek asked the McCain campaign some probing questions, the matter apparently was dealt with, but if they had waited until next year to handle it, San Diego County could have seized the property. The condo is beach-front property — I doubt the county would have minded too much.

I mind, though, that such a detail slipped through the McCains’ fingers. I’m not worried so much about John McCain’s ability to handle politics these days as his ability to handle money. Sure, he managed to snag a beer heiress worth an estimated $100 million, but is McCain really qualified to help a country with a credit crisis? Considering that the man has over $100,000 in credit card debt himself, along with his wife, tells me ‘no!’

Is it unreasonable to expect that Presidential candidates can handle their own money? Are their personal finances an indicator of their abilities to handle a national budget?