Ex-Flame of McCain’s Emerges in Rio
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Maria Gracinda Teixeira, 77, a former Brazilian model, says that 51 years ago, she had a rendezvous with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that the Republican presidential nominee described in his 1999 book "Faith of My Fathers."
From McCain’s recounting, Gracinda was a significant character in his life as a young man.
As a sailor, he met Gracinda when his ship, the USS Hunt, docked in Brazil in 1957.
"I met and began a romance with a Brazilian fashion model, and gloried in the envy of my friends," wrote McCain. "We danced on the terrace overlooking the bay until one o’clock in the morning, when I felt her cheek was moist.
"’What’s the matter?’ I asked.
"’I'll never see you again,’ she replied.
"I told her that we would remain in town for eight more days, and that I would gladly spend as much time in her company as she would grant me. But she rebutted my every assurance with ‘No, I can never see you again.’
"’Are you engaged?’
"’No.’
"’Look, I’m going to be down at the gate of the shipyard at one o’clock tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be there, and I want you to be there, too.’
"She said nothing in reply, and an hour later, she left the party with her aunt, who served as her constant companion and chaperone.
"The next afternoon, I left the ship at about twelve-thirty and waited for her at the place I had designated. An hour passed, and she had not arrived. Another hour and she still had not appeared. An hour after that, I forlornly prepared to abandon all hope. Just as I was preparing to return to the ship in a state of deep despondency, she pulled up in a Mercedes with gull-wing doors. She honked the horn, and I jumped in, ecstatic.
"I spent every free moment with her for the rest of my stay in Rio. She was very beautiful, stylish, and gracious — common attributes in her wealthy and socially prominent family. She took me to dinners and receptions where I toasted my extraordinary good fortune in the company of cabinet members, generals and admirals, wealthy aristocrats, and, on one occasion, the president of Brazil.
"We spent my last evening on liberty together. She drove me to my ship the next morning. I emerged from under the open gull-wing door and kissed her to a chorus of rowdy cheers from my shipmates. I accepted their approval with an affected sheepish humility.
"When we returned to Annapolis, I had a few weeks’ leave, which I used to fly right back to Rio to continue my storybook romance. By the following Christmas, the distance between us, and our youthful impatience and short attention spans, brought an end to our affair. But it resides in my memory, embellished with age, of course, among the happier experiences of my life."
Gracinda goes into greater — yet less Hemingway-esque — detail in the New York Daily News and other publications.
- jpt
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McCain and his first wife are still friends. And who cares anyway? Just like I did not care when Clinton was running around with Monica. Marriages are private matters. We do not know what any of these men or women are to their spouses or what they are to live with.Being in a POW situation for 5 years changes a person physically and psychologically. McCain most likely was no longer the person he was before that happened and neither was she.
Posted by: Samantha | September 23, 2008, 9:11 am 9:11 am
This is just silly. Boy he is really squeeky clean if they have to go back
51 years to find an old flame. Makes you wish for the days of Bill Clinton and his daily bimbo erruptions.
Posted by: jenny | September 23, 2008, 9:12 am 9:12 am
How about writing a nice long story about how Obama tried to get the troop withdrawal DELAYED FOR POLITICAL REASONS!
That is the real story
Gimme a break. ABCNEWS is becoming a hit piece for OBAMA right before the election!!!!!!!
Nobama!
Posted by: Krist | September 23, 2008, 9:16 am 9:16 am
Samantha…so it is ok to be sympathetic and understanding to McCain and not Obama?
Posted by: mainegirl | September 23, 2008, 9:16 am 9:16 am
I think it’s kind of sweet, most of us have fond recollections of our first love. No need to dirty it with political bs.
Posted by: samhiguchi | September 23, 2008, 9:17 am 9:17 am
Captain…you are so right..this all is SO unimportant….Let’s hear issues…
Posted by: newvoter | September 23, 2008, 9:22 am 9:22 am
Samantha…marriages aren’t private matters when you run for political office. Everything you have done in your adult life and maybe before is public.
It has to do with character…
Posted by: truthtell | September 23, 2008, 9:24 am 9:24 am
No doubt, truthtell which is why I am not voting for Obama a man who is friends with criminals.
Posted by: Samantha | September 23, 2008, 9:28 am 9:28 am
I can’t for stories on Obama’s old flames. I wonder why there aren’t any out there? Michelle couldn’t have been his first.
Posted by: Dalibama | September 23, 2008, 9:28 am 9:28 am
Truth – I agree to a point on the marriage issue. Where we differ is when the affair is conducted in the oval office on various pieces of furniture and on the Presidential seal on the rug in the oval office. The White House is the peoples house not Penthouse. A bit of decorum would have benn apreciated.
