Over the summer, female conservative friends in Washington came to me and said, “you have got to meet Cindy McCain.” They had recently heard her in a small group talk about her children — especially her youngest, who she fell in love with — and fought local officials there to take home — on a trip in 1993 to Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Calcutta. She’s the mother of two boys who are following in the McCain military tradition, one daughter who’s made a name for herself blogging on the presidential campaign, and her high-school-aged Bridget — who, Mrs. McCain says, chose her on that fateful trip. If John McCain wins this year, I suspect you’ll be getting to know the First Lady as mother in a special way in the White House. Comforter of military families whose worries and pain she feels. Reminder to the rest of us of the sacrifices the few make for the many. Politician’s wife who strives to protect her children and family in a sometimes predatory environment.

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To mark Mother’s Day, I spoke with Mrs. McCain briefly about motherhood and politics. Here’s our phone conversation.

How hard is it keeping up with your children while on the campaign trail?

Well, I tell you, Blackberrys and cell phones make a huge difference. We didn’t have quite that advantage in 2000: although I had one, they didn’t. So having e-mail and a Blackberry certainly helps me, but it’s hard. I like to see them, and lay eyes on them so I know everyone’s okay, and I don’t see them as much I’d like to.
I do see Meghan certainly more than the others, absolutely. It’s hard to get them all together anymore, too — which is a big problem for us. Hopefully, we’ll get them all together for Mother’s Day .

Do you keep up with Meghan’s blog?

Oh absolutely, I read it all the time. I was her biggest supporter and biggest fan when she started it. When she came up with the idea, I absolutely supported it and made sure it got the go ahead. It’s wonderful, it really is. She has such a different and unique perspective of the campaign. It’s just through different eyes, and I just love it. You know, every time I think: How could it be more original? Then I see something else on there, and I think she’s done such a marvelous job. And she’s captured a whole new element of people that perhaps wouldn’t have been involved before, and that I really love about it.

Has she added anything to the campaign just being there?

Oh yeah. I mean this is a family affair, no doubt about it. Whenever you decide to run for an office like this it involves the entire family. Just the fact that she’s around — you know I like having my family around me — so just the fact that she’s around certainly me makes me feel better. And also her support. We support each other on this. If I have a bad day she’s there, and certainly if she has a bad day I’m there so it’s all about supporting each other, and most of all supporting their dad.

As the mother of enlisted sons, do you have something important to offer as First Lady, as “First Military Mom”?

Well, as you know, one of my sons is enlisted, the other one is at the Naval academy, so it’s a little bit different in terms of their rank, and they like to remind each other of that as well. But, you know, I’m not any different than any other mother, father, family member around the country with children in the service. I feel the same way, I know how they feel, and so in that respect I’m absolutely no different. Each day I’m so deeply proud of their service and deeply honored that our children would do this, that they’d commit a part of their lives to serving their country. So I’m like everybody else. We’re all in this together and we feel exactly the same way.

Do you think there hasn’t been enough focus on military families and that a McCain White House could help in that respect?

Well, I think there has been some focus on military families, but I agree that there could be more focus on the sacrifices made by the families and certainly by those young men and women that are serving. It’s unbelievable sacrifice on the part of everybody. I certainly hope that we would not only be a reminder to everybody but also a representation of people that are looking out for our service men and women.

Do you think about your sons in a special way when your husband talks about the war and “no surrender”?

You know, certainly I think of any of my children, all four of my children in a special way when he talks, because this particular time in our history is affecting all of us. It affects all four of my children. So I just think of it in terms of how it affects our family and others who are doing the same thing, because as I said before we are absolutely no different.

Can you talk a little about Bridget and how and why you brought her home?

You know, she chose me, I’m convinced. She was only ten weeks old but she captured my heart. As you know, she had a very severe cleft palate and she had a number of other little problems along with another little baby. When I realized, when the nuns prevailed upon me and said: You know these babies need help you could help them, all of a sudden a light bulb kind of went off in my head and it was like: “Yeah you know I can help them.” I’m in a situation where I can get some help for these kids. It was just a matter of really responding to the call and then of course realizing on the flight home that I just couldn’t give her up. I didn’t go there with any intention of adopting or adding to our family in any way, and as luck and God would have it she is our lovely daughter to this day. And even though it was a surprise to my husband, he loves her just the way I do, and she adds such a special dimension to our family.

You adopted Bridget from an orphanage run by Mother Teresa’s sisters. Have you kept up with their work?

I’ve kept up a little bit yes, and certainly I’ve kept up with their entire order, which, more importantly, they do such marvelous work around the world, but I have not been back to visit them since I brought her home. That is something that I do have planned once I get a little time on my hands.

You could call what they do is a form of motherhood, couldn’t you?

It’s marvelous I would encourage anybody, part of what I do is to volunteer and get active all around the world, and I would encourage anybody who has the ability to do so to take a look at orders like the one that Bridget came from and others around the world because they do such wonderful work.

Do you think adoption will be a big part of what you focus on as First Lady?

Oh absolutely, you know it is a well known part of our family, and I certainly support it wholeheartedly as does my husband, so adoption will be an important element of what I do.

I saw you at the president’s dinner in honor of Pope Benedict. What was going through your head during that day at the White House?

Oh gosh, it was a wonderful evening. As you know the pope did not join us for dinner, he does not eat in public. But we had a marvelous dinner on his behalf, and toasted not only his trip to the United States of America but what he stands for and what service he’s committed his life to.

Do you think he made a lasting impact?

I don’t know, I certainly hope so. Any time someone as powerful and impactful comes to your community there has to be an impact and something left behind. I am not Catholic but nevertheless having a gentleman like that come in and focus on our country and more importantly focus on the troubles, is deeply impactful.