Cindy McCain's "lost" Sister found!

[Lunar]

I hate these threads too.  But if people are going to attack Obama for not giving his wealth to his half-brother...

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/27205934.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUgOahccyiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

When Cindy McCain talks about growing up, she usually refers to herself as an "only child" -- a phrase that ignores the existence of her half-sisters.

"It's terribly painful," Kathleen Hensely Portalski said. "It is as if she is the 'real' daughter. I am also a real daughter."

Portalski and McCain are both children of the late Jim Hensley, the Arizona businessman who founded one of the largest beer distributorships in the nation. Kathleen, 65, is the product of Hensley's first marriage in the 1930s to Mary Jeanne Parks. Hensley divorced Parks for Marguerite (Smitty) Johnson, whom he met at a West Virginia hospital in World War II and married in 1945. Cindy was born nine years later.

The half-sisters had little contact growing up and have not spoken since Hensley's funeral in 2000. In his will, he left just $10,000 to his older daughter; Cindy inherited her father's multimillion-dollar fortune.

Portalski said she stood quietly by for decades while her father lavished attention on his second family. But the past few months -- with Cindy McCain's repeated references to being her father's only child -- finally became too much. "I was his family, too," she said from Phoenix.

Cindy McCain has another half-sister, Dixie Burd, by a previous relationship. Burd could not be reached for comment.

The McCain campaign has been tight-lipped about the expanded family tree: "Mrs. McCain was raised as the only child of Jim and Marguerite Hensley, and there was no familiar relationship with any other sibling," it said.

Portalski said that all she wants is for the McCains to apologize and acknowledge her family. (Since you asked: Yes, they're Democrats.) "He was my father, too. I don't know why even now he cannot be a part of my life." [/i]

[MODU]

As with the Obama thread, "half" siblings aren't always integrated with each other.  Obama and Cindy were both "only childs" in every sense of the term. 

[12th Doctor]

First off, living in low status in America and living in low status in Kenya are two totally different worlds (and actually the article says nothing about what Ms. Portalski's status is).

Secondly, thank God we don't elect First Ladies.

[Lunar]

Well, a few things that make them different:

1) Yes, for McCain it is his half-sister in-law.
2) McCain had FAR more of a relationship with Cindy McCain's Dad, the father of the half-sisters involved than Obama had with his father.  Obama has an extreme disconnect with that part of his life.  The only time his father was part of his life was for one month when he was ten years old.  McCain, by contrast, was employed by Cindy's father and his career was launched by her Dad bankrolling his campaign.
3) Does anyone have any information that Obama's brother even wants money?  The brother doesn't tell people that Barack is even his brother.  It's possible the brother is too proud to take the money.
4) Does anyone have any information as to Obama's knowledge of his half-brother's financial troubles?  When Obama visited him that one time he could have been slightly better off.

This whole debate is ing retarded I must declare, haha.  I really hope the whole "Obama ignores his Kenyan hut brother" default rebuttal fades away in the forum soon.

If my Dad, who I only saw once when I was ten years old, fathered some additional kids in Africa with another woman, I'm not sure if I would do anything either.  To give a more relevant example for Americans, It's sort of like if you found out when you're thirty that your Dad had some bastard children that are now very poor.

Considering that Barack's Dad was hardly a father, I would say that his half-brother is hardly a  relative.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I was unaware Cindy McCain was running for anything

[Lunar]

I was unaware Cindy McCain was running for anything

See my last post.

I would say that a half-sister-in-law (this is for McCain) when you have an extremely close relationship with the mutual father is about equally important for a half-brother a continent away from a father you've basically never seen (and whose financial situation you might not even be aware of).

Like I said, this entire debate is retarded, srlsy.

[Sbane]

Like I said, this entire debate is retarded, srlsy.

Republicans will engage in any retarded debate as long as it helps their candidate.

[JSojourner]

Like I said, this entire debate is retarded, srlsy.

Republicans will engage in any retarded debate as long as it helps their candidate.

So will we, all too often.

Hopefully, both candidates can put this behind them and get on with more serious matters like...

* John McCain's 500 dollar shoes and
* Barack Obama's refusal to put his hand over his heart during the national anthem

[CARLHAYDEN]

Lunar,

Lame, an understatement for your posts.

