Political Punch
Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper

« Previous | Main | Next »

McCain's Brazilian Ex-Flame Raised By Campaign As Evidence of Experience in Latin America

October 04, 2008 9:39 AM

Sen. John McCain's 77-year-old ex-flame Maria Gracinda Teixeira  was cited this week by McCain's campaign as evidence of his experience in Latin America.

The Miami Herald reports that McCain foreign policy advisor Richard Fontaine at an Americas Conference panel on the candidates' Latin American policies said, ''Talking a little about his personal experience, he was famously born in Panama and has traveled all over the hemisphere for many years. In fact, I saw, I guess it was last week, that his old girlfriend in Brazil has been found from his early days when he was in the Navy and was interviewed. She's a somewhat older woman now than she was then, but it sorta speaks to the long experience he has had in the region -- in the most positive terms.''

Teixeira recently recalled that she called then-sailor McCain "John but also my darling and my sweet coconut. He was a great kisser. I liked it so much that I bought a book to learn how to kiss myself.''

Fontaine clarified to the Herald that ''The only thing I was trying to convey was that his experience goes back a long way. He was born in Panama, which illustrates a lifetime spent in Latin America. He has known a lot of people. The thing about the Brazilian girlfriend was in his first memoir, and it stuck in my brain. Look at the two candidates and contrast his extensive experience. That's the only point I was trying to make.''

Then later still, Fontaine said he'd been making "a bad attempt at humor."

Ay-yay-yay.

- jpt

October 4, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (138)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

If you hear the audio, Fontaine was not kidding around when he cited McCain's old girlfriend as experience.

Posted by: ConferenceGoer | Oct 8, 2008 12:14:26 AM

The Republicans need a do over. Mitt Romney/Ron Paul

Posted by: Do Over!! | Oct 5, 2008 7:43:44 PM

News Flash: McCain sites his Drill Baby Drill with Brazillian dancer as foreign policy experience. Even in his womanizing days McCain was giving it all he had. It's rough work, but somebody has to do it---don't they? The party that runs on family values strikes again!

Posted by: karela | Oct 5, 2008 7:24:17 PM

Er, John? I don't think that's the kind of "experience" voters need right now. But good for you!

Posted by: Dailyfare | Oct 5, 2008 3:06:08 PM

omg-you've got to be kidding. I would like to think people would want their kids, especially girls, to admire what she has done and can do. Good grief look at her accomplishments. If you'r worried about abortions, they were done long before laws were passed and will continue if you want if the law is reversed. I wouldn't worry too much about that tho, there are much more important things to take care of.

Posted by: C Good | Oct 5, 2008 2:05:32 PM

Latin American "experience?" Maybe the McCain camp needs to explain what they mean by "experience!" And try to keep it family-friendly, boys!

Posted by: DaveM | Oct 5, 2008 1:49:18 PM

thanks for the leopard bracelet watch and guitar. what a long run that was for a brief hug. best of luck to both candidates.

Posted by: zorra | Oct 5, 2008 12:47:08 PM

McCain's past associations including ex girlfriends, nights corralling with the boys all is fair game.

how do we know he did not associate with Latin American revolutionaries?

What is more interesting is how he left his first wife, who became permanently scarred as a result of a tragic accident once cute little Cindy H came along. Rich, powerful father who helped launched him into politics.

Posted by: scott jeffries | Oct 5, 2008 12:41:33 PM

HEY WHEN DID YOU START EDITING OUT CERTAIN PARTS OF COMMENTS I WASN'T ON MY COMPUTER AT 12:47AM AT THE TIME THE EDITED VERSION OF MY POST WAS SENT||| THIS IS THE ORIGINAL; IF mccasanova was married at the time of his rio romance can those on the religious white,who supposedly support him because he embodies their values;still follow behind him blindly as he sits maverick like astride his high horse of corruption,decked out in his finest political attire proudly showing off for all who choose to not believe what they see the overwhelming evidence of lies,deceit,immoral behaviour,betrayal,ineptness and pettiness that he wears like badges of honour..If i was a betting man i woulld wager that they wont and not because of the notion that to err is human to forgive devine,or let he who is without sin cast the first brick,or that their god will judge him..NO its alot less complex than that THE real reason that they willnot reject mccasanova is..there is no such things as moral values,moral fiber,family values,american values,midwest values,or saving grace,ITS all a crock there isn't now there hasn't been{explanation later}for a long while nor as far as i can tell will there ever will be values of any sort,HELL even the value of the all mighty dollar is an illusion,because it too is subjective to the whim of man.I know there are those who would say"brk dck you heathen you're going to burn in HELL for those words because all godfearing people know that moral values are gifts from god the all mighty creator {hallow would be thy name}as set forth in the bible.TO which i say you might be right So when you all get there tell em not to wait up for me.ohh yeah if you run into that ben-laden guy tell him mccasanova is looking for him.and as for values being gifts from god you may also be right{explanation NOW|||}but i hate to be the bearer of bad news so late in the game but here goes;MANKIND TRADED THOSE IN A LONG,LONG,LONG,LONG,LONG...TIME AGO FOR THINGS THAT WERE A LITTLE MORE PRACTICAL A LITTLE MORE IN THE MOMENT IF YOU WILL;LIKE MURDER,RAPE LYING,HATE TORTURE,INCEST,BIGOTRY,DECEIT,GENOCIDE INFANTICIDE CHEATING,STEALING, ADULTERY,RACIAL INTOLERANCE& A HOST OF OTHER LITTLE GOODIES THAT HAS MADE SOME INTO WHAT THEY ARE TODAY AND IF NOT FOR THAT TINY LITTLE SPECK NO BIGGER THAN A GRAIN OF sand THAT WAS SOME HOW OVERLOOKED IN THE TRADE.{I'M NOT SAYING BY WHO BUT IT WASNT MANKIND}ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THE WORLD WOULD BE LIKE IN FACT ONE MIGHT EVEN WONDER IF MANKIND WOULD STILL EXIST IF NOT FOR THAT OVERSIGHT I KNOW THERE ARE THOSE WHO MIGHT ASK " brk dck What was the tiny little speck of which you speak to which i say it was choice that was left nothing more nothing less someone other than mankind left us with choice which brings me back to mccasanova and the reason those on the religious white are willing to ignore the vices which mccasanova flaunts openly like badges of honour has nothing to do with anything other than they CHOOSE TO IGNORE THEM WHICH PRETTY MUCH PROVES MY POINT OF THERE BEING NO SUCH THINGS AS MORAL VALUES{ Ok so i added a little extra something to compensate for the hatchet job someone did at 12:47am}

