Political Punch

Was anyone aware that the mother theresa story is not true. Mother Theresa was in mexico at the time having surgery. Now that is interesting. Also, has anyone ever put a picture of Brigit McCain and Meghan McCain side by side. Try it sometime, you will be surprised at the resemblence

Where is Bridget McCain in the 2-page photo spread in the latest issue of People magazine? All the Palins are there, minus Track and only blond Meghan. Bridget is conspicuously missing.

I wonder how the McCains have been able to adopt their daughter from Bangladesh.
As you can easily find out on the Dhaka US Embassy web-site dhaka.usembassy.gov
"Actual adoption of children is not permitted under Bangladesh law. However, Bangladesh law does permit its own citizens to apply for guardianship of children. At that time, a U.S.-Bangladeshi dual citizen who has obtained guardianship of a Bangladeshi child could apply for an immigrant visa for that child to go to the U.S. Under Bangladesh law, the 1982 Guardianship and Wards Amendments Ordinances prohibit granting guardianship of Bangladeshi children to non-Bangladeshi parents. "
In summary Bridget was brought to this country against the laws of the country where she was born! Not only, the immigration visa process for an adopted child is quite complex and a petition must be filed BEFORE the child can enter the country. Another law that apparently has not been respected!
I would really like to know the truth behind this adoption.

I know it may not / should not matter but it really irritates me that each time I read something about Bridget McCain and they attach a race to her - it's African-American.

Just to let it out of my system. She is EAST INDIAN. In my country she might be referred to as a 'coolie'. It is nice that most official writing don't attach a race to her. I just think if one must do it, then type the truth not the assuption.

gee, who's more out of touch...2 lawyers..or a war pow inspired to enter politics and his wife who was a masters in special ed...who is looking out for themselves really

A great gesture. I respect her contribution in saving a life and Bridget gets a unique opportunity to get the best out of this tough world.

Why are so many people here giving McCain "props" for "taking care of his kids"?

You're suppose to take care of your kids!

If you're giving people "props" for taking care of their kids then you should also respect people who know they wouldn't ever be able to take care kids if they had them, and choose not to have kids.

As the name says, I'm an independent, and don't identify with either main party.

My own sister was adopted from China and has a cleft palate, so I certainly respect Cindy McCain for doing what she did. Sounds like she had less of a struggle getting those children out of the country than we did when my sister was adopted. Likely because of the country; China is really difficult to adopt from.

That said, I can't believe people are questioning her motives, or making these conspiracy theories. Respect her and McCain for what they did, and leave politics out of it. Disgusting, and exactly the reason why I don't identify with a party. Some of you folks don't think any good can come out of the other side, as if they were inhuman or something. Immature and completely illogical.

john and ciny mccain are decent people I believe but they are so rich,I don't believe they understand the middleclass people and the struggle that so many people are in!they call themselves christian conservatives do they know it says in the bible the rich are to take care of the poor and the poor will always be among us?sen.obama undestands the economy and the burden on so many.

I just hope they do what they say they are going to do.

Peaches- Bridget was smeared in the 2000 run for president by the Bush campaign. They started some false rumors that she was the love child of McCain and fear mongered the South Carolina primary. Many say these Karl Rove (Rovian) tactics doomed McCain's 2000 campaign. They say Bridget stayed off the campaign trail to stay at home as any 16 year old, which I don't doubt. However, it is my opinion that it was not in good taste for McCain to work with the people who smeared his daughter for the purposes of political gain even if his dream of winning the presidency is on the line and they are the experts at winning with Republican tactics. McCain by all accounts is a great father and I would never question that. I really like Cindy McCain. She is blessed with immense wealth and with that she has great responsibilty. Bless her heart. She loves her husband and she is appears to be great mother to all her kids.

With that said, I vote policies and I need a change. What they do in family life is much different than what the McCain who is running for president stands for policy wise.

