The Associated Press is reporting that Republican presidential candidate John McCain has mailed out campaign fliers with images of his adopted daughter. The photo features McCain's wife, Cindy, walking out of Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh holding baby Bridget. The wording: ""Today, Cindy and John work together to promote adoption and to help women facing crisis pregnancies."
Eight years ago when John McCain ran for president a smear campaign ruined his chances for obtaining the oval office. It was reported that South Carolina voters were called and asked about Bridget McCain, making it seem that she was an illegitimate child. McCain and his people have said that the fliers were about addressing his stance on abortion and his positive feelings of adoption and nothing else. But, I'm thinking that a plan to make sure that 2008 voters don't assume he's been stepping out on Cindy is probably good thinking.
The McCain's adopted Bridget in 1993 and have stated that she was one of 2 babies that Mother Teresa asked them to take home with them to the US for medical treatment. Bridget McCain is now 15.
After I read this article I wondered how adoptees feel about the use of the photo and the discussion of Bridget McCain to further her father's political career or in the 2000 case, to end his presidential run. Thoughts? Click "comments" below to share or go to the forum for discussion.
Source:McCain Mailer Touts Adopted Daughter - Associated Press
I would love to see Adopted people answer your questions. The only thing I seem able to find from Adoptees are people from the other side of the earth and part of the Anti-Adoption groups.
So far, what I am finding is that Not too many people even had a clue that Senator John McCain was an adoptive parent.
The other fact that I believe is part of this issue is that Brigit is now a legal adult and in one televition Interview after it was clear he would be the Republican Candidate Brigit Stood by her parents as the Senator made one public statement in order to set that old romor to rest.
I believe that the Senator would not have allowed his daughter to be exploited had she not been of legal age and supportive of setting the record right.
For some of the things I am hearing my blog about this subject is at this link:
http://newmemories.blogspot.com/2008/06/john-mccain-talks-about-process-of.html
I think that this is so great! I became adopted at 9 days after my mother died of a blood clot in her brain. My father was living in Spain at the time. LONG STORY. Anyways, I became very fortunate to come into a family where I now have 3 sisters, 1 brother, and 2 parents! God bless John for doing what he did, and not running around like his Democratic counterpart talking about what a great Christian he is. Nothing is more offensive than someone claiming to be someone they are clearly not. We see this in how people behave according to their faith.
Peace be with you.
Jason (28)
“Why Adopt from outside the U.S.”
Although I am in favor of adoption of all children in need, I struggle with the fact that the McCains adopted from outside the country. There are thousands of special needs children needing safe harbor who are now living their life in foster care in the States. I searched for anything connecting either of the McCains to the children of our country, but I found nothing. My search has not ended; I will continue to look for something that says the McCains recognize the children in foster care who are suffering and waiting for homes. I would not have brought this up but for the fact that there is a supposition of the media of humanitarianism because of the adoption of their children and that they are from outside the country. I applaud them, but at the same time I wonder why the did not choose a needy child from the U.S..
Janeen – If you read the story of how the adoption came to be you would see that they did not go into this planning to adopt. I believe Ms. McCain was in India and fell in love with this child and another child in need (heart problems) who was adopted by a friend of theirs. They did not set out to adopt but instead by God’s grace were led to a child meant to be their child. What an amazing thing for both the McCains and Bridget.
We have completed an international adoption as well and when people ask why not the US the simple answer is that our daughter was in Guatemala. I guess it depends on what you believe, but for us there were so many twists and turns in our lives which took us to Guatemala for adoption and ultimately our daughter.
Also a child is a child regardless of where it is from. I never have understood the whole why not the US question, even prior to adoption entering our minds. A child is a child. We are all the same and of equal importance.
Well done to John and Cindy McCain. McCain believes in adoption, Obama believes in abortion.
I’ve posted this elsewhere, but this looked like an appropriate thread:
McCain would rather our country’s children NEVER have a family than be adopted by non-traditional families. Plus he basically said the issue of the half a million kids drifting in foster care, waiting for families, doesn’t concern him.
http://thestarlette.net/2008/07/28/mccain-fumbles-on-gay-adoption/
The part of this story that says that Cindy McCain had contact with Mother Theresa has been shown to be a fabrication, according to the Christian Science Monitor. Biographies show Mother Theresa was in Mexico at that time.
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/08/20/watchdogs-make-it-harder-for-politicians-to-stretch-the-truth/
Once contacted by the Christian Science Monitor, the McCain campaign revised the story on its website.
If John McCain’s interview is read carefully, you would see that their daughter came from Mother Theresa’s Orphanage, and was brought to the U.S. for treatment for a severe cleft palate, along with another child that had a heart defect. As for adoption outside of the US, being an adoptive parent with one adopted child (of the US), it is frustrating that the country (meaning us) who has millions of children who need homes – makes adoption virtrally impossible and very very frustrating with all of the “legal hoops” that have to be continuously jumped through. Also, having to have a child adopted from the US in your home for 6 months before an adoption can be finalized with limited protection for the adoptive parents ensuring the baby will not be taken away also is a huge turn-off to a lot of people. I applaud the McCain’s decision, and am confident that if he becomes President that he can better the challenges of US adoptions!!
This is what I found on the Dhaka US embassy web-site
(http://dhaka.usembassy.gov/adoption.html):
“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. ”
How was Cindy McCain able to bring Bridget to the US if this is clearly against the Bangladeshi law? Did they apply for a visa? Did they have a home study done?
The McCains have been trying to get adoption in the U.S. simplified. Its so complicated here. That is why people go across seas to adopt. Our country wants children to go to good homes and they do everything they can to make sure that the adopting parents are good people, but in the process they drag feet for years on end. Its frustrating.