John McCain’s first wife was Carol Shepp McCain
Carol Shepp was already married and had two sons with her first husband. Her sons were Douglas and Andrew. Carol Shepp divorced her first husband and married John McCain. They had a daughter, Sidney. John McCain asked for combat duty in Vietnam in 1966. When John McCain returned to America in 1973, Carol Shepp McCain was disfigured in a car crash in 1969. She suffered serious injuries. Her surgeons removed her shattered bones in her legs and consequentially, her height was reduced. Carol Shepp McCain wa

Cindy McCain sets tone for GOP fashion
AP - Not since Jacqueline Kennedy first donned her signature pillbox hats have fashionistas paid such close attention to what the women of politics are wearing. Friday may be the start of New York's Fashion Week, but couture has been in the Minnesota convention hall all week. It kicked off on Monday with Cindy McCain and first lady Laura Bush in Oscar de la Renta. Vanity Fair editors estimated that McCain's fierce saffron shirt dress with the popped collar, diamond earrings, four-strand pearl neckl

And now the main event . . .
And now that the back-to-back political conventions are over, the longest-running presidential campaign in memory enters its home stretch--finally--with the promise of new drama. The dynamics are notably different today from just a couple of weeks ago, when Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama were still only their parties' presumptive nominees. Gov. Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate changes the story line significantly, a decided curve for a Democratic team unprepared for the hockey-mom-

The reviews are in: John McCain loses oratorical contest
If we're having just an oratorical contest, John McCain loses. Or so indicated many TV commentators Thursday night after McCain accepted the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention. McCain's reviews weren't as good as Democratic challenger Barack Obama's (no surprise there, given that Obama has been lauded as a great speaker). But McCain's notices weren't as good as running mate Sarah Palin's, either. Some of the sharper reviews came on Fox News Channel. Fox News contributor Karl R

The Best Case Against Sarah Palin is Sarah Palin
Much has happened since John McCain selected Sarah Palin to be his Vice President, having chosen her after an extensive vetting process composed of… oh, I don’t know, picking her name out of a hat, perhaps, or a lively session of “Spin the Bottle” with all available candidates. Back in those days – the halcyon, innocent days of August 29 through 30 – I was merely insulted that John McCain had chosen to exploit the feminist optimism born of Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Lots of p

Bronx Republican Calls Koppell's Term-Limits Bill 'A Slap in the Face'
Hours before John McCain gave his convention speech, some actual non-presidential news broke: Democratic City Councilman Oliver Koppell of the Bronx said he’ll introduce a bill to extend term limits. Term limits was a major topic of conversation in the last couple of weeks, but so far no there's been no action. I was on the floor of the Xcel Center when I heard about Koppell's bill, and asked Bronx Republican County Leader Jay Savino for his thoughts. He called it a “slap in the face” for voters,

Now It's John McCain's Turn
John McCain accepted the Republican party's presidential nomination last night with a speech that may have been considered a success by some. We're assuming those people are the same ones who thought it appropriate to gleefully chant "USA! USA! USA!" when McCain brought up the fact that many Americans are without jobs and are struggling to put food on the table, but to each his own. Who did it better: Obama or McCain? Sep 5, 2008 · posted by Whitney · Link

John McCain Pushes For Tax Cuts To Ease Economic Pain
Sen. John McCain said on Thursday many Americans were struggling to find jobs and pay rising food and fuel bills, and predicted the tax cuts he would support as president would spur economic growth.... <a href="http://www.postchronicle.com/news/breakingnews/article_212169811.shtml"><b>More</b>

John McCain's Acceptance Speech
Change, promised Republican nominee John McCain during his acceptance speech in Minneapolis last evening, is coming. It's a timely message considering this morning's announcement that the economy lost 84,000 jobs last month (the eighth straight month of job losses) and the unemployment rate is at 6.1 percent, the highest since 2003. If you're lucky enough to still have a job, you were probably too busy to watch the candidate's oration; here it is. A few obvious points: McCain is not a great orator. He di

Hannity '08
ST. PAUL—Here's Sean Hannity, Fox newscaster and conservative hero, signing autographs on the floor of the convention as though he'd just won the nomination. "Where in Alabama, darlin? What's your name darlin? Destiny? Your destiny is in politics." "Where you from? I'm from Santa Barbara. High five." Guards told the crowd to "back up. Back up. Ma'am don't push." He was interviewed by a woman from KGMB Channel 9 Hawaii. "If I have one word for Sarah Palin, it is 'authentic.' I love Hawaii. I can't

