Cindy McCain Harshly Criticizes Myanmar

While On Trip To Vietnam, GOP Candidate's Wife Also Talks About Michelle Obama

(AP)  Cindy McCain harshly criticized Myanmar's military junta Thursday while vowing to make improving human rights there a priority if she becomes America's next first lady.

Taking a cue from current first lady Laura Bush, who has also been a sharp critic of human rights abuses in Myanmar, the wife of presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain said Myanmar leaders don't value human life.

"It's just a terrible group of people that rule the country, and the frightening part is that their own people are dying of disease and starvation and everything else and it doesn't matter," Cindy McCain said during a trip to Vietnam, where she has worked with a charity that helps children born with facial deformities. "I don't understand how human life doesn't matter to somebody. But clearly, it doesn't matter to them."

She was traveling in Asia this week to showcase her charity work and get a close-up look at relief efforts helping victims of last month's devastating cyclone in Myanmar, otherwise known as Burma.

She said she didn't even bother trying to get an entry visa to Myanmar, knowing it would likely be denied by the secretive government. Instead, the U.N. World Food Program in Thailand will brief her about its work on Friday.

Cyclone Nargis killed more than 78,000 people and left another 56,000 missing, according to the government, which has turned away aid offered by the United States and other countries.

Cindy McCain has visited Myanmar twice, including once when her husband met with pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been in detention for more than 12 of the past 18 years.

"The whole human rights issue in general comes down to things that move me the most," she said. "I'm a mother first and I cannot imagine what it would be like if No. 1, I couldn't feed my children and two, they were sick and No. 3, I was raped in the process. This whole issue is something that, yes, I would stay involved in."

Separately, Cindy McCain said the stir she caused in the presidential race earlier this year when she took exception to a comment by the wife of her husband's Democratic rival, Barack Obama, was unplanned and not a political ploy.

After Michelle Obama said in February that for the first time in her adult life she was proud of the United States, Cindy McCain pointedly said: "I have, and always will be, proud of my country."

Asked about her response to Michelle Obama's comment, Cindy McCain said in a CNN in an interview aired Thursday, "No, it wasn't a political opening, there was nothing planned."

"I'm an emotional woman when it comes to service to our country," she said. "I've watched many people's children leave and go serve. This is something that is the fiber of the McCain family. It was nothing more than me saying, 'Look, I believe in this country so strongly.' I think she's a fine woman, a good mother, and we're both in an interesting line of work right now."

She further explained in an interview aired Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America:" "It wasn't about being insulted at all. I don't know why she said that - everyone has their own experience. I don't know why she said what she said. All I know is that I've always been proud of my country."

Cindy McCain also showed her softer side Thursday while visiting the Vietnamese coastal town of Nha Trang where about 100 children born with cleft palates and cleft lips were awaiting free plastic surgery provided by the U.S. charity Operation Smile. The procedures will take place offshore on one of the U.S. Navy's floating hospitals, the USNS Mercy.

Cindy McCain has made several trips to the communist country where her husband was shot down during the Vietnam War and held for more than five years as a prisoner of war.

"This is what I do, and this is what revitalizes me, personally," she said. "The campaign is extremely important, of course, but this is also important to me, and so you try to balance everything."

Cindy McCain has been actively involved with Operation Smile since 2001 and is a member of its board of directors.

She has a special connection to Vietnam because she and her husband first helped a baby, Phuoc Thi Le, receive reconstructive surgery on her cleft palate and cleft lip in 1997 after a chance meeting with the girl's uncle in Arizona. Cindy McCain reunited with Le, now 11, during her one-day visit.

The McCains later adopted a daughter from Bangladesh who also was born with a facial deformity.

"When you see a child anywhere, say a child that doesn't have food or a child with a cleft palate who's been kept in a back room because the family is embarrassed or whatever it may be, it takes you back to really what's basic and what's really important," Cindy McCain said.

She also plans to visit Cambodia to participate in charity work there.

[toldyouso12]

At least Michelle Obama''s husband does not go around in public calling her a ****, like McCain calls Cindy. Maybe Cindy''s standards for what constitute pride in country or otherwise--is very low to begin with anyway. ROTFLMAO

[minnick8-2009]

That may be part of your problem and the confusion -

Posted by parrot123

I don''t have a problem, and I''m not confused.

[minnick8-2009]

The people who attacked America on 9/11 do not believe in freedom for themselves or us or anyone else.

