Members of the McCain family last evening detailed on Nightline how hard it has been to raise a black child in a very white home, as well as in a political climate that has seen political foes challenge her birthright.

Mom Cindy McCain shared that, due to an addiction to painkillers, she had previously not been able to protect her younger daughter Bridget from brutal politically-motivated racial attacks on the campaign trail. Leading up to the 2000 South Carolina Republican presidential primary, opponents spread false rumors that John McCain had fathered his then-7-year-old daughter out of wedlock with a black mother. In fact, the McCains adopted Bridget from Bangladesh in 1991.

The senator and his wife have now come to believe the Bush campaign used push-polling to make voters think that he had fathered a black child out of wedlock.

Bridget, now 15, found out about the incident only a year ago when she Googled herself, according to Nightline. Cindy said Bridget was confused by the discovery.

“[She] was hurt by the fact that she thinks people don’t like her because she’s black,” Cindy recalled. “She asked me why the president of the United States doesn’t like her and I said honey that’s not what happened, you know this was about people that were mean spirited and wrong, they did wrong things you know, it’s hard, it’s been hard I’ll say.”

Despite the attacks on his daughter, John McCain has apparently forgiven President Bush, as he has publicly courted his support since then. Still, Bridget is not campaigning with the family this year, although her sister Meghan has taken on a high-profile role with the campaign, writing a blog from various events.

Earlier: The McCain Sisters!