Posted by: jenny | September 23, 2008, 9:34 am 9:34 am
“marriages aren’t private matters when you run for political office”
Yes they are. If you can’t understand that, don’t marry. You don’t understand that commitment and why it entails a private relationship.
This is one of the problems of modern media values. Any thing that feeds the media cycle is fair.
Posted by: len | September 23, 2008, 9:46 am 9:46 am
So, Me Obama never had a date, never had a girlfriend before Michelle?
Of Course he has some extremely dangerous relationships with Ayers, Rezko, Plfeger, Wright, Rashid Khalidi, Hatem El-Hady, Axlerod, Jarrett,Sadik, many more of this close knit bunch who’s lives are entertwined for over 20 years.
Those kind of relationships are dangerous. Terrorist, communist, muslim supporters and activist, anti -americans.
You take a confused Obama who is taken under the wings of those type of people. He Holds them as close personal friends of over 20 years. I am sure there is a life long effect on Mr Obama.
Dangerous and Unhealthy friends to even think of putting obama in office is more than asking than a National Security threat.
Goodness people how bad did you leave your minds get manipulated and filled with Obama propaganda.
Posted by: seah | September 23, 2008, 9:55 am 9:55 am
A polygamist, that’s a new one, how many wives did he have at once? :P
I haven’t met a man yet that isn’t a womaniser if he can be and as for the adultery part, even I can understand that, he lived through 5 years of heck, apart from his wife and came back a different person. They were both different people. I can’t imagine being apart from my husband for 5 years and expecting everything to be normal when he came home, he would be a stranger. I don’t know why that is so hard to understand for some of you. True he should have gotten a divorce first, but we all can’t be perfect like… Obama.
Posted by: samhiguchi | September 23, 2008, 9:56 am 9:56 am
Seah, Obama did have a college girlfriend and she was white, apparently they were supposedly in love, but he didn’t want to marry her because she was white and he didn’t want to have to live in the white world. (so to speak)
Posted by: samhiguchi | September 23, 2008, 9:58 am 9:58 am
But this quote is telling about who is the elitist:
She was very beautiful, stylish, and gracious — common attributes in her wealthy and socially prominent family. She took me to dinners and receptions where I toasted my extraordinary good fortune in the company of cabinet members, generals and admirals, wealthy aristocrats, and, on one occasion, the president of Brazil.
Posted by: Mr. Coffee | September 23, 2008, 10:05 am 10:05 am
You people need a life, this is so far from important in this election it amazes me!!!!!
Posted by: Bob | September 23, 2008, 10:12 am 10:12 am
Who cares, how does this help me pay my mortgage?
Posted by: make it known | September 23, 2008, 10:24 am 10:24 am
dalibama:
You are right. There is STILL so much about Obama’s past and his past relationships that the American people have not been told about.
Considering those that we DO know about, I can understand why………
Posted by: SandyB | September 23, 2008, 10:31 am 10:31 am
Mac
Posted by: John | September 23, 2008, 10:39 am 10:39 am
We’re in the biggest financial crisis since the Greatest Depression you’re posting an article on an affair that McCain had over half a century ago?
Even as an Obama supporter, I have to ask why this is news.
Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | September 23, 2008, 10:43 am 10:43 am
Ah, I love Brazil. I married a national of Brazil in the US, then went to Brazil to marry there. I have since obtained a citizenship in Brazil and plan to go there for good if that idiot McBush gets elected in November. god help us all if McBush does get elected.
Sally
Posted by: Sally SoMo | September 23, 2008, 10:58 am 10:58 am
McCheater admits that he had a fling…Wasn’t he still married? Did he not cheat on his first wife with this current wife Cindy “the Robot looking” McCain.
Since he hung out with aritocrats and Prsident of Brazil, does that make him an Elite?
Posted by: KC | September 23, 2008, 11:29 am 11:29 am
What we have here is a candid, honest, and incredibly sensitive account of a youthful relationship…replete with romance and grace.
Unlike the “shuck and jive” speak of Hussien, it’s delightful to see McCain break through, consistently, as the straight talker he is.
For those who would make this an issue let me suggest you do less gawking and more “fact finding” on your “shucking and jiving” candidate who has yet to say something that he believes wouldn’t fly in the polls…except of course for those things he say’s on an ongoing basis that are just plain out wrong.
McCain Palin…Leadership you can trust, change you can depend on.
