PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2008

WASHINGTON — Times are tough, but don't worry about most members of Congress making ends meet.

Their collective wealth grew by 13 percent last year, leaving them in better shape than most Americans to make it through an economic downturn, according to a new analysis of personal financial reports.

Overall, nearly two of every three senators are millionaires. That includes presidential candidates Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. In the House, 39 percent of all members belong to the exclusive club.

Only 1 percent of all Americans are considered millionaires.

"With a median net worth of $746,000, most members of Congress have a comfortable financial cushion to ride out any recession," said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, which conducted the study.

In the House of Representatives, Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., ranks No. 1, with $397 million, followed by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., with $343 million. Rep Robin Hayes, R-N.C., ranks third, with $173.4 million. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., ranks sixth, with $62 million.

In the Senate, the two Democrats from Massachusetts claimed two of the top three spots.

Sen. John Kerry led the pack, with $336 million, while Sen. Edward M. Kennedy ranked third, with $104 million. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., ranked second, with $241.5 million. Overall, senators had a median net worth estimated at $1.7 million.

The 535 members of Congress, who earn average annual salaries of $169,000 and receive cost-of-living pay increases, had a total net worth of $3.7 billion last year. Although some are likely to take a hit from Wall Street's woes, their average net worth soared by 61 percent from 2004 to 2007.

However, not all members are wealthy and some appear to be bankrupt. The study found that 16 House members and three senators had an average net worth of less than zero.

Obama ranked as one of the biggest financial winners, with his net worth increasing from $800,000 in 2006 to $4.7 million last year, thanks mainly to royalties from his two best-selling books. McCain had a net worth estimated at $28.5 million, with most of the wealth attributed to his wife Cindy's family fortune.

Authors of the study said it's impossible to give a precise net worth for members of Congress because their individual assets and liabilities are disclosed in broad ranges. To conduct the study, the Center for Responsive Politics determined a member's minimum net worth and maximum net worth and then calculated an average, which was used to rank the members.

Because the law does not require them to do so, members of Congress don't disclose the value of their homes unless they produce income. As a result, a member's true net worth is likely to be much higher than what gets reported.

"Members of Congress don't make it easy for the public to keep tabs on their personal holdings and any conflicts of interest those holdings present," said Dan Auble, who manages the center's database of lawmakers' financial information.

Who's the wealthiest of them all?

A new study suggests that members of Congress are in much better shape than most Americans to make it through an economic slowdown.

Here's a list of the members who had the highest average net worth last year:

Senate

1 John Kerry (D-Mass.)........$336,224,883

2 Herb Kohl (D-Wis.)........$241,545,513

3 Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)........$103,560,020

4 Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)........$93,715,011

5 Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)........$89,509,099

6 Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)........$84,171,162

7 Gordon Smith (R-Ore.)........$46,127,014

8 Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)........$33,308,537

9 Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)........$32,428,089

10 Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.)........$31,421,472

House of Representatives

1 Jane Harman (D-Calif.)........$397,412,077

2 Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)........$343,457,521

3 Robin Hayes (R-N.C.)........$173,409,173

4 Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.)........$165,748,714

5 Michael McCaul (R-Texas)........$64,073,077

6 Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)........$62,468,047

7 Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)........$50,297,547

8 Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.)........$47,350,092

9 Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.)........$43,716,445

10 Gary Miller (R-Calif.)........$39,978,021

[Grover]

John McCain's campaign is transparently hypocritical when it criticizes Barack Obama for his support for income redistribution, Jazz Shaw wrote at The Moderate Voice (themoderatevoice.com). "McCain's issues platform calls for a plan to fix Social Security which still involves collecting money from people, including the wealthy, and redistributing it to poor people, many of whom will pay no taxes at all. McCain has a health-care plan which will collect money from people, including the wealthy who can afford their own health insurance, and redistribute it in the form of $5,000 cheques to poor people without such coverage, many of whom will pay no taxes...McCain continues to tolerate and support a progressive tax system...which will collect a larger amount of money from people who earn more and deposit those funds into a federal system which will, in some cases, redistribute some of those funds to Americans who earn less money."