Posted by: brkdckdwg | Oct 5, 2008 12:05:01 PM

does she regret giving up little coco? needs to keep her mouth shut as this is no longer relevant and he has new life as he should. he wasn't coconuts about them as she seems to still be coconuts about him.

Posted by: zorra | Oct 5, 2008 12:02:34 PM

Yes, even McCain's kids knew his 'pals' were strippers. He hung out with rough women.

I wonder how they felt about his infidelity and the new mistress/wife.

Posted by: Disgruntled | Oct 5, 2008 11:07:06 AM

thank you brian,
and it is probally true,
as a 53 year old mother who is an avid sen. clinton supporter, i have three daughters,and one granddaugther,
I doubt ANYONE who has believed in what sen. clinton stood for in her campaign, would ever support mccain and palin.
you ladies who say you support palin because she is just like you, think about it, she may seem like you, except in one area, she has beliefs that will make the future for your grandchildren, hell. if she and mc, get in office, they will appoint judges, that will head womens rights back to the back alleys, and silence.
mccain and palin for women?
what a jip.

Posted by: omg | Oct 5, 2008 9:14:21 AM

AJ1

I’m sure your misspellings are a joke, but I don’t get it.

I don’t think Biden won the Democratic primaries either. People keep comparing Palin to Obama on experience. They’re about even.

Obama acts like he’s running against Bush. He’s running against McCain.

Apparently Obama and his followers fear to compare “present” voting Obama’s experience and record to that of his opponent. I wonder why?

Posted by: Oonogil | Oct 5, 2008 8:16:43 AM

His experience in foreign matters led him to say, "We'll be welcomed as liberators in Iraq and their oil wealth will pay for everything."

I've traveled as just a tourist in the Middle East. But even I knew better.

Posted by: Mickey | Oct 5, 2008 8:06:28 AM

Does any one think Palin would have gone past the first vote in the GOP primary if she was in the mix with Mccain, Juliani, Huckbie, Rumny and the others???

Posted by: AJ1 | Oct 5, 2008 6:01:49 AM

The article title should be:

"McCain paling around with old stripper buddy"

BTW, looks like Mac Daddy Mccain is still PIMPING out Palin!


Posted by: Jack - San Diego | Oct 5, 2008 5:18:32 AM

Talk about digging up relics. Guess all our sailors have foreign experience since they've probably had a girlfriend in some port they've been stationed. If this is all NuKiller Alaskan and Lame McCain have to offer, we're in deep, dangerous, Disaster!

Posted by: fadedutopia | Oct 5, 2008 4:41:02 AM

IF mccasanova was married at the time of his rio romance can those on the religious white who supposedly supports him because he embodies their value still follow behind him blindly as he sits maverick like astride his high horse of corruption decked out in his finest political attire proudly showing off for all who choose to see the overwhelming evidence of lies,deceit,immoral behaviour,betrayals ineptness,and pettiness that he wears like badges of honour ..if i were a betting man i would wager that they wont and its not because of the notion of to err is human to forgive Divine or let he who is without sin cast the first brick or that their god will judge him.NO its alot less complexed than that the real reason why they willnot reject mccasanova is because...THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MORAL VALUES MORAL FIBER FAMILY VALUES,AMERICAN VALUES MIDWEST VALUES OR SAVING GRACE IT'S ALL A CROCK,THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AND THERE WILL NEVER BE VALUES OF ANY SORT EVEN THE VALUE OF A BUCK IS AN illusion because it to is subject to the whims of man you're going to burn in hell because all god fearing people know that moral values are gifts from the all mighty creator hallow would be thy name.. to which i say you might be right and when you get there tell em i'll be along directly oh and if you see ben-laden tell him john is lookin for him..and as for being gifts from god i hate to be the bearer of bad news but mankind traded in what to them were useless ornaments a long,long long,long,long...time ago for some things a little more practical .and the values or lack thereof of the religious to which i say this even though mankind traded in his morality for those things mentioned above some being i'm not saying who slipped in a barely noticeable little grain that we now call choice and from that tiny grain all that we are,all that we hope to become is directly related to it so i say again we have no values only choice good,bad,or indifferent

Posted by: brkdckdwg | Oct 5, 2008 12:47:20 AM

i wonder what was the coconut the lady reffered to...

Posted by: greg | Oct 5, 2008 12:07:46 AM

john mccain is also known as sweet coconut..How very charming. This is sure to get him more of the women votes..

Posted by: jim | Oct 4, 2008 11:59:44 PM

Post a comment





 

POLITICAL VIDEOS