Posted by: SensibleFella | September 23, 2008, 11:46 am 11:46 am
When are you guys in the media going to dig up Obama’s old cocaine snorting pals? Obama didn’t just find cocaine in his pocket one day and decide to snort it. He had to buy it from somebody and most likely he snorted it with somebody. Did Obama deal cocaine in order to get his own cocaine for free? Did Obama smoke crack cocaine? C’mon media, do your job! You have an admitted cocaine abuser running for the Presidency and you have given him a completely free ride about his cocaine abuse. We want the details! How many laws did Obama break when he was a cocaine abuser? When was the last time he did cocaine? Could he pass a drug test today? C’mon, vet this guy for a change!
Posted by: OxyCon | September 23, 2008, 12:23 pm 12:23 pm
Thousands of South Carolinian’s voted against McCain because some lowlifes supporting his opponent, President What’s His Name, accused him of fathering a black child. They are now relieved to find that it did not happen in Rio. They are still mad about his flip flop on the Stars N Bars however.
Posted by: ricky | September 23, 2008, 12:26 pm 12:26 pm
With no knowledge of Barrack Obama, you make baseless assumptions about his acquaintances and their influence on him. Why should anyone believe you?
The irony here is that your own candidate, John McCain has a lot of relationships that are clearly documented and we KNOW their influence on him.
Senator McCain, besides being the darling of the press, is the darling of the lobbyists. We don’t have to theorize about their relationship, they
are running his campaign.
Mr. Bush tried to establish the “owned” society and, fortunately, failed. If Senator McCain becomes president he will succeed in being the first totally “owned” president.
He has sold his soul and his integrity for the keys to the white house.
Posted by: Rusticus | September 23, 2008, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
So this fling means exactly what?
How about a little of Barry and Ayers? Don’t have to go back 50+ years for that.
Oh, that’s right, that’s “different”. Democratic “nuance” at it’s best.
Those schools in Chicago any better?
How much of that 50 million did ACORN get?
Posted by: GarandFan | September 23, 2008, 1:07 pm 1:07 pm
The timing of this is completely innocent, no doubt.
What passes for “objective” investigation sometimes is baffling.
Not really.
Posted by: drjohn | September 23, 2008, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
Unbelievable.
I knew the press was in the tank for Obama but this is just plain stupid. 50 years ago, as a single, young, naval officer, he had a fling with a Brasilian beauty. Stop the presses force McCain to withdraw from the race!
And this is important relative to Obama’s cocaine use or Obama’s fling with Bill Ayers terrorist extraodinaire that you guys won’t talk about?
Unbelievable.
Posted by: John Steele | September 23, 2008, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
“Who cares, how does this help me pay my mortgage?
Posted by: make it known | Sep 23, 2008 10:24:03 AM”
It reminds you that people who can afford to drive Gull-winged Mercedes have made good financial decisions – and NOT taken out mortgages they can’t afford.
Posted by: mark | September 23, 2008, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
This was 51 years ago what is the story?
Ok but if you want to bring this up Obama is friends with an un-repented terrorist who bombed our Capital and police stations 20 years ago!!
Posted by: spock | September 23, 2008, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
You know, I would feel better if ANYONE from Obama’s past came forward. I’d rather have a president with a hot Brazilian fling in his past then a president with no past at all.
Posted by: Joanne600 | September 23, 2008, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
This is lame. You’d probably get more viewers, and readers, if you were to run the story of Stanly Kurtz findings on the relationship between Obama, and Ayres, that’s out today. Seems they are, and were more than just neighbors and acquaintances.
What about a follow up story of the 3 homosexual men, from Obama’s previous church, that were all mysteriously murdered? Any investigative reporting on that?
Shameless journalism. The professionalism is gone. Kaput. Done. Finished.
Just remember, when, if God forbid Obama’s regime begins….if the press so much as prints a comma in the wrong place, they will shut you down. You put your right foot in, and you try to take it out,you put your right foot in, and it’s stuck inside your mouth…that’s what socialism is all about!
Posted by: Jeanie | September 23, 2008, 1:37 pm 1:37 pm
I have the first $10 for Sally SoMo’s one way ticket to Brasil. In fact I’ll double that to $20 if she wants to leave prior to Nov. 5th. Anyone else want to chip in?
Just remember that “paying higher taxes is patriotic” so you won’t have a dime to send Sally off to Brasil if BOJB get into office. The current 700 billion bailout of Wall Street schmucks will pale in comparisson.
Posted by: Simonsez | September 23, 2008, 1:41 pm 1:41 pm
It is like being told your granny still has sex. It is a fact of life and somewhere in the back of your mind you accept it. NEVER do you want to picture it or have it put before you.
