Opinion: John and Cindy McCain: Cars aplenty

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Several weeks ago, the Ticket reported on what the candidates drive. Barack Obama, as you may recall, rolls around in a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid when he’s not being ferried by the Secret Service. And John McCain likes to cruise in a 2004 Cadillac CTS, although he too is now driven everywhere by the Secret Service.

But, as Newsweek points out in its latest issue, that’s not McCain’s only ride.

In fact, the magazine reports that the Arizona senator and his wife, Cindy, a car enthusiast and racer, have 12 vehicles together. The Ford Escape is the only car registered to Obama and his wife, Michelle.

To be fair, only the Cadillac is registered in John McCain’s name. His wife’s name is on 11 vehicles. Among them: a 2008 Jeep Wrangler; a 2007 half-ton Ford pickup truck; a vintage 1960 Willys Jeep; a 2000 Lincoln; and a 2001 GMC SUV.

Don’t tell Detroit, but the couple also have some foreign-brand cars, including a 2005 Volkswagen convertible and a 2001 Honda sedan. Interestingly, McCain told Detroit television station WXYZ-TV, ‘I’ve bought American literally all my life and I’m proud.’

If his wife buys the cars, that could literally be true. And, of course, Honda, Toyota and others make thousands of cars in the United States.

But then again, maybe McCain just forgot. After all, if you can’t recall how many houses you have, how are you supposed to remember what’s in their garages?

UPDATE: This morning the Obama campaign released this commercial attacking McCain for his foreign-made cars:

-- Kate Linthicum