While Cindy has done great things for the underpriviledged in other countries, it would be nice to hear about the what she has done for the same in the U. S. What did she do for the victims or families or businesses after the "911" attack; or after the Oklahoma bombing; or after Katrina; or for that matter for the hundreds of thousands of orphans in the country that she loves? Does she only love this country and not the citizens?

Thank You for posting this info about what became of the other orphan from Dakah. It was not made clear by those lame CNN reporters.

He DOES take care of ALL of his children...even the ones from his first wife's previous relationship (who he adopted)! They were ALL introduced (duh). His ex wife still loves and supports him...so he left her 30 years ago...wow that must be a first huh?

I'm a hard core Democrat, but Mrs. McCain has given much and it's clear she enjoys children, and has worked as a special education teacher--in fact, she has a master's degree in special education. I'm quite sure her interest in helping people who had struggles was part of her attraction to John McCain, and likely helped him recover from his POW experience.

So credit needs to be given where it's due, and Cindy McCain is an admirable role model for women--she could have blown her money in a bunch of other ways, but she used it to help the world in some way...and she did work hard to recover from a stroke--no small feat.

That being said, she doesn't understand what Americans face, the economy for "regular" people like teachers (such as myself) and she never explains what it is we're "winning" in Iraq. She's a wonderful woman, but out of touch. We need Obama-Biden. But thanks Cindy for all you've done, it hasn't gone unnoticed...

hey babs, I suppose this was a scheme how many years ago for this specific moment (?). disgusting that people can attribute such a beautiful, giving and loving moment as the connection that Cindy had, could be perceived as anything else.

and as far as "pandering" to a minority or female gender...how pathetic an argument. I guess thats expected with the indoctrination that has gone on: that you dont have to believe in yourself because "its ok, somebody will take care of you, or fix it for you" instead of taking responsibility for yourself.

Sorry --with all due respects to the McCains, this smacks of political posturing and opportunism. This girl never surfaced in any other election but now it looks like the Republicans need to demonstrate their compassion for minoritie so they trot out the Bangladeshi daughter. Very convenient. John Guerra's comments are so sound. I am not voting for a a 17 year old adopted foreign child nor a 17 year old pregnant daughter nor Obama's children. I am voting for someone who will bring some normalcy to American and allow us to regain some shred of respect in the world. I travel the world for work and our legacy after the Bush adminstration is in tatters. Those of you who say "who cares?" don't need to really ponder what is at the root of terrorism against America.

Good job adopting a child from Bangladesh!---Poor child felt right out of place during the introductions, there has to be more than meets the eyes in this beautiful(LOL) story. The good McCain---where is your first wife and the children, why were they not introduced? And here you are adopting other kids when you literaly abandoned your own.You might have paid for their upkeep but guess what, love cannot be bought

I was a news videographer in 1999 in new hamphire. I followed John Mccain every weekend. He spoke to every last vet and shook every hand, whether the camera was rolling or not. This was so not the case with any of the others i covered. What you see is what you get with him. In New Hampshire, during the primary, you meet all the politicians. He was my favorite then and he is my favorite now.
I am also an mother of an adopted child, so cindy is ok in my book as well. Brooklyn Democrat, obviously you have issues..

I knew the story, I like and admire Cindy for many things, but she's one of these 'anecdotal' Republicans.

What I mean is, she takes care of one or two children privately, and somehow that's supposed to be enough. All the other children who go without care are what - supposed to be dependent on who happens to see them at some particular point in time? And happens to have the resources and the interest to help them out?

What she did is a wonderful thing, but the rest of us would prefer something a bit more organized and comprehensive. That's the difference.

Caral,
Thanks for the post.A video would prove more,showing how happy she is.Discussing her life.Any editor could miscontrue,and edit her words in a paper article.

What I want to know is why McCain hired the people who smeared him in that whisper campaign when he was running against Dubya?

I am a hard core Obama supporter. I commend the McCains for the new life they dawned on Bridget. Thats a great story and goes a long way to show that McCains are a family of honor and kindness. Unfortunatley for the McCains this quality does not qualify them for a free pass to the White House. The job requirement for the White House is completely different and just a kind heart wont do it. I wish McCain was a little less trigger happy on foreign soil and used his kind heart and the money that could be saved by being less trigger happy, to provide health care for all and tax breaks for the Americans who really need it.

