The weekend must read comes from the New York Times, which temporarily snapped out of its crush on John McCain to publish one of the most important stories of Campaign ’08 that hasn’t been written. It certainly wouldn’t be touched by the Arizona media. It’s about Cindy McCain’s quiet and controversial wealth, inherited from her father Jim Hensley, and how it has propelled her husband’s ambition. There’s lots of important information, and reminders of how real power in Arizona is connected and never changes. The story notes:
Democrats have increasingly highlighted Mr. McCain’s wealth. Senator Barack Obama
ridiculed him on Thursday for being unable to say how many homes he
owned, saying it showed that Mr. McCain was out of touch with ordinary
Americans. But with the McCains’ money in Cindy McCain’s
name, as dictated by a prenuptial agreement, the senator’s finances are
more difficult to assess and scrutinize than those of many other
political candidates.
The husbands and wives of senators are
subject to fewer disclosure requirements than their office-holding
spouses. In addition, Mrs. McCain, who files separate tax returns from
her husband, controls a privately held company and invests mainly
through a web of limited-liability corporations and trusts that have
few disclosure requirements.
And:
Mrs. McCain has not said how she would handle her business if her
husband were elected president. The federal government has domain over
issues important to the alcohol industry, like excise taxes, marketing
to under-age drinkers and beverage labeling.
And noting how Hensley and his brother went into business with — the let us say, controversial Arizona legend — Kemper Marley:
In March 1948, a federal jury convicted both Hensleys of concealing
sales of black-market liquor. Jim Hensley’s six month sentence was
suspended. A second indictment, in 1953 for falsifying records to evade
taxes, was dismissed.The Hensleys bought a New Mexico horse
track in 1952. Eugene Hensley’s role at the track led to lawsuits,
tax-evasion charges and prison. In 1969, he sold out to a mob-connected
company with close ties to Mr. Marley, according to published reports.
(The Phoenix police named Mr. Marley as the man they believed ordered
the 1976 assassination of Don Bolles, an investigative reporter for The
Arizona Republic. Mr. Marley, who died in 1990, was never charged.)
As I say, it’s a good beginning. We need investigative reporters with the courage of a John Dougherty to dig more.
Right on. I had the exact same thought about the Arizona media not ever touching anything deep about McCain, particularly the Arizona Republic, when I saw the NYT story this a.m. It is a shame that residents of our state and the rest of the country don’t have a true sense of the man. The media have totally fallen down in the job. Come November, if McCain is elected, the media will have only themselves to blame. It is not too late, but they had better get off the dime. I have given up on the Republic. Let’s hope the NYT, Washington Post, LA Times, etc. will do the job.
Just posted this on my Facebook page will email to friends still Web 1.0