JOHN MCCAIN, UPON HIS DEATH
COMPILATION AND COMMENTARY
BY LUCY WARNER
AUGUST 27, 2018


FROM JOHN WEAVER, MCCAIN’S FORMER CHIEF STRATEGIST --
“THE OLD LION ROARS IN HEAVEN.”

A FEW CLIPS FROM JOHN MCCAIN’S FAREWELL LETTER, BELOW:

MCCAIN’S TAKE ON THE USA – OUR GREATEST STRENGTH AS A SOCIETY -- “WE ARE 325 MILLION OPINIONATED VOCIFEROUS INDIVIDUALS.”

NOTE MCCAIN’S COMMENT ON THE HITLERIAN STAIN THAT HAS COME INTO THIS COUNTRY WITH THE FOLLOWERS OF DONALD F. TRUMP, AND SEEMINGLY EVEN TRUMP HIMSELF:

“WE ARE CITIZENS OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST REPUBLIC, A NATION OF IDEALS — NOT BLOOD AND SOIL.*”

*[BLOOD AND SOIL -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_and_Soil]

“AMERICANS NEVER QUIT, WE NEVER SURRENDER, WE NEVER HIDE FROM HISTORY. WE MAKE HISTORY. FAREWELL, FELLOW AMERICANS. GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESS AMERICA."


MCCAIN’S FINAL LETTER TO ALL OF US, USA TODAY. IT’S OKAY TO GET OUT YOUR HANKY AFTER READING THIS, OR MAYBE BEFORE.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/08/27/john-mccain-farewell-letter-final-words/1112661002/?csp=chromepush
Sen. John McCain's farewell letter: 'I lived and died a proud American'
Dustin Gardiner and Maria Polletta, Arizona Republic Published 2:25 p.m. ET Aug. 27, 2018

VIDEO -- Rick Davis, a McCain family spokesman, reads the late U.S. Sen. John McCain's farewell letter at a press conference on Aug. 27, 2018. Dustin Gardiner, The Republic | azcentral.com

In a farewell to the American public, the late U.S. Sen. John McCain warned that tribal politics weaken America's greatness and standing in the world.

He also expressed optimism in the American people's ability to work together for the common good.

Rick Davis, McCain's former campaign manager, read the senator's letter during a news conference with reporters Monday morning. It was the first time McCain's final words have been publicly read.

In the letter, McCain praised America's role in liberating "more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history."

He said the country's standing and ideals are weakened "when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries... We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down."

However, McCain ended his letter on an optimistic note, saying Americans will get through the challenges facing the country by working together.

"We have always had so much more in common than in disagreement," McCain wrote.

More: Breaking with tradition, White House flags return to full-staff after McCain's death

More: Here are details about John McCain viewing, funeral

More: President Donald Trump's brevity on John McCain speaks volumes about their strained relationship


Read John McCain's full farewell letter:

"My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for 60 years, and especially my fellow Arizonans,

Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life of service in uniform and service in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them.

I’ve often observed that I’m the luckiest person on earth. I feel that way even now as I prepare for the end of my life. I’ve loved my life, all of it. I’ve had experiences, adventures, friendships enough for 10 satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life, in good or bad times, for the best day of anybody else’s.

I owe this satisfaction to the love of my family. No man ever had a more loving wife or children he was prouder of than I am of mine. And I owe it to America. To be connected to America’s causes — liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people — brings happiness more sublime than life’s fleeting pleasures. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed but are enlarged by serving good causes bigger than ourselves.

Fellow Americans, that association has meant more to me than any other. I lived and died a proud American. We are citizens of the world’s greatest Republic, a nation of ideals — not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We have helped liberate more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history, and we have acquired great wealth and great power in the process.

We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals rather than trust them to be the great force for change they’ve always been. We are 325 million opinionated vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country, we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do.

Ten years ago, I had the privilege to concede defeat in the election for president. I want to end my farewell to you with heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt so powerfully that evening. I feel it powerfully still. Do not despair of our present difficulties. We believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit, we never surrender, we never hide from history. We make history. Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you and God bless America."