If this is supposed to make me think he is a pistol or a firecracker. THIS FAILS.
Ugh!
I don’t want Fred Thompson to tell me about a hooker/stripper somewhere in some remote city either. I’d feel the same way if this was John Kerry or that vomit producing kiss Gore gave his wife in 2000.
Seriously!
I’d also point out if there were stories of this nature rolling around about Bill Clinton’s youth (I’m sure there are) and Obama’s youth THEY WOULD BE RECEIVED NEGATIVELY. It is a double standard.
Let’s not deal with candidates’ sexuality unless impacts their office (and I don’t mean cigars and blue dresses either).
Posted by: Genna | September 23, 2008, 1:44 pm 1:44 pm
Count me among McCain’s shipmates. Oh man! Brazilian model!
Bet Obama’s first he was the catcher not the pitcher- did that hurt Barry?
Posted by: Hugh Brennan | September 23, 2008, 1:46 pm 1:46 pm
This is not news. Obama and Ayers would be very interesting news.
Posted by: Rob Roske | September 23, 2008, 1:47 pm 1:47 pm
I have to laugh at all the comments trying to claim McCain is a polygamist or a cheater and discount him from the White House because of it…
1st of all – he was separated / divorcing his 1st wife when he met Cindy. How many other people meet someone when they’re on the way out of their marriage? Better question – how many people wait til their divorce is 100% final before dating someone else? I’d wager it’s VERY VERY few.
2nd: Polygamy is being married to more than one person at a time – simply not the case here at all – read a dictionary.
Lastly – I find it funny that those who raise outrage at this kinda stuff about McCain were silent and even defending of a sitting president getting oral sex ( cheating on his wife ) IN THE OVAL OFFICE.
This is OLD news, people – and once again, there are SO many important issues out there.
Posted by: John | September 23, 2008, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
“It says on page 2 of the Republican Guide to Riches
“If you’re not rich, marry wealthy”
Page 1 says inherit it. ”
Since when did John ( Heinz ) Kerry start reading the Republican Guide to Riches? He is the wealthiest member of Congress….
Or perhaps, did he write it?
Posted by: John | September 23, 2008, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
Why do liberals care if McCain cheated on his 1st wife? I thought that kind of stuff can never get in the way of a person ‘doing their job’. So suddenly now character counts to liberals?
Blah!
While I’m no fan of McCain, I’m no fan of Oblammo & this piece illustrates how far the media has gone into the toilet.
Please report on something that matters.
Posted by: joecool | September 23, 2008, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
WHO CAREs MOVE on slow news day for dnc I meant abc sorry.Hard to tell sometimes
Posted by: mr ed | September 23, 2008, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
Jake, seriously, are you going to have this on the evening news? Is a romantic affair between two unmarried consenting adults over 50 years ago news? Joe Biden is openly disagreeing with his running mate’s campaign stances, the president of a country known to support terrorism is addressing the UN this afternoon, the residents of Galveston have no homes, the hotel bombing in Pakistan is strongly suspected to have been engineered by Al Qaeda, and Congress is desperately coming to grips with how to keep the United States from falling into financial chaos, and asking themselves whether one man should be given total control over how our country’s finances should be run.
Please examine your priorities.
Posted by: Dave | September 23, 2008, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
Obama has little to no history before the age of 18….and this is all the LSM can do?
Posted by: JamesJ | September 23, 2008, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm
ABC is now Axelrod broadcasting conspiracy? And becoming just another blade of astrotruf.
Posted by: snaggletoothie | September 23, 2008, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm
Mr McCain was a 20 year old college [Naval Academy] student who did not marry anyone until seven years later.So what’s the big deal.
Posted by: james d windham | September 23, 2008, 2:42 pm 2:42 pm
Man what a great romantic story of youth.
John is definitely a Lady’s man.
Posted by: Harvey | September 23, 2008, 2:58 pm 2:58 pm
50 years ago! Who cares.
Posted by: Kara | September 23, 2008, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
He was 20 and still in college [Naval Academy]. Marriage for McCain begins 9 years later.This is easy stuff.
Posted by: james d windham | September 23, 2008, 3:09 pm 3:09 pm
Biden makes 3 gaffes in one interview w Curic, another about his helo getting forced down by Osama Bin Laden, complains about his own campaign’s ads re McCain’s inability to use a keyboard because he was tortured in a prisoner of war camp, and meanwhile the msm is waited/begging for Sarah Palin to make the most minor gaffe, and wasting time reporting stories like this one? Come on guys. Give us a break, and show some NEWS. 50+yr old girlfriends from Rio. What’s next? A John McCain slept here NEWS story?
