Cindy McCain: A Woman with Heart

During the 2008 Presidential election, Cindy McCain captured our attention as Senator John McCain's wife and the nation's potential First Lady. Throughout the campaign, she stood strong as democrats and the media attacked both her and her family with rumors and accusations that proved never to be true. Unfortunately, few got to know Cindy McCain the philanthropist and woman with a big heart.

Cindy Lou Hensley McCain was born in Phoenix, Arizona to beer distributor James Hensley and his wife, Marguerite. She attended the University of Southern California, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education in 1976 and receiving her Master of Arts in Special Education in 1978. Despite being offered a role in her father's business, she went on to work as a special education teacher at a high school in Arizona. She met John McCain in 1979 and the two were married in 1980. In 1982, McCain began his political career with his wife at his side giving her full support. The couple has four children: Meghan, John IV, James, and Bridget.

Between time spent supporting her husband's political career, raising her children and fulfilling her duties as chair of her late father's company, McCain has worked tirelessly helping needy children and working to improve health care and other issues around the world through a number of charitable organizations, including one she founded herself, the American Voluntary Medical Team (AVMT). The organization, which planned trips for medical professionals to disaster-plagued parts of the world, allowed McCain to lead 55 missions throughout the course of seven years. Trips were taken to places such as Kuwait after the conclusion of the Gulf War, Zaire to help refugees from Rawanda, and many other nations including Nicaragua, India, El Salvador, and Iraq.

In 1991, during a trip to Bangladesh, following the 1991 cyclone, McCain and the AVMT were at Sisters of Charity of Mother Teresa Children's Home when she spotted two baby girls who were in desperate need of medical attention. McCain felt the two girls would benefit from being brought to the United States and they did, in more ways than one. John and Cindy McCain adopted one of the girls (their daughter Bridget) and helped a family friend adopt the other.

In 2001, McCain became involved with Operation Smile, a non-profit organization that provides cleft lip and palate repair to children all over the world. She has traveled to Morocco, Vietnam, and India with the organization and currently serves on the board of directors. She also serves on the board of directors of CARE, one of the largest international humanitarian organizations in the world, and HALO Trust, a nonprofit organization that removes debris left by war, such as landmines. With HALO Trust, McCain has visited Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique and Angola.

Friends of the very private McCain say that despite her wealth and privileged upbringing, working with these organizations is where she is most comfortable and she's not afraid to get her hands dirty. They call it her "defining characteristic," despite how she is often portrayed in the media. In 2008, Vonnie Wray, the development director at Operation Smile told the Arizona Republic that McCain is "low maintenance" and insists, "the thing that differentiates Cindy and why I think she will make an excellent first lady is that she has this true connection with the underserved." Though Cindy McCain never made it to the White House, she is certainly making her mark on the world and its people.

Jan Brewer, A Look at Arizona's New Governor

When President Barack Obama asked Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to step in as Secretary of Homeland Security, Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer was appointed to run The Grand Canyon State, becoming Arizona's fourth female governor.

Jan Brewer was born in 1944 in Hollywood, California and holds a degree in radiology from California Community College. She is married to John Brewer, who is a chiropractor. They have three sons, one of whom died in 2007, and Brewer accredits her political career to her interest in her sons' education. When she took office, Brewer told the Arizona Star that even though she has big plans for the state, she hopes she can maintain her normal daily life including her Saturday trips to Costco, putting her favorite meals in the crockpot before heading out to work in the morning, "getting in the dirt" of her garden, and enjoying her daily Coke Zero. She claims that staying in touch with the people she serves is key to successful governing:

"They do the same thing every day that you do. They face the same problems with their children. They face the same things with education and paying to send them to college. And you bring that with you, and you feel like you're their voice."

Brewer moved to Arizona in 1970 and has since spent 26 years serving the people of the state. She was supervisor of Maricopa County, a member of both houses of Arizona legislature, and was serving her second term as the state's Secretary of State when she stepped in as Governor in January. As Secretary of State, Brewer worked to help taxpayers keep more of their money and make the election process more accessible. She consolidated assignments, eliminated staff overtime, and had the state legislature update laws to rid the state of unnecessary expenditure and to help address the state budget deficit. She also compiled the Help America Vote Act State Plan which eliminated punch card voting systems, created centralized and uniform voter registration system and put touch-screen voting devices for disabled voters in each precinct. She also introduced and passed legislation that allowed men and women in the military to register and vote via fax or internet, which allowed hundreds of Arizona's military members to vote in the 2008 elections.

As Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Brewer turned the county around from being deep in debt to becoming one of the most fiscally sound counties in the United States. Brewer also worked to secure better salaries for sheriff's deputies, secure thousands of acres of land away from development and into county parks, and improved the Maricopa Medical Center Burn unit which today is one of the best health care facilities in the nation. As a member of the Arizona State legislature, Brewer served as the Majority Whip for three years, leading the way in reform that continues to help millions of Arizonans with tax relief, budget reform, truth in sentencing, open enrollment, school report cards, charter schools, clean air and water, and state trust land preservation. She also created the first Living Will statue in the nation.

In addition, Brewer has many other accomplishments and professional and community affiliations. She has served on the Governor's Military Task Force, as vice-chairman of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, vice-chairman of WESTMARC, which focuses on economic development and growth issues, as Chairman of the Board of Directors for RIAZ, Inc. (Recovery Innovations of Arizona), and as Co-Chairman of the Continuum of Care organization dealing with homeless issues. She is also a charter member of Luke Fighter County Partnership which is dedicated to preserving the missions of Luke Air Force Base. She is also a member of Hope and a Future, Child Help USA, Arizonans for Children, the Arrowhead Republican Women's Club, the Maricopa County SMI Commission, the Arizona Rifle and Pistol Association, the Japanese-American Citizens League, and the Life in Christ Lutheran Church in Peoria.