Attacks on Kerry roil Mrs. McCain

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Attacks on Kerry roil Mrs. McCain
3
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 8:14am
Attacks on Kerry roil Mrs. McCain

BY CELESTE KATZ

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

The wife of Sen. John McCain has expressed sympathy for John Kerry for having to battle attacks on his Vietnam War record by President Bush's allies.

"It's completely unnecessary," Cindy McCain told CNBC's "Topic A with Tina Brown," referring to the suggestions that Kerry lied about his medals.

"Doesn't have anything to do with any of the issues or any of the campaigns. And the American people are tired of it."

Cindy McCain indicated her sympathy for John and Teresa Kerry, saying, "I know what they're going through."

During the decisive South Carolina primary in 2000, rumors spread that McCain had an illegitimate black child and Cindy McCain was a drug addict.

"I was shocked that anyone would believe that," she said.

The couple has an adopted Bangladeshi daughter, Bridget, and Cindy McCain previously admitted battling an addiction to painkillers.

McCain lost the South Carolina primary, effectively ending his challenge to Bush for the Republican nod.

The senator's wife did not say anything bad about Bush, but said, "We have put that behind us. That was a long time ago. We mended fences with the Bushes."

Kerry claims he is the target of a Bush smear campaign, with some Vietnam vets charging he lied to win his three Purple Hearts and two combat medals. Navy documents and Swift boat shipmates support Kerry's versions of events.

Cindy McCain said confronting rumors is painful.

"It hurts. I'll be very frank about it. It hurts for myself and certainly hurt me to watch my husband have things said about him, too," she said.

"I could say, 'Hang in there - you can see a light at the end of the tunnel ...,' but those words don't help," she added. "People were saying them to me and they didn't help."

New York Daily News Article

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2004
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 8:24am
This is just terrible. A week or so back, Miffy did a TOTW about the families of candidates being attacked and asked if it was right. It is so sad that anyone has to go thru this, and just reading this article made me kind of mad at the people doing the attacking. Is it right to win at all costs, does that make Bush sleep better at night? Mrs. McCain may say that what happened is in the past, but I think she still holds some sort of animosity towards the Bush's. I know I would. Doesn't matter, becuase McCain is a true leader with integrity.

This was a really great read thanks!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 12:06pm
It's a wonder that people choose to run for public office at all. Things are getting increasingly nasty for candidates as the world looks at the 24 hour news cycle. Pretty soon there will be a real crisis where no good people will be willing to put thenmselves or more importantly, their family through this type of bulls**t.

I don't know about anyone here but pretty much everyone has some sort of skeleton in their closet that can be massaged and hyped up into some sort of nasty smear. It's sad really.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2004
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 3:05pm

Super post, Suemox!

Miffy - Co-CL For The Politics Today Board