DNC Supporter:
Maybe an interview would shed some light on how she has been treated, but I bet she has been treated just well as the other children, maybe better. If this was not McCain having this child we would not be having this conversation. All dems would be saying how wonderful someone would help this child!!

Correction,only people inside that family know.

Actually mew,
People outside that family are the only ones who know how her life is.As far as i know,bridget could be chained to a bed in the basement most of the time.I hope that isn't true but the media haven't talk to bridget either(that i am aware of).Although i'm a obama supporter i believe a interview would help mccain,if bridget has had a good life.

Carol: Re: Bridget McCain,
Guess I just found out why the election of Obama is so important. You say,
"if obama wins and the U.S. becomes even more multicultural than it already is, then she could have quite a good life here". Heaven help us, how selfish of the democrats. This girl has all the things dems are screaming they want for all...and just because a republican has chosen to give her the best you question motives.

i'm a far-left democrat, and here's my 2cents:
we don't have enough information to tell what the full story is here. to me it seems good that a child w. such a severe handicap was adopted; surely she would have had a pretty unhappy life without surgery, and staying in bangladesh. if obama wins and the U.S. becomes even more multicultural than it already is, then she could have quite a good life here. what cindy mccain's 'true' motives were, who can tell? and until bridget writes her memoir, we can't tell what she feels.
in the meantime, w/out sufficient info,
how can anyone outside the family possibly judge?

DNC Supporter:
In this cinderella story Cindy McCain
was the prince charming. She got a great step-sister. Yeah, I would like to see ABC do an interview with Brig. Bet they could really make a one-sided story out of this one also. Why not FOX? No guts...huh!

Mew,
If it's a cinderella issue then it's a negative situation.Cinderella as i recall was treated harshly by her wicked stepmother different from her step-sisters.Republicans do purport to be good christians but i would like abc to do an interview with bridget.
Cindy mccain seemed a little cold to me.

DNC Supporter:
Only a DNC supporter would think such a
thing. This girl looks like she is well taken care of. What if it is a cinderella story...she is getting to live a quality life.

Good on Cindy. To the poster who commented on taking a child out of its culture, think about this child - her chances of survival would have been low in Bangaldesh - and I know Bangladesh! So how can saving a child by taking her out of her culture into a loving family be a bad thing? Was she to leave her to die? Even paying for an operation doesnt mean it would ever have been performed.

The gossip and inuendos about the McCain's is disgusting. THEY brought their daughter home, loved and raised her all these years - not for "publicity". You know NOTHING about their family. Additionally, to the person who said Mother Teresa's movement is about making people Catholic - that is a lie - Mother Teresa never tried to convert anyone. She often said she wanted to help Hindus be better Hindus. If she "converted" anyone, it was through action not talk - which is the difference between the McCains and the Obama/Democrats

Why was it necessary to make their daughter a topic in the convention. To score cheap political points- The adoption of Bridget. Oh Please. Why didnt they talk about the birth of Jimmy, or the pregnancy of Meaghan.
Poor girl. She looked so uncomfortable.

During the republican's convention bridget mccain appeared uncomfortable,out of place.The question arised in my mind..What is the mccain's relationship with their adopted daughter?Is it real or more like a cinderella story?How is she treated?

I am a black democratic conservative.

Nice that you're trying to find the bright side, Jake, but the adoption story has, shall we say, "evolved." The McCains insisted for years that Mother Teresa herself begged Mrs. McCain to take the child to America. This went on until someone pointed out that Mother Teresa was in Mexico at the time that Mrs. McCain was at the orphanage.

Good on them for taking the baby but why was it necessary to lie about it?

Nice that you're trying to find the bright side, Jake, but the adoption story has, shall we say, "evolved." The McCains insisted for years that Mother Teresa herself begged Mrs. McCain to take the child to America. This went on until someone pointed out that Mother Teresa was in Mexico at the time that Mrs. McCain was at the orphanage.

