Sen. Gregg wins $853,000 in Powerball

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/...ery/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Judd Gregg won $853,492 from the Powerball lottery after matching five of six numbers in Wednesday's drawing, adding to his already sizable wealth.

"Even senators can be lucky," he told reporters outside the D.C. Lottery claims center, where he picked up his check.

The Republican from New Hampshire -- who chairs the Budget Committee and who has a reputation as a strict fiscal conservative -- said his wife is currently remodeling their home and already has plans for the new money.

"She's already told me, 'Don't spend it. I've already got plans.'"

He said he bought about $20 of tickets on Monday at a D.C. Citgo gas station as he headed from Baltimore to Washington for a Senate vote.

"I don't plan to quit my job," he said with a smile.

He will owe 25 percent in federal taxes on the $853,492. New Hampshire doesn't have state income taxes and so he will get to keep the rest.

Gregg already is a millionaire, according to personal financial records that senators are required to file annually.

His latest filing, which documents his financial records for the calendar year of 2004, shows that Gregg has assets between $2,697,000 and $9,430,000, mostly in an extensive stock and real estate portfolio.

After hearing the lottery news, Sen. Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, quipped the money should be used to pay down the federal deficit.

"We'll take it all," he said.

Gregg was one of 49 winners of the runner-up cash award in a drawing that also earned one lucky winner from Oregon $340 million.

The Gregg family was in the news for less happy reasons two years ago when two men entered their McLean, Virginia, home and abducted Gregg's wife, Kathleen. She was driven to a nearby ATM where she gave the knife-wielding robbers money before escaping from them

[DavidMn]

Oh well. I won $10

[David]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

After hearing the lottery news, Sen. Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, quipped the money should be used to pay down the federal deficit.

"We'll take it all," he said.

that's the sort of thing Democratic senators & congressmenwomen shouldn't even joke about because it just feeds into the perception that they derive an almost sexual pleasure in spending other people's discretionary income.

You win the Lottery, it's yours (after taxes, that is). Period. I don't care whether you're scrubbing toilets for $10,000 a year or directing a household staff of 50 people at your summer estate.

All that said, this Republican guy will probably give it to some charity, & then make a big public to-do out of it to show what a caring guy he is.

The only politicians of any party worth trusting are the ones who leave politics in a straitjacket.

[amber]

After reading what David said, I tried to not be pissed off about his winning. You know, switch my perspective and all that.
Nope, I'm still a bit pissed.
It's fine. I'm going to win next week.