Posted by: Scott Malensek | September 23, 2008, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
Fascinating that you can find friendships and relationships who remember McCain happily after fifty years but cannot provide any details of Obama’s relationships. Does that freak have any real friends? Has he ever spent any time with a woman other than his beard, excuse me, ‘wife’ Michelle? How about some details of his travels to Pakistan and his druggie foreign associates. That happened a lot later than fifty years ago. By the by, we have McCain’s medical records, where are Obama’s? Given the fact that neither of his parents survived to age fifty, we need some accurate information about that drug using chain smoker’s current health.
Posted by: Questioner | September 23, 2008, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
ZZZZZZZZ. Ayres/Obama on the Annenberg and Woods Boards throwing $$ to fringe political types; Obama siphoning city & state funds to Slumlord pal Rezko (he of 41 Syrian trips and Obama house purchase) with projects still unbuilt & Rezko in prison; Auchi (Saddam’s Oil $$ for politicians man) connection? who knows, certainly not the reporters who don’t investigate; Pakistan trip with his room mate Sadiqqi, why?; Obama’s unusual supporters boost him into Harvard, why?;
But last but not least: Ex-Flame of McCain’s Emerges in Rio. Only news if she’d been in a cocoon for 51 years and now has colorful, gossamer wings.
Posted by: Karen Otravez | September 23, 2008, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm
The public comprises such gullible slags. A nonsense “story” consisting of bygone details with little to no impact on the near-trillion-dollar mess facing our economy, and watch the comments come out: “Obama and Ayers” “liberal media” “in the tank.” Have you people completely dismissed from your mind the relevant issues facing this country? Unless you want the MSM to dig up Sen. McCain’s Keating Five memories, you may not want to keep hammering about what Sen. Obama did as an 8-year-old. Unless, of course, what’s good for the Republican goose…
Posted by: ndo | September 23, 2008, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm
I don’t believe this. People use this story to belittle Obama’s background. Give me a break.
Posted by: cmgmaggie | September 23, 2008, 3:45 pm 3:45 pm
Good grief, there are an awful lot of overly-sensitive people commenting here. I realize that the election is coming down to the wire, so partisans on both side probably can’t help but take umbrage at every little thing which they think might indicate bias against their candidate. I’ve certainly seen plenty of attacks on Jake Tapper by Obama supporters when he runs a negative story. Today it’s coming from McCain supporters.
But really, my immediate reaction to this was that it was a rather sweet human interest story: Old flame still has fond memories of John McCain, as he does of her. He’s an old man now, trapped in a body which was damaged by North Vietnamese captors, but once he was a handsome young stud. Good for him. Doubt that it will have any significant impact politically, but any minor impact will probably be in his favor.
My kudos to you, Mr. Tapper. Anything you write is going to draw heavy incoming fire from one side or the other. Ignore it and just try to be as fair as you can.
Posted by: Daniel Wiener | September 23, 2008, 3:56 pm 3:56 pm
Okay, I admit I was wrong to feign boredom with this post. Shouldn’t have cast aspersions on Sen. Obama’s Chicago political machine connections. I stand corrected for misplacing my sense of humor. Having read a translation of an account by McCain’s Brazilian love I now realize that no one need worry about Palin’s lack of “Foreign Relations experience”. Apparently Sen. McCain has enough “Foreign Relations experience” for both of them.
Posted by: Karen Otravez | September 23, 2008, 6:37 pm 6:37 pm
Thats nice. Now caan we get to his heath care plan?
Posted by: mara | September 23, 2008, 7:19 pm 7:19 pm
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZz
So much for political insight and the issues.
Posted by: Cameron | September 23, 2008, 10:28 pm 10:28 pm
Obama? do you want to win , so the ppl can say that?? did this to us ,gwb take all the money and power and run ,let the gop have it ,i have not worked in 9mo ,who cares i will be sleeping outside in about 6 more mo
Posted by: pete | September 24, 2008, 4:05 am 4:05 am
…back in the day…I’d have done the same. It’s not like he’s out cruising today and paying for it like half the rest of the current politians do regardless of their party affiliations or sexual orientation. And WHO is Obama anyway – that would be some news. The DNC might as well just give up the game and run Richard Daley and get it out of their system – quit with the “hiding” of who’s actually bankrolling this DNC campaign – that goes beyond “special interests” and “lobbyists”…
Posted by: hummingbird | October 4, 2008, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm