In
her hey-day: John McCain's one-time lover, Maria
Gracinda de Jesus, in a photograph from the
1950s.
O Globo Extra, Brazil
Neighbors of
McCain's Ex-Lover Thought Her a Fibber
"I always see her dressed to
the tees. But I never imagined she had a past like this. Even when she gets on a a public bus, she doesn't lose
her elegance. She is very well-mannered, but I never knew about her American
boyfriend."
-- Andreza Lopes da Silva, a 21-year-old resident of Maria Gracinda de
Jesus' home town
By Max Leone
Translated By Brando Miller
September 22, 2008
Residents of Suruí, in Magé, never believed in
the glamorous past of Maria Gracinda, the alleged ex-girlfriend of McCain
Brazil
- O Globo Extra - Original Article (Portuguese)
RIO: For many residents and
neighbors in the district of Suruí, in Magé, the glamorous past of 77-year-old Maria Gracinda de
Jesus, also known as Chéri, was never more than the the delusions and bravado of a woman who now lives in a humble
home on old Rua da
Cabana. So it was a surprise to residents of the area when they saw
photograph of Chéri on the front page of O Globo
Extra last Saturday. In the article, Chéri
recalled her golden years and the alleged torrid 1957 romance with current
American Senator John McCain, a presidential candidate in the United States 
.
READ: Former
Model Says McCain 'Wasn't Just Good at Kissing'
-- “I always see Chéri dressed to the tees. But I never imagined she had a
past like this. Even when she gets on a Kombi [a public bus], she doesn't lose
her elegance. She makes it a point to ride alone in the front seat. She even
pays for the two seats in the front of the Kombi. She is very well-mannered,
but I never knew about her American boyfriend,” says 21-year-old Andreza Lopes da Silva, while
standing next to Rosilene Soares,
30, both residents of Barro Vermelho.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
The mistrust of the area's
residents does have an explanation. In recent years, Maria Gracinda de Jesus
has lived a very different life from the one she says she led before. Namely,
it is a life that in no way involves dances, dinners and calibrations from the
times of “fat cows” [boom times], so her stories weren't taken seriously. One
of her immediate neighbors, 59-year-old businessman José Machado, believes that
this is the reason people didn't believe her:
-- “She always commented on
these stories and said she had various boyfriends, including an American.
Because of the way she lives now, people had their doubts. But when she showed
photographs from that time, people ended up believing her,” he explained.
Gracinda
Teixeira de Jesus and John McCain, as they were
during
their torrid affair in 1957.
Fifty-year-old butcher Édson Veneal is one of Chéri's greatest admirers. She's a frequent client in his
store, where he sells pork in downtown Suruí. Édson, who has known Maria Gracinda for 20 years, confirms
that many didn't believe the stories about her glorious past, but says he has
always defended her.
-- “I have always discussed
these stories with friends. The majority didn't believe them. But Chéri proved what she was with photographs and magazines in
which she is shown.
REPERCUSSION IN THE
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
The supposed romance of a
youthful McCain with Maria Gracinda is still having an impact around the world.
On Sunday, several news sites and even pornographic pages gave prominence to
the love story. Under the headline “The Hot Side of John McCain,” Mexico's
eluniversal.com cited some kinder adjectives used by the Brazilian when
referring to the American senator .
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
A
neighbor of Maria Gracinda de Jesus comments on a story
that
has caught the area by surprise.
Dailynews.com in the United States, had a long report on its
front page about the relationship. The site was thorough and sought to attract
the attention of Web surfers to the love that a young McCain had with a
beautiful Brazilian in Rio.
The site of Italian news
agency Ansa was one of the most creative when
referring to the love story: “McCain's Girl from Ipanema.”
Elmundo.es of Spain reproduced the sentence in which the
Brazilian said she was rooting for the Republican senator's victory. The site Sur.es from Málaga, also dedicated
a large space to the romance.
CLICK HERE FOR
PORTUGUESE VERSION
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
September 24, 4:36pm]