Good on them for taking the baby but why was it necessary to lie about it?

So a powerful american bullies a local official to remove a child from its country & culture ... I am moved ... to revulsion.

Anyway, the mother teresa movement isn't about helping people help themselves. It is about keeping the poor on the dole so more souls can be made catholic.

Stunned, stunned, stunned that you reported on this on this tremendous act of humanity on behalf of Cindy, and John, McCain.

Thanks for the ounce of decency. Much appreciated.

Next you can write about how the now very wealthy Senator Obama has stepped into help his own flesh and blood brother who lives on one dollar a month. Oh, right, he hasn't helped him, as he's too busy pontificating on how Americans aren't a giving enough people.

You can like the people but still not care for their politics. So many of the Democratic Convention speakers know this already..."McCain is a good man", but his ideas "are bad for America."

Its a wonderful story. The McCain should be rightfully proud.

Which makes McCain's hiring of Eshew who was part of the smear effort against this girl in SC in 2000 all the more appalling.

I'm no McCain fan, but it's a lovely story and Cindy deserves credit for what she did. Too bad that will probably be the only part of this entire convention that I can watch without muting.

Except that...McSame's campaign just hired the firm that helped smear that little girl, then eight, in the 2000 SC primary. Bridget learned of her role in that campaign, how her color was used to fuel race-baiting rumors that helped sink her father's campaign.

And then McSame went on to hug and snuggle up to Dubya.

Classy.

Why should Cindy steal drugs? She has enought money to buy all she wants.

pure and absolute crap that ABC just cut off Fred Thompson's speech

What are you talking about? Bridget is at the convention and sitting with the rest of the kids behind Cindy and is clearly visible in the frame.

Just more Daily Kookerie.

Gosh, I thought all you Dems said that sex was a private affair when you were defending Clinton.

Ooops. What you actually MEANT was that it's a private affair when it involves a Democrat. Got it.

Funny how they were too embarassed to put the "DARK" child in the photo....bnhc of hypocrites

I'd be more impressed if her relationship with McCain hadn't started with a 9 month affair while he was married with three kids. She's like Monica Lewinsky, only she managed to steal the guy (Cindy was 25, McCain 42).

Hardly an impressive first lady material. And not much character either.

This is truly a good deed. I don't know why the McCain's sought to embellish it with the lie about meeting mother Teresa there, and I'm glad they've dropped it.

I applaud anyone that adopts an orphan; however, in the recent past McCain has enhanced the story to include Mother Teresa being there when Cindy made the determination to adopt.

Thanks Jake!

She sounds like someone with an amazing heart.

Jayhawk - excellent, excellent post.

Vicki - I've seen this adopted child many times on the campaign trail with her parents until about 2-3 weeks ago. She may go to school and since school is in session...

She is a little chubby and going through some growing pains.

Bridget was shown in the convention but she came on stage alone without the rest of the family. It doesnt speak well but hope they all do before the end of the convention

Cindy Hensley McCain has been disparaged as a trophy wife, a Barbie, an heiress with fancy purses.

But there's more to the picture than meets the eye.

Yes, Mrs. McCain is the perfectly coifed blonde standing dutifully behind the senator during his speeches.

And yes, she wears stylish clothing and carries a Prada purse.

And it's true she doesn't say much.

But feminist critics who write her off as a 'stand-by-your-man' shrinking violet are selling her short.

In many ways, Cindy McCain stacks up sturdier than Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama.

And she'd make a more impressive first lady.

While Michelle Obama has been hating America, complaining about the war and undermining our troops serving in Afghanistan, Cindy McCain has been worrying about her sons who actually are fighting or planning to fight in the war on terror.

One, in fact, was until a few months ago deployed in Iraq during some of the worst violence.

You won't hear the McCains talk about it, but their 19-year-old Marine, Jimmy, is preparing for his second tour of duty.

Their 21-year-old son, Jack, is poised to graduate from Annapolis and also could join the Marines as a Second Lieutenant.

