You Can Likely Name Two Bay Area Politicians on '50 Wealthiest Members of Congress' List. But Can You Guess the Third?

​ This month, Roll Call came out with its annual guide to which members of Congress you should hit up to finance your lunch, wedding, or RV purchase. Even with the recent trepidations taking a bite out of everyone's portfolios, the 50 richest members of Congress haven't had to resort to serving Van de Kamps pork and beans to guests.

Any half-serious Bay Area political observer can likely name two of the three local politicians on Roll Call's list: One of them is a former San Francisco mayor and the other is the city's longtime congressional representative. As for the third: Did you ever think Jim Jones would be involved in this article? We'll explain: 

No. 9 -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein: The ninth-wealthiest member of Congress has an estimated worth of $42.94 million along with her financier husband Richard Blum. In addition to the beautiful home the couple own near the Presidio (you can find SEIU members banging pots and pans there from time to time) Blum and Feinstein also keep a condo in Kauai, Hawaii and Blum rents out a Tahoe City condo. Feinstein also disclosed an investment in Carlton Hotel Properties in San Francisco "valued at $5 million to $25 million." By the way, Roll Call notes Feinstein's net worth shrank by $9 million since her last disclosure -- pointing to a bum economy or one hell of a party.

No. 23 -- Rep. Nancy Pelosi: The Speaker of the House's husband, Paul, owns San Francisco's football team in the nascent United Football League -- but told SF Weekly that he expected to spend just $6 million this year. So, obviously, the Pelosis aren't clipping coupons. In fact, she has estimated holdings worth $12.53 million.

In addition to Paul Pelosi's real estate holdings, Nancy Pelosi disclosed a town house in Norden, Calif. worth $1 million or more, a half-million dollar real-estate invstment in Napa, and a St. Helena vineyard worth between $5 million and $25 million. That's a lotta grapes.

Pelosi's net worth dropped more than $6 million since '07 and she lists nearly $13 million in debts, mostly due to mortgages.

No. 47 -- Rep. Jackie Speier: Well, who whoulda thunk it? Speier's success story not only includes surviving being shot five times in Jonestown, Guyana to ascend to representing southwest San Francisco and the Peninsula in Congress. She also cracked the wealthiest cadre of elected representatives -- in her freshman year!

Speier's estimated $5.82 million is derived largely from at least $3 million in real estate holdings -- including "rental properties in Burlingame, San Francisco, and Sacramento that earned at least $180,000 in 2008." Wouldn't it be fantastic if Speier was Ed Jew's landlord? 

By the way -- the wealthiest politician in Washington, D.C. is John Kerry ($167.55 million). You may have guessed that (it helps to marry the heir to the Heinz fortune). But who knew the No. 2 man in D.C. is Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Riverside), the big money man behind the recall of Gov. Gray Davis? He's worth an estimated cool $164.70 million.

Roll Call's list prompts an interesting question: Who are the 50 poorest members of Congress? We'll look into that.