Who's the hottest celeb of the week?
It's all politics and family this week on USA TODAY’s Celebrity Heat Index. Sarah Palin wins by a landslide debuting at No. 1 with news of her veep candidacy and revelations that 17-year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant. Palin landed on multiple covers and websites, and dominated television coverage, reports USA TODAY's Mary Cadden. In addition to the Palin clan, John McCain and all four members of the Obama family - Barack, wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha - made this week’s index. New

John McCain Accepts Party's Nomination, Promises Jobs
Republican John McCain cast himself as an independent-minded reformer on Thursday, vowed "change is coming" if he is elected president and promised to create millions of jobs by developing new energy sources.... <a href="http://www.postchronicle.com/news/breakingnews/article_212169763.shtml"><b>More</b>

John McCain Speech Republican National Convention Protestors
A Pro-Choice protester interrupted John McCain’s address to the GOP last night. As the Republican senator accepted the nomination for President at the Republican National Convention, a woman ripped off her wig and went sprinting wildly down the aisle. She then took off her wig and opened her jacket, to reveal the phrase “Pro-Choice” written on the back of her dress. Take it as a friendly reminder that both Senator McCain and Governor Palin are in favor taking away a woman’s right to

Republican Convention: McCain Speaks but Says Little
For Republican presidential candidate John McCain, it was the biggest night yet of his campaign. He spoke about change and reform. But the message was a different one -- namely that he is a very conventional candidate. At the end, the crowd became deafening. "Nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself," John McCain called out. With every sentence, the Republican presidential candidate had to speak louder to be heard over the cheers. "Fight with me!" he imp

Men of Substance: McCain to Obama -- Do as I Say, Not as I Do
John McCain disapproves of contests of personality and style -- unless he thinks he can win them.

Video: John McCain Speech Republican National Convention
Senator John McCain had a message in his address to the Republican National Convention on Thursday night-”Change is coming!” Ummm…is it just us or did the Arizona senator just rip off Barack Obama’s platform? McCain also worked hard to distance himself from the GOP, saying “I don’t work for a party” at one point in last night’s speech. What did you think of Senator McCain’s speech at the RNC? McCain sounds like a really nice man. It’s almo

McCain Speech Video
  John McCain spoke before a packed house at the X in St. Paul on Thursday evening.   The presidential candidate was the last to hit the stage at the Republican National Convention and spoke for nearly an hour, finally attempting to distance himself from Bush by calling for change and claiming “we need to change the [...]

John McCain Pledges To Change Partisan Washington
Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin kicked off a two-month battle for the White House on Friday with a promise that "change is coming,"...... <a href="http://www.postchronicle.com/news/breakingnews/article_212169772.shtml"><b>More</b>

John McCain Says He is Ready
John McCain accomplished what he had to do to stay competitive in a race where Democrats still hold most of the advantage, according to the Daily News. It’s still far from certain if that’s enough to win an election where even ardent boosters fear he has been saddled with daunting baggage - the Bush administration. For more on the New York Daily News cover story, visit here. Share: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

POLITICS: FINAL NIGHT OF THE RNC
On Thursday, John McCain accepted the presidential nomination of the Republican Party. “Change is coming,” he promised the roaring Republican National Convention and prime-time television audience. McCain TRIBUTE During the night, the Republican National Convention paid tribute to the Republican presidential candidate. CINDY McCain’S RNC SPEECH Cindy McCain explained why her husband should be president: “It’s going to take someone of unusual strength and character — some

Poll: Democratic bounce gone, race tied
John McCain has drawn even with his Democratic opponent for the first time in a new CBS poll.

Swamp Sunrise
The national political conventions are finished and now it is a two-month sprint to the Nov. 4 election. Newly minted Republican nominee John McCain is campaigning today in Milwaukee and later Sterling Heights, Mich., while Democrat Barack Obama will be in Scranton, Pa. The Labor Department is releasing unemployment statistics for August. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is discussing America's security as the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches. '; document.write(str);

Sarah Palin People Magazine September 2008 Cover Photo & Interview
Republican Vice President candidate Sarah Palin speaks out about the day she learned her young son had Down syndrome in this week’s issue of People Magazine. Sarah, 43, gave birth to her fifth child, Trig, last April; she admits to being nervous about raising a child with special needs. “Not knowing in my own heart if I was going to be ready to embrace a child with special needs. I couldn’t talk about it.” The Alaska governor says she didn’t tell her fisherman husband, Tod

WISDOM IN THE EMAILS
WISDOM IN THE EMAILS: “Wonkette-rs: Just wanted to point out the incredibly flawed logic of the Republican Party staging the final night of their convention — AND the all-important speech by their nominee — on the same night as opening kick-off for the NFL. Not only is football the most popular sport by viewership in the USA, it’s also (supposedly) favored by gun-totin’, red-blooded, all-around good ol’ boys (like Levi Johnston!). — Juan S.” [UPI]