GOP's Thompson forgets how many houses he owns

USATODAY

GOP presidential nominee John McCain struggled in 2008 to recall how many houses he owns. Now, it's Republican Tommy Thompson's turn to flub the same question.

The former Wisconsin governor, who is locked in a tight race for the U.S. Senate, answered "three" last week when asked by a reporter to enumerate his homes.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports the Thompson campaign later clarified that there are actually four properties.

Thompson remembered a "new 10,889-square-foot home" near Walt Disney World in Florida with "top of the line everything," plus the family farm in his hometown of Elroy, Wis., and a house in the state capital of Madison.

Turns out Thompson forgot about a condo near Lake Wisconsin, which the Journal-Sentinel says is assessed at more than $1.3 million.

Thompson is running against Democrat Tammy Baldwin for the seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Herb Kohl. It is one of a handful of seats that could decide which party controls the Senate. Baldwin, a House member, leads Thompson by an average of about 5 percentage points in recent statewide polls, according to RealClearPolitics.