Experience!

Frances Robles of the Miami Herald has an interesting piece that has McCain's Senior Foreign Policy advisor citing McCain youth days (50 years ago) love escapades with a Brazillian babe as an indication to his interest in Latin America!

''Talking a little about his personal experience, he was famously born in Panama and has traveled all over the hemisphere for many years.'' Fontaine said. ``In fact, I saw, I guess it was last week, that his old girlfriend in Brazil has been found from his early days when he was in the Navy and was interviewed. She's a somewhat older woman now than she was then, but it sorta speaks to the long experience he has had in the region -- in the most positive terms.''

Fontaine was referring to former model Maria Gracinda Teixeira de Jesus, who recently gave an interview to O Globo saying the former sailor was quite the kisser. According to McCain's memoirs, `Faith of My Fathers,` they met in 1957, when his ship, the USS Hunt docked in Brazil.

''I called him John but also my darling and my sweet coconut,'' she said. ``He was a great kisser. I liked it so much that I bought a book to learn how to kiss myself.''

Now, if such prolific incidents qualify your interest and by implication, your expertise on countries or regions, then I am an expert on Rwanda, South Africa (the region), Poland, Russia, GB, Switzerland, Cyprus and East Africa!