HUFFINGTON POST HAS COLLECT SOME FIFTY FAREWELLS AND PRAISES FROM OTHER NATIONAL LEADERS, BOTH IN THE USA AND OTHER NATIONS, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY MAKE UP FOR TRUMP’S CHURLISH REFUSAL TO SAY ANYTHING GOOD ABOUT HIM.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER -- “AND MAYBE MOST OF ALL, HE WAS A TRUTH TELLER ― NEVER AFRAID TO SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER IN AN ERA WHERE THAT HAS BECOME ALL TOO RARE.”


https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/politicians-react-john-mccain-death_us_5b81f6a0e4b0cd327dfd51a0
POLITICS 08/25/2018 09:39 pm ET Updated 18 hours ago
Politicians Grieve John McCain’s Death With Touching Tributes
By Carla Herreria and Hayley Miller

The senator earned respect from both sides of the aisle, and tributes from the likes of Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders and Paul Ryan are proof.

VIDEO -- Politicians from both sides of the political aisle mourned the death of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) while honoring his legacy as a lawmaker and war hero.

The 81-year-old Vietnam War veteran and 2008 Republican presidential nominee died on Saturday, one day after his family announced he would be ending his treatment for brain cancer. McCain was diagnosed in July 2017 and spent most of the time since then receiving treatment in Arizona, while continuing his work as a senator.

McCain was a longtime conservative, but he earned respect as a lawmaker from both Republicans and Democrats, even as he feuded with President Donald Trump.

Reacting to news of McCain’s death, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) tweeted, “America and Freedom have lost one of her greatest champions.”

Graham added, “I’ve lost one of my dearest friends and mentor.”


Lindsey Graham
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@LindseyGrahamSC
America and Freedom have lost one of her greatest champions.

….And I’ve lost one of my dearest friends and mentor.

8:31 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Lindsey Graham
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@LindseyGrahamSC
Replying to @LindseyGrahamSC
I will need some time to absorb this, but I want Cindy —and the entire McCain family — to know they are in my prayers.

8:45 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) praised McCain’s drive to speak the truth.

“His dedication to his country and the military were unsurpassed,” Schumer wrote on Twitter. “And maybe most of all, he was a truth teller ― never afraid to speak truth to power in an era where that has become all too rare.”


Chuck Schumer
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@SenSchumer
As you go through life, you meet few truly great people. John McCain was one of them. His dedication to his country and the military were unsurpassed, and maybe most of all, he was a truth teller - never afraid to speak truth to power in an era where that has become all too rare.

8:40 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor who was McCain’s running mate in the 2008 presidential election, had a strained relationship with him after he admitted he regretted picking her to be his vice presidential candidate.

On Saturday, however, Palin said McCain was her friend and vowed to “remember the good times.”

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Sarah Palin
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@SarahPalinUSA
Replying to @SarahPalinUSA
John McCain was my friend. I will remember the good times. My family and I send prayers for Cindy and the McCain family.
- Sarah Palin and family

8:57 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Below, see how political figures ― as well as family members ― paid tribute to McCain:

Former President Barack Obama
View image on Twitter --
Barack Obama
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@BarackObama
Our statement on the passing of Senator John McCain:


9:09 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)

Paul Ryan
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@SpeakerRyan
John McCain was a giant of our time—not just for the things he achieved, but for who he was and what he fought for all his life. He will always be listed among freedom’s most gallant and faithful servants.

9:01 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Paul Ryan
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@SpeakerRyan
Replying to @SpeakerRyan
Our hearts are with John’s wife, Cindy, his children, and his grandchildren. This Congress, this country mourn with them.

9:02 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Ryan also issued a longer statement:

This is a sad day for the United States. Our country has lost a decorated war hero and statesman. John McCain was a giant of our time—not just for the things he achieved, but for who he was and what he fought for all his life. John put principle before politics. He put country before self. He was one of the most courageous men of the century. He will always be listed among freedom’s most gallant and faithful servants. Our hearts are with his wife, Cindy, his children, and his grandchildren. This Congress, this country mourn with them.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
″I’ll remember John McCain as a source of great strength to our county ― his personal strength and the strength of his love of our country and his love of peace,” Pelosi said on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“Right now, I’m just heartbroken,” she continued. “I think America’s in tears about the loss of this great man. ... I’ll just remember him in a funny way. He always made me laugh.”


This Week
✔
@ThisWeekABC
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she will remember Sen. John McCain as "a source of great strength to our country."
"With all of his strength and pride, he had a sense of humility of understanding other people's point of view," Pelosi adds http://abcn.ws/2oas9Hh #ThisWeek

9:22 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

ABC News
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@ABC
NEW: Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Senator #JohnMcCain: “For John McCain, his country was his life. He was tireless in its service.” https://abcn.ws/2wqwlX6

10:56 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former Vice President Al Gore
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Al Gore
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@algore
My statement on the passing of Senator John McCain.

8:35 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R)
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Doug Ducey
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@dougducey
A giant. An icon. An American hero. God bless @SenJohnMcCain. He will never be forgotten.

