ABC World News Tonight's Charlie Gibson introducing the network's lead piece on McCain and Obama, Thurs., Aug. 21:

Today, the two got into a dispute about which of them is richer.

No, that's not what happened. McCain said he didn't know how many houses he and his wife owned--4? 8? (Politico says 8.) His campaign accused Obama of owning one big house in Chicago, with four fireplaces and a wine cellar. (That part is evidently true.)

By Politico's calculation, McCain's properties are worth more than 7 times Obama's.

Below is how the AP sums up the McCain family wealth:

HOMES

Property records reviewed by The Associated Press show McCain and his family own at least eight homes: A ranch and two condos in Arizona; three condos in Coronado, Calif.; a condo in La Jolla, Calif.; and another in Arlington, Va. The number of houses is a bit trickier to determine since the ranch has at least four houses and a two-story cabin.

BEER EARNINGS

Cindy McCain is heiress to her father's stake -- and serves as chairwoman -- of a family owned Anheuser-Busch distributor in Phoenix, Hensley & Co. Beverage industry analysts estimate Hensley's value at more than $250 million and its annual sales at $300 million or more.

OTHER ASSETS

Cindy and her children own a minority stake in the Arizona Diamondbacks. The professional baseball team's chief executive, Jeff Moorad, and former majority owner Jerry Colangelo are McCain fundraisers.

Assets held by Cindy McCain alone or with her children also include Anheuser-Busch stock; two condominiums along the California coast worth a total of at least $3 million and Arizona investments in rental medical offices and a parking lot, according to property records and John McCain's latest financial disclosure reports.

PERKS

Mrs. McCain's beer earnings afforded the senator the use of a private jet and vacation homes.

Meanwhile, Politico reports that in 2007, McCain expenditures for household staff were, wait for it, $273,000.

In brief, Charlie Gibson, there is no dispute about who is richer. None. End story.

I hope you have a good day straightening your spine to get over your egregious tie-yourself-in-knots-to-prove-you're-not-the-liberal-media performance.