McCain Drives Into Trouble Over Fleet of Foreign Cars

John McCain's attempts to win over workers by presenting himself as a man of the people with an abiding love for American-made cars ran off the road yesterday after it emerged that the Republican owns a Volkswagen, a Lexus, a Honda and a Toyota.

McCain's ownership of the four foreign cars - in a family fleet of 13 - was pounced on by the Barack Obama camp as yet another sign that the Republican presidential hopeful is out-of-touch with the lives of ordinary Americans.

McCain had boasted to reporters in Michigan, home of the ailing US car industry, that he was a fan of American cars. "I've bought American literally all my life, and I'm proud," he told a Detroit television station this month.

Yesterday, those words came back to haunt him as the Democrats released an ad in Michigan accusing the Republican of betraying local workers. The Obama camp also wheeled out officials from the United Auto Workers, who said McCain could not be trusted on the economy.

McCain, who visited the state yesterday, was also criticized by conservative commentators for "wild changes" in his position on economic regulation.

The Republican has adopted a populist stance in the wake of the Wall Street crisis. That appears calculated to deflect from his personal circumstances.

Only weeks ago, McCain was embarrassed when he had difficulty remembering how many houses he owns with his beer heiress wife, Cindy. The final figure was seven. Now Newsweek has reported that the McCain garages hold 13 cars - all but two registered to Cindy McCain.

The candidate drives a gas-guzzling 2004 Cadillac, made locally by General Motors. In addition to the Lexus, the Honda and the Volkswagen convertible, Cindy McCain owns a Ford pickup truck, two Jeeps and a four-wheel drive. McCain's daughter, Meghan, drives the Prius.

The Obama family owns just one car: an Escape hybrid made by Ford.

It was not apparent yesterday whether the resurfacing of a Brazilian ballerina and former model, with whom McCain had a fling as a young sailor during a visit to Rio de Janeiro 51 years ago, would add to his woes.

Maria Gracinda Teixeira, 77, who was tracked down by local media last week, said she was the woman McCain wistfully recalled - though did not name - in his 1999 memoir, Faith of My Fathers.

She told the newspaper Extra the then 21-year-old sailor was "tasty, loving and romantic".