John McCain Senator John McCain (R-AZ) officially announced the formation of an exploratory committee in his bid for the 2008 presidential nomination on November 15, 2006. During The Late Show with David Letterman in late February, John McCain announced that he was officially running for President. In 1936, McCain was born a United States citizen on the naval submarine base in Coco Solo, Panama. The Panama Canal Zone was considered United States territory during this period. John McCain received his Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1958. He also spent time at the National War College in 1973-74.
In 1982, McCain was elected to serve in the U.S. Congress. Upon the retirement of Senator Barry Goldwater in 1968, McCain was elected to the U.S. Senate. Senator McCain is currently serving his fourth term as the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Senator McCain is committing himself to the presidential race for the second time. In 2000, he narrowly lost the Republican primary to current President, George W. Bush. Prior to his election to the U.S. Congress, McCain gained national prominence for his courageous service in the Vietnam War. As a young Naval Captain, John McCain was captured during combat operations. He was held as a Prisoner of War by the North Vietnamese at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" for five years. McCain spent two of those years between 1967 and 1973 in solitary confinement. After his return, McCain wrote about his experience which became an A&E television film called Faith of My Fathers, which was based on McCain's experiences as a POW. Senator McCain's last Navy duty assignment was to serve as the naval liaison to the United States Senate. McCain has been known as a politician who is not afraid to take risks both in politics and in the public eye. He has been one of the few politicians to appear on talk shows such as The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live as well had guest appearances in films like Wedding Crashers. In 1997, he was named one of the "25 Most Influential People in America" by Time magazine. John McCain has written several books: Character is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember which released in 2005; Why Courage Matters: the Way to a Braver Life which released in 2004; Worth the Fighting For which released in 2002; Faith of my Fathers which released in 1999. He is also coming out with a book during the summer of 2007, Hard Call: Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them. Senator McCain lives in Phoenix, AZ with his wife, Cindy. He is a father of seven and grandfather of four. On March 4, 2008, McCain secured enough delegates to become the Republican presidential nominee. Compiled by Kathryn Bohannon Updated by Kimberly Bellows Official Campaign Website for John McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/
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