Hackish, definitely.

Misleading, absolutely!

You would have us believe that anyone that doesn't adore Obama and apologize for everything he does is a Republican.

Sorry, but your thread is retarded.

Now, Obama started the matter by suggesting that since McCain's wife owns a number of homes, he therefor doesn't understand/care, about the plight of the average American.

I noted that Obama's own half-brother lives in a hut and survives (according to news accounts) on less than a dollar a month.

Now, if Obama is really the "caring" candidate he could spare a few dollars to assist his half brother.

Now, no one (including the hackish Lunar) has suggested that the sister of the wife of the Republican nominee to be (notice how far you had to got to pick an example) is living in a hut on less than a dollar a month.

The truth of the matter (which Lunar for hackish reasons wants to obscure) is that neither McCain nor Obama relate to, nor care about the average American as both are rich and arrogant!

Lunar, I thought better of you.

Those who note that both McCain and Obama have serious shortcomings  are simply being honest.

Those whose adoration of Obama precludes them from seeing his manifold shortcomings and engage in rather stupid, dishonest and puerile diatribes in defense of the Obamamessiah, are simply manifesting their inability to deal with reality.

[Lunar]

This wasn't a serious thread, but rather an attempt to point out the stupidity of posts that constantly drag up Obama's half-brother.

I stopped reading your post half-way through.  You've reached a new low of internet childishness and are now ignored, Cheers.

[J. J.]

First, Obama has as many half siblings as Jonathan Quayle Higgins did on Magnum, PI.  He's not close because he had no contact with them.  I have cousins I have not seen in decades.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

First off, living in low status in America and living in low status in Kenya are two totally different worlds (and actually the article says nothing about what Ms. Portalski's status is).

Secondly, thank God we don't elect First Ladies.

I was gonna say.  There's a difference between Barack Obama and Cindy McCain.  If we want to drag all of Michelle into this, I'm sure there's a lot of skeletons in her closet.

[Ebowed]

EXCLUSIVE: Cindy McCain's Half Sister: "I'm Voting for Barack Obama"
Thursday August 28, 2008

Cindy McCain's half sister is planning on voting for Barack Obama, she tells Usmagazine.com.

"I'm not voting for McCain," Kathleen Hensley Portalski tells Us. "I have a different political standpoint.

"I'm voting for Obama," the Phoenix resident says. "I think his proposals to improve the country are more positive and I'm not a big war believer."

Portalski, 65, and the potential first lady, 54, have the same father: Jim Hensley, the founder of the beer distributor Hensley and Co. that Cindy McCain now chairs.

In an interview with NPR News' All Things Considered last week, Portalski said she felt "like a non-person" after Cindy McCain described herself as an "only child."

Portalski's mother is Hensley's first wife; Cindy McCain's mother, Marguerite Hensley, also had another daughter from her first marriage.

"She's kinda cool, standoffish," Portalski tells Us of her half sister.

Portalski also doesn't expect Cindy McCain to make an effort to reconcile their relationship.

"She never has, and I doubt that she ever will," she tells Us.

Portalski's son Nathan, a 45-year-old aerospace machinist, is also backing Obama.

"I wouldn't vote for John McCain if he was a Democrat," he tells Us. "I would not vote at all before I'd vote for him.

"I question whether Cindy is someone I'd want to see in the White House as first lady," he adds.

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/cindy-mccains-half-sister-im-voting-for-obama

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Who care what some old broad thinks?

[Sbane]

Who care what some old broad thinks?

But when its Obama's half brother who he has met just 2 times, it's like "omgz omgz omgz he's not his brother's keeper and oh did I mention he was uppity".

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Who care what some old broad thinks?

But when its Obama's half brother who he has met just 2 times, it's like "omgz omgz omgz he's not his brother's keeper and oh did I mention he was uppity".

I'm not sure I have 1 relative I'd vote for. 

[JSojourner]

Who care what some old broad thinks?

But when its Obama's half brother who he has met just 2 times, it's like "omgz omgz omgz he's not his brother's keeper and oh did I mention he was uppity".

I'm not sure I have 1 relative I'd vote for. 

Same here.  This country would be well on its way to theocracy if my relatives took over.  And I'd be DREAMING of a President McCain!