Meghan McCain kicks off spring speaking tour at ISU Feb. 23

Author and blogger Meghan McCain will kick off her spring speaking tour Feb. 23, in conjunction with the 30th anniversary season of the University Speakers Series in Indiana State University's Tilson Auditorium.

The daughter of U.S. Senator John McCain and Cindy McCain, she graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Art History. With ambitions to pursue a career in music journalism, she completed internships at Newsweek and Saturday Night Live before joining her father's 2008 presidential campaign.

McCain first received media attention in 2007 for her blog, McCainBlogette.com , on which she documented life on the campaign trail and mused about fashion, music, and pop culture. While writing her blog, she never imagined the main-stream media would pay attention to her social and political commentary. Quite the contrary, her positions have been discussed by some of the most prominent voices in politics, from Karl Rove to Laura Ingraham and Rush Limbaugh.

The blog has been recognized with two distinguished awards in politics: The Golden Dot Award for Best Blog, and two Pollie Awards from the Association of Political and Public Affairs Professionals.

She authored "My Dad, John McCain," an illustrated children's book that brings her father's heroic story to life before young eyes. Her current book, "Dirty Sexy Politics," chronicles her personal journey across the American political landscape.

A book signing and reception will follow McCain's presentation, which will begin at 7 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.

The University Speakers Series has brought the likes of Ralph Nadar, Gerald Ford, Sister Helen Prejean, Amy Tan, Nancy Grace, Andy Rooney, Robert Ballard, Carole Simpson, Marlee Matlin, Maya Angelou, Jim Lovell, Garrison Keillor, Bob Woodward, Robert Osborne, Mitch Albom and Andrew Young to the campus of Indiana State.

More information about the 2010-11 University Speakers Series can be found at http://www.indstate.edu/speaker/  or by calling 812-237-8479.

Media contact and writer: Paula Meyer, ISU Communications & Marketing, 812-237-3783 or paula.meyer@indstate.edu