John McCain Republican Presidential Candidate
The only big political story last week, aside from the firings related to Walter Reed, was the “official” announcement of John McCain that he is running to be president. How do we know this is the official announcement? He did it on The David Letterman Show!
Senator John McCain of Arizona
Full Name: John Sidney McCain III
born in the Panama Canal Zone, 1936
his father and grandfather were both admirals in the U.S. Navy
– the first father and son serving at that rank in naval history
graduated from the US Naval Academy, 1958
as a pilot, was shot down and held as a POW, 1967
– a prisoner for six years
with the rank of captain, the Navy’s liaison to the U.S. Senate, 1977
POLITICAL CAREER
1982, elected to the House of Representatives
1985, elected to the Senate seat vacated by Barry Goldwater
Keating Five scandal in the late 1980s
– five senators met with the chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board to try prevent the government from seizing the Lincoln Savings and Loan, whose chairman was Charles Keating
– what made it appear improper was that between 1982 and 1987, McCain received about $100,000 in political contributions from Keating and his friends
campaign finance reform becomes McCain’s pet issue
McCain–Feingold
– officially Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA)
– regulates the financing of political campaigns
– bill co-sponsor was Russ Feingold (Wisconsin Democrat)
2000 Presidential Primary
– won the New Hampshire primary
– lost in South Carolina
– during this time, it was insinuated that he had an illegitimate daughter with a black woman
(in fact, he has an adopted daughter from Bangladesh)
PERSONAL LIFE
two marriages, one divorce
seven children, four grandchildren
1965, married model Carol Shepp
– adopted her two sons (Doug and Andy)
– a daughter of their own (Sydney)
– McCain admits to womanizing during this time
– divorced in 1980
one month later…
1980, married businesswoman Cindy Hensley
– two daughters (Meghan and Bangladeshi adoptee Bridget)
– two sons (John Sidney IV, James)
BOOKS CO-AUTHORED WITH MARK SALTER
- Faith of My Fathers (1999) – bestselling family memoir
- Worth the Fighting for : A Memoir (2002) – continuation of “Faith…”; his life after his release from a North Vietnamese POW prison
- Why Courage Matters : The Way to a Braver Life (2004) – suitable reading for high-school students as well
- Character Is Destiny : Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember (2005)
- Hard Call : Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them – to be published in August 2007
- McCain himself narrated the audio version of Why Courage Matters : The Way to a Braver Life (2004).
- The made-for-TV movie Faith of My Fathers (2005) was based on John McCain’s memoirs.
HIGHLY-RATED BIOGRAPHIES OF JOHN MCCAIN
- John McCain: An American Odyssey (2002) – published in 2002
- Citizen McCain (2002) – focuses on his efforts in campaign finance reform
- John McCain – for children ages 9-12
JOHN MCCAIN ON FILM AND TV
cameo in the 2005 summer movie Wedding Crashers
hosted Saturday Night Live on October 19, 2002 (“McCain Sings Streisand”)
– the first Republican Senator to host the show (Democrat Paul Simon co-hosted with singer Paul Simon in 1988)
was interviewed in Eugene Jarecki’s documentary Why We Fight (2005)
very briefly appeared in the February 6, 2006, episode of the TV show 24 – Season Five
– handed a folder to Audrey Raines
– Day 5: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
LATEST MEDIA BROUHAHA
said deaths in Iraq were lives “wasted” whereas the politically correct term is “sacrificed”