Cindy McCain jokes about husband on Leno

'Vigorous' candidate has plans to hike in the Grand Canyon this summer

	Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, tells Jay Leno during the taping of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Wednesday, if her husband is elected, "he would be the only president ever to do a burnout in my Corvette."
Paul Drinkwater / AP

AP	Video: In his own words Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., touches upon the primary themes of his presidential campaign.
	Cartoons: McCain MSNBC.com's editorial cartoonists weigh in on John McCain's candidacy.
AFP/Getty Images	Slide show: A legacy of service From naval aviator to senator, John McCain’s life has centered on service.

Interactive

Play the Veepstakes!
Who will be the No. 2 on the tickets? It's your turn to play pundit and predict.

NBC News

Make predictions on news events

John McCain will win the presidency

Slide show

Image: Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama

Race for the presidency
The trips, the speeches, and the moments of Decision ’08. A look at the campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain.

more photos

updated 8:29 a.m. ET May 1, 2008

BURBANK, Calif. - John McCain wants to take the helm of the country. Just don't let him take the wheel of the car.

His wife, Cindy McCain, confided to Jay Leno on Wednesday that the former Navy fighter pilot is a not exactly Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the freeways.

"He's not the best of drivers," she said on "The Tonight Show" on NBC. "I drive most of the time."

Story continues below ↓

Even Leno joked about the Republican presidential candidate's command of the roads.

"If he was elected president, he would be the only president ever to do a burnout in my Corvette," Leno said.

McCain has faced questions about his age throughout the campaign — if elected in November, he'd be 72 and the oldest man to become president. But his wife said the Arizona senator is so vigorous he plans to hike in the Grand Canyon with his sons this summer.

But it's not the first time age has been a touchy issue for McCain.

When the couple first met at a party — she was a 25-year-old teacher, he was a 42-year-old Navy officer separated from his wife — they fibbed about their ages. Cindy McCain added four years to her age, while McCain lopped four years off his.

Click for related content

Bush a liability for McCain, poll shows
NYT poll: Dems divided as GOP wounds heal
McCain offers market-based health plan
New York Times Politics
Newsvine Politics

"We found out when we applied for our marriage license — they publish it in the newspaper," she told Leno.

And they didn't exactly hit it off at the party.

"He kind of chased me around ... an hors d'oeuvre table," she said. "I was trying to get something to eat and I thought, 'You know, this guy's kind of weird.'"