The Clintons are rocking the house. Biden is sexy and strong. On the whole a classy affair, n’est-ce pas?

Except for one thing: the boorish, repeated reference by Democratic speakers of John McCain’s verbal blunder of not knowing how many houses he has. And the television ads that are running to the same effect.

Please. Just. Stop.

Mentioning McCain’s blunder makes Democrats look petty. It makes the speech-giver look as if he or she doesn’t have anything more important to say. And it makes me cringe.

Money is relative. Our awareness of the things it can buy and how much we own is relative. I’m just guessing here, but I doubt Michelle Obama knows how many very chic dresses she has in her closet. And I doubt I know how many books I have on my bookshelf.

McCain’s inability to remember how many houses he has doesn’t say as much about his wealth and inability to relate to the middle class as it does about his age and his brain functioning.

If the Democrats really want to use McCain’s “I can’t remember how many houses I own” blunder effectively, they should show a little compassion.

Democrats should say publicly, loudly, and often: “We’re all very concerned about John. His inability to remember the number of houses he owns is not, we hope, a sign of any diminished mental capacity. It’s probably just the strain of campaigning and working long hours that is compromising his brain function. Though of course, that’s a concern if he were to become president where long hours and long-term strain are a four-year commitment, but we just hope John can get some rest, and we wish him good, strong, lasting mental acuity.”

That’d be the semi-classy way to dog the guy to death about being so rich, while nailing him about being too old.

But the really classy thing to do would be to simply smile and say “Gee, wish I had that problem.”

Because, really, on one level or another, don’t we all wish we did?