McCain uses gaffe as a chance to push Rezko story

As Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) campaign seized on Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) statement that he does not know how many homes he owns, the McCain campaign is trying to turn the gaffe into an opportunity, jumping at the chance to discuss housing through the context of Obama's dealing with Tony Rezko.

Rezko, who was convicted of fraud this summer, is at the heart of Republican accusations that Obama received a sweetheart deal when he bought his Chicago house and neighboring land. The issue was revived following McCain’s gaffe.

{mosads}The Arizona senator, when asked how many homes he owns, said: “I think — I’ll have my staff get to you. It’s condominiums where — I’ll have them get to you.”

Democrats seized on that remark, rapidly releasing a full-court response with an ad to run on national cable accusing McCain of being out of touch with Americans struggling in tough economic times.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) also got in on the fun, releasing "McCain's Abodes:  A Luxury Travel Guide for the Rich, Famous and Forgetful," which showcases the houses the GOP candidate owns.

The McCain campaign immediately hit back hard with spokesman Brian Rogers asking: “Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses?"

"Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula and thinks regular people 'cling' to guns and religion in the face of economic hardship really want to have a debate about who’s in touch with regular Americans," Rogers said.

If the initial response was outrage, McCain's campaign and Republicans came to see the Obama offensive as an opportunity to push the Rezko storyline in earnest, complete with the launch of a new website.

The McCain official said the campaign is "more than happy to use this as a way to talk about this issue and the glass house aspect of it."

"I think he has sort of left the door open on that," the official said of the Rezko attack.

At the heart of the McCain criticism, one that has stalked Obama throughout his candidacy, is whether Rezko sold property to Obama at a dramatically reduced price. Several reports have taken issue with the validity of the accusation, and Obama has said that the only contact over the property was between his real estate agent and the seller's agent.

Obama's bid for the property was reportedly the best offer, but Republicans and even some of the Illinois senator’s former Democratic opponents have questioned the appropriateness of his relationship with Rezko.

Nick Shapiro, an Obama spokesman, said Thursday afternoon that the Rezko attack was an attempt to distract from McCain's earlier gaffe, and he disputed the validity of the attacks.

“As the McCain campaign desperately tries to find out how many houses John McCain owns, they are launching false and thoroughly debunked attacks," Shapiro said. "Barack Obama offered the best price of any bidder in the market for his home – the only home he owns."