Originally Posted by Grover

John McCain's campaign is transparently hypocritical when it criticizes Barack Obama for his support for income redistribution, Jazz Shaw wrote at The Moderate Voice (themoderatevoice.com). "McCain's issues platform calls for a plan to fix Social Security which still involves collecting money from people, including the wealthy, and redistributing it to poor people, many of whom will pay no taxes at all. McCain has a health-care plan which will collect money from people, including the wealthy who can afford their own health insurance, and redistribute it in the form of $5,000 cheques to poor people without such coverage, many of whom will pay no taxes...McCain continues to tolerate and support a progressive tax system...which will collect a larger amount of money from people who earn more and deposit those funds into a federal system which will, in some cases, redistribute some of those funds to Americans who earn less money."

1 John Kerry (D-Mass.)........$336,224,883


Will John Kerry please redistribute some wealth to me? I gots 3 baby mommas that needs diapers.

We went and voted last night for McCain-Palin and missed the whole propaganda show put on by Dictator Obama. He could tell some people he would separate the Atlantic ocean and they would believe him. Here is his words from one of his rallies, "I want you to give $5 dolla, $10 dalla, to this campaign, I don't care if you're poor, you can give $5 more." I figure that's all I need to know about him. Some though might want to check out his friends and neighbors though to get a better idea who he hangs around with

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Salem, Oregon

We went and voted last night for McCain-Palin and missed the whole propaganda show put on by Dictator Obama. He could tell some people he would separate the Atlantic ocean and they would believe him. Here is his words from one of his rallies, "I want you to give $5 dolla, $10 dalla, to this campaign, I don't care if you're poor, you can give $5 more." I figure that's all I need to know about him. Some though might want to check out his friends and neighbors though to get a better idea who he hangs around with

Obama is electrifying the people and for the first time since 1996 you are going to get a President that more than 50.00000001% of the voters voted for.....sorry you're on the wrong side.

Originally Posted by Grover

Obama is electrifying the people and for the first time since 1996 you are going to get a President that more than 50.00000001% of the voters voted for.....sorry you're on the wrong side.

Thanks for trying to supress the vote, Adolf.

Originally Posted by Grover

Obama is electrifying the people and for the first time since 1996 you are going to get a President that more than 50.00000001% of the voters voted for.....sorry you're on the wrong side.

That's not true. Bush received 52% of the vote in 2004. Not that it's any of your business, mind you. You don't even live in the United States.

[Ballsac T. Baghar]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Maybe, but the Republican brand is in the shitter. Here are the latest polls from today:

It is noteworthy that the last time McCain led in any national poll was Sept. 25. Thus for over a month, Obama has led in every single one of the 49 national polls. Here is today's collection.

- Battleground (Obama +3)
- Diageo (Obama +8)
- Gallup expanded (Obama +10)
- IBD (Obama +3)
- Rasmussen (Obama +5)
- Research 2000 (Obama +8)
- WaPo/ABC News (Obama +7)

Good riddence.

I think America has underestimated the black welfare and homosexual votes, this guy is one or the other I am sure.

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Democunts Suck!

Thanks for trying to supress the vote, Adolf.

Suppress the vote??? The huge voter turnout is picking Obama---just wait!

Pollster John Zogby: "Is McCain making a move? The three-day average holds steady, but McCain outpolled Obama today, 48% to 47%. He is beginning to cut into Obama's lead among independents, is now leading among blue collar voters, has strengthened his lead among investors and among men, and is walloping Obama among NASCAR voters. Joe the Plumber may get his license after all. "Obama's lead among women declined, and it looks like it is occurring because McCain is solidifying the support of conservative women, which is something we saw last time McCain picked up in the polls. If McCain has a good day tomorrow, we will eliminate Obama's good day three days ago, and we could really see some tightening in this rolling average. But for now, hold on."