[parrot123-2009]

Posted by parrot123

I don''''t come in here and plug religion, generally, because I would be pummelled with hateful comments by anti-religionists and athiests. However, I thoroughly believe that there will come a time and it may not be too far off where everyone will have to make a declaration for their love of feedom and be willing to fight for it or lose it. For the record, I will fight for it--even though, on another page I just wrote a diatribe agains women being sent into combat.
Posted by minnick8 at 11:27 AM : Jun 20, 2008

That may be part of your problem and the confusion - Freedom is not just something accorded just those that agree with you, it''s for everyone - regardless of where you''re from or who, what you worship or don''t. A political party should serve everyone''s interest and in America it''s too important to have some sort of flavor due to the mix within this country but we know just one party that''s branded itself through religion and ethnicity - and it''s not the platform you''d started out condemning. Seems to me, you''re relegated to voting against your best interests due to some beliefs based on what you''ve been told (80% of your state voting Repug) - That''s not happenning this year and even McCain seems to know it too - Doubt it ? Check out any of his recent speeches. Cheers!

[minnick8-2009]

Posted by parrot123

I don''t come in here and plug religion, generally, because I would be pummelled with hateful comments by anti-religionists and athiests. However, I thoroughly believe that there will come a time and it may not be too far off where everyone will have to make a declaration for their love of feedom and be willing to fight for it or lose it. For the record, I will fight for it--even though, on another page I just wrote a diatribe agains women being sent into combat.

[parrot123-2009]

Texas may just fall this election cycle - Think about the numbers. Cheers!

Posted by parrot123

Texas might go Demo, but trust me, my state will not. However, if Obama is elected, I''''ll go on a wait and see mode, I won''''t move out of the country yet.
Posted by minnick8 at 11:18 AM : Jun 20, 2008

I wanna see it - Imagine when corporations and entities here in this country are held responsible for their actions and clearly regulated - That''ll be the day. This current crop of Repugs have shown on whose side they''re on, especially in whose pocket they''ve stayed but you keep getting shafted. Doing the right thing is very AMERICAN. Cheers!

[parrot123-2009]

If any of the so called terrorists ever get to my front door, I won''t go down without a fight.
Posted by minnick8 at 11:14 AM : Jun 20, 2008

You seem to be the poster-Repug - called RINO''s by many now ...... This country is strong enough that i know for a fact that even Dumbya believes in the effectiveness of our Intelligence community and the safety it will always provide to protect every AMERICAN. There''s no terrorist coming here or to your front door, once you get past that - you''d probably HATE the repug party and the lies they''ve fed you up until now. The FBI, CIA and others were efficient enough to see 9/11 but it''s not their duty to order themselves especially when an action is being reviewed by the presidency - Most Americans know who''s to blame for that part of it - but i''ll assure you, there''s no Intelligence community like we have in America anywhere else in the world - Most Dems are really not scared of some ''coming to my door'' BS - Lets secure our borders and focus on US Americans ... The recent floods in the midwest and the price of gas should give you some focus on what really matters here in this country ..... Repugs would like to spin that usually. Cheers!

[minnick8-2009]

Texas may just fall this election cycle - Think about the numbers. Cheers!

Posted by parrot123

Texas might go Demo, but trust me, my state will not. However, if Obama is elected, I''ll go on a wait and see mode, I won''t move out of the country yet.

[parrot123-2009]

Go Figure. Cheers!

Posted by parrot123

John McCain was not my first choice for presumptive nominee of the Republican party. However, that is what he is. I could vote for someone else, write someone in, but it would be like voting for no one. I can''''t in good conscience vote for Obama. I don''''t agree with the Democratic party platform. However, in my state, it will go 80 percent Republican. Therefore, even if I voted for Obama, he wouldn''''t get the electoral votes anyway, and even if I don''''t vote, John McCain will get the electoral votes. So, there you have it.
Posted by minnick8 at 11:02 AM : Jun 20, 2008

What''s certain right now, is that Obama is energizing some Americans that never used to care about Politics and using this as a base, there''s a lot of shock coming the way of Repugs .... Don''t know what state you''re in but even Texas may just fall this election cycle - Think about the numbers. Cheers!

[minnick8-2009]

McCain, a Vietnam prisoner of war, has long condemned waterboarding as torture, making him more sensitive than President Bush on an issue that stained America''''s image.

Posted by IOWEIGN

I think waterboarding is horrible. However, if the interrogators are able to extract information which halts attacks against America, then I''m not gonna run to Washington to lobby Congress to stop it.

America is beautiful. We have great beauty, and prosperity, and people who work hard and genuinely care for one another. People who live in places in America where they can''t see it, need to get out of their little cubby holes and experience some of America''s beauty. Go see the Grand Canyon, Zion Park, Bryce Canyon, and Yellowstone Park. When the midwest isn''t flooding, it is covered with wheat feilds and corn fields and hard-working farmers whose life is tilling the soil. I can see why so much of the world is jealous and want to take it away from us. If any of the so called terrorists ever get to my front door, I won''t go down without a fight.

