What's in Obama's portfolio?

President Barack Obama's success as an author continued to add to his wealth last year as he and first lady Michelle Obama reported having assets of between $2.3 million and $7.7 million. The president's assets, as set out in federal financial disclosure forms released yesterday, include between $1 million and $5 million in U.S. Treasury bills and as much as $1 million in Treasury notes. He also reported having between $250,001 and $500,000 in a checking account at JPMorgan Chase & Co. The Obamas have between $100,001 and $250,000 in each of two college savings plan accounts for their daughters. The forms give amounts in ranges rather than specific amounts. The Obamas listed no liabilities. His disclosure for 2008 listed assets of as much as $5.9 million. The most valuable gift on the disclosure report was the family pet, a Portuguese water dog named Bo. A present from the late Senator Edward Kennedy, Bo was given a value of $1,600. The only other gift was the diploma and medal he received for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, with a value “not readily ascertainable.” Obama gave directly to charity the $1.4 million that went with the award. The president's tax return for 2009, released April 15, showed he had total income of $5.6 million, most of it from royalties from his books “Dreams from My Father” and “The Audacity of Hope.” The Obamas paid $1.8 million in taxes. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, reported assets of $155,000 to $679,000 in mutual funds, life insurance and certificates of deposit. They reported debts of between $190,000 and $465,000, including a home equity line of credit of between $100,001 and $250,000. Biden reported receiving as a gift a first edition copy of James Joyce's “Anna Livia Plurabelle,” valued at $3,500