The McCains made the decision not to draw attention to their sons out of respect for other families with sons and daughters in harm's way.

Cindy also says she doesn't want to risk falling apart on the campaign trail talking about Jimmy (who was so young when he enlisted she had to sign consent forms for his medical tests before he could report for duty) and potentially upsetting parents of soldiers who are serving or have been killed.

The McCains want to make sure their boys get no special treatment.

Same goes for their five other children, including a daughter they adopted from Bangladesh.

Though all seven McCain children (including two Sen. McCain adopted from his first marriage) are supportive of their father, they prefer their privacy to the glare of the campaign trail.

Cindy McCain not only cherishes her children, but also her country, which in an election year filled with America-bashing, is a refreshing novelty.

Michelle Obama may contribute to CARE, which fights global poverty and works to empower poor women.

Cindy McCain sits on its board.

While women like Michelle Obama talk about helping the poor and needy, Cindy McCain actually rolls up her sleeves and does it.

Where is this adopted child? I would enjoy hearing about what they are doing now? Also would like to see pictures. Why haven't we seen this adopted child as of yet?

John Guerra - you think Cindy McCain hasn't been exposed to poverty in third world countries? Oh, brother.

She founded the American Voluntary Medical Team and has travelled over 50 times to third world countries to provide for medical care for children. Each trip was over 2 weeks in duration and she directly provided medical equipment, supplies and personnel for those countries visited.

She founded Operation Smile for children in third world countries and has gone to Morocco, India and Vietnam to help with that endeavor.

She has helped to remove landmines in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique and Angola.

Good stories should dominate these blogs, not be the exception.

There are those of us, jd, who do not enjoy the continual barrage of media garbage that seems to surface whether it is really a story or not.

Cindy McCain puts her money where her mouth is. She has started several foundations that have given away tens of millions of dollars to the needy abroad and in this country.

Thanks Jake. Good on you.

DearJPT: I like that story very, very much. I get the sense that Cindy McCain is a good person, but not well-informed. That may be incorrect, but I see her more of a political wife than a mover and shaker in politics. I think it's great that she fell in love with those two children, but sounds like she's not been exposed to such medical sadness in the Third World before that event. It's not easy being John McCain's wife, especially with his temper and nasty insults he throws at her.
The Republican platform doesn't reflect the kind of concern Cindy shows children who can't afford medical procedures. I can't understand why the GOP can't understand how America's children are ridiculously underserved when it comes to medical care. Her concern for those Bangladeshi kids is nice, but Republicans aren't anywhere in reality when it comes to America's children.
Also, Palin's daughter, the underage pregnancy, is not a target for Democrats. I feel that if it had been Obama's daughter, the GOP would have accused him of all kinds of things.
It's time to stop the Republican destruction of America's quality of life, our damaged standing in the world, and Bush's legacy of anti-American, anti-constitutional actions that should have landed him, Rove and Cheney in jail.
There's no instance in American history where a president and his vice president have ignored American liberties. I cannot tell you how horrific Bush and Cheney are to good Americans. Nothing short of arrest and prosecution will clean the slate of ignorance and destruction brought on by Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld. This war in Iraq is a global crime, not kidding, not unlike Hitler's invasion of Poland, Czechoslavkia and other European nations.
There's nothing in American history that compares with Bush's nasty lies and use of fear to get his illegal war on an innocent nation.
The man who commanded American troops in Iraq said upon the ending of the ground war in 2003:
"For the first time in history, we have conquered an innocent country. Our nation has committed a crime that will lead to its final destruction. President Bush is a fool of the highest magnitude."
I second that. May the militarism and hatred and fear of the Republican Party be ended now so America will survive.
Elect Obama so sanity can once again reign where right-wing Christian end of the world mental cases have led us to death's door for the past 8 years.
America deserves to think and act like normal people again. Let's destroy the fringe that's stolen so much from America's real patriots.
John G.

No one mentions Cindy's drug stealing.

You only mention the good crap about the McCains.