[parrot123-2009]

Whatever happenned to Charles R Black ???

[minnick8-2009]

I know some American people very well. Some of them have no morals.

Posted by shaheed8

There are billions of people on this planet and all people with no morals are not Americans. Shaheed8, go take a nap, you have been up too long.

[minnick8-2009]

Go Figure. Cheers!

Posted by parrot123

John McCain was not my first choice for presumptive nominee of the Republican party. However, that is what he is. I could vote for someone else, write someone in, but it would be like voting for no one. I can''t in good conscience vote for Obama. I don''t agree with the Democratic party platform. However, in my state, it will go 80 percent Republican. Therefore, even if I voted for Obama, he wouldn''t get the electoral votes anyway, and even if I don''t vote, John McCain will get the electoral votes. So, there you have it.

[ioweign]

find it amusing that the democrats on this site are bashing a woman who is helping children with facial deformities. Liberals have so much class

Posted by thcarson at 09:13 PM : Jun 19, 2008

Also amusing is that her husband has no problem now with torturing the child''s parents - do not tell us about class...


Posted by IOWEIGN

I suppose you would just give the terrorists a cup of tea and politely ask them questions, maybe we should start sawing heads off of captives like they do to us, moron.

Posted by thcarson at 10:26 PM : Jun 19, 2008

The WW2 US Army interrogators used that technique on Nazi Germans and were quite successful.

The idea is to be "better" than your enemy, not become the enemy but in your case it is monkey see, monkey do...

[ioweign]

Also amusing is that her husband has no problem now with torturing the child''''''''s parents - do not tell us about class...

Posted by IOWEIGN

John McCain spent 5 1/2 years being tortured by the N Vietnamese. He has spoken out against torture.

Posted by minnick8 at 01:15 AM : Jun 20, 2008

He supports torture

McCain drops the torture ball
By Derrick. Z. Jackson
February 16, 2008

JOHN MCCAIN this week had a choice between his principles and propping up a failed president. He chose the latter.
more stories like this

The Senate joined the House in passing an intelligence bill that would ban the CIA from using waterboarding as an interrogation tactic. The CIA would have to abide by the Army Field Manual, which also prohibits beatings, electric or temperature shocks, forced nudity, mock executions, and the use of dogs. Some of those abusive techniques were on global display in the torture photos from Abu Ghraib.

McCain, a Vietnam prisoner of war, has long condemned waterboarding as torture, making him more sensitive than President Bush on an issue that stained America''s image. But the Arizona senator and virtual Republican nominee to replace Bush voted against the bill. Bush says he will veto the measure.

[parrot123-2009]

I know it is not about me, but I''''m writing about me because I''''m not perfect; therefore, I will not judge John McCain. I haven''''t walked a mile in his shoes; I haven''''t been tortured for 5 1/2 years and I''''m thankful for that.
Posted by minnick8 at 01:57 AM : Jun 20, 2008

While you''re in a thinking mood - Can you imagine what that kind of torture would have done to the Human Mind and also ever asked what it is you''re not being told about your candidate. Some Dems are kicking against insisting of McCains mental evaluation records since he already released his Medicals - the underlined fear is that if the report is Bad, it''ll be an adverse reflection of our country seeing as he''s a sitting senator in our Congress. Go Figure. Cheers!

[parrot123-2009]

She further explained in an interview aired Thursday on ABC''s "Good Morning America:" "It wasn''t about being insulted at all. I don''t know why she said that - everyone has their own experience. I don''t know why she said what she said. All I know is that I''ve always been proud of my country."

IMO - I believe this should really be focused on, in showing why this woman is unsuitable for what she''s trying to attain ...... after all the misconceptions and insinuations, most of this country already know what Michelle meant and had been talking about at the time, with most educated about the issues enough to know that you can''t take out a line from an entire conversation and base any critism on that without lookig at what was being implied - Cindy is showing how retarded and vindictive she really is - and unfortunately the kind of persona she''s trying to present to America. It starts with all of us, regular citizens to come against this brand of BS in our politics and it starts here & now. Yes, we can. Cheers!

[mjvw2]

shaheed8 - Did you done graduate the 4th grade?

[watcher269-2009]

McCain is mad because the leaders of Myanmar won''t let her open a Beer distributorship.

Isn''t this the same country that produced Bushit''s and Cheny''s 2004 Presidential campaigns t-shirts and coffee mugs etc......?

[bajaan]

I know some American people very well. Some of them have no morals. They believing in only what they get for themselves. And yes, many of them stink also. And many are killers, rapists, of low life. But I also know some American people who are good people. I do not judge them all the same. My God tell me to judge the soul of each man by how treat other men.