My full statement on the life of an incredible man we were blessed to call a fellow Arizonan:

8:20 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former President Jimmy Carter
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

The Carter Center
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@CarterCenter
STATEMENT BY FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER ON THE PASSING OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

9:35 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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U.S. Naval Air Forces
View image on TwitterView image on Twitter

flynavy
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@flynavy
A man who served his country up until his last days...a true patriot and American hero. RIP, John Sidney McCain III. #selflessness #service #hero #FlyNavy

8:31 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former Vice President Joe Biden
View image on TwitterView image on Twitter

CNBC Now
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@CNBCnow
Replying to @CNBCnow
JUST IN: Former Vice President Biden statement on the death of Senator John McCain. https://cnbc.com/id/104598898

8:52 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

Bernie Sanders
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@SenSanders
John McCain was an American hero, a man of decency and honor and a friend of mine. He will be missed not just in the U.S. Senate but by all Americans who respect integrity and independence. Jane and I send our deepest condolences to his family.

8:49 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Meghan McCain
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Meghan McCain
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@MeghanMcCain
I love you forever - my beloved father @SenJohnMcCain

8:41 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Cindy McCain

Cindy McCain
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@cindymccain
My heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the the place he loved best.

8:47 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton
✔
@HillaryClinton
.@SenJohnMcCain lived a life of service to his country, from his heroism in the Navy to 35 years in Congress. He was a tough politician, a trusted colleague, and there will simply never be another like him. My thoughts and prayers are with Cindy and his entire family.

10:11 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Clinton, who as a senator from New York served with McCain, remembered him during an appearance Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press:”

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“We could all talk for hours about what he meant for the country, what he meant to the Senate,” she said. “He will be missed for many, many reasons, [incuding]that example he set of working across the aisle.”

She also said his efforts at “working to bring people together, here at home and around the world, is one that should be remembered.”



Meet the Press
✔
@MeetThePress
EXCLUSIVE: Hillary Clinton remembers Sen. John McCain on #MTP@HillaryClinton: McCain leaves behind “a legacy of service and courage"

9:15 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)
Flake penned a tribute to his fellow Arizona lawmaker published Saturday in The Washington Post.

“We may never see his like again, but it is his reflection of America that we need now more than ever,” Flake wrote. “He was far too self-deprecating to ever have thought of himself as just such a towering figure, so I will go ahead and say it. He showed us who we are and who we can be when we are at our best. And he devoted his life to service and to the exalted idea of America that was bigger and better than him. Bigger than us all.”

Flake also praised McCain’s legacy in comments Sunday on “This Week.”

“His people talk about he had a temper ― it was passionate, that’s certainly the case,” he said. “But he would quickly forgive and move on and... see the good in his opponents; that is something that particularly these days we could use a lot more of. That’s a lesson that he taught everyone.”


This Week
✔
@ThisWeekABC
Sen. Jeff Flake says we can honor John McCain's legacy by "seeing the good in our opponents, by being quick to forgive, by realizing that there's something more important than ourselves, to put service over and above our self interest" http://abcn.ws/2oas9Hh #ThisWeek

9:16 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau
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@JustinTrudeau
Senator John McCain was an American patriot and hero whose sacrifices for his country, and lifetime of public service, were an inspiration to millions. Canadians join Americans tonight in celebrating his life and mourning his passing.

9:12 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison
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@ScottMorrisonMP
Senator John McCain was a true friend of Australia who was committed to strengthening the alliance between our two nations. He was a man of great courage and conviction. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Cindy, and all the McCain family during this time.

8:54 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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French President Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron
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@EmmanuelMacron
John McCain was a true American hero. He devoted his entire life to his country. His voice will be missed. Our respectful thoughts go to his beloved ones.

6:23 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)

Jason Chaffetz
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@jasoninthehouse
Few people ever make the kind of impact on a country as Sen John McCain has made on this one. A military and political warrior, John McCain never shirked from a battle. His loss will be felt by all of us. God bless.

8:25 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
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Eric Holder
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@EricHolder
Hero.

8:24 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.)

Ben Sasse
✔
@BenSasse
Our nation aches for truth-tellers. This man will be greatly missed.

NBC News
✔
@NBCNews
BREAKING: John McCain, American statesman and POW survivor, has died at age 81. http://NBCNews.com

View image on Twitter
8:25 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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John Weaver, McCain’s former chief strategist

John Weaver
@JWGOP
The old lion roars in Heaven.

8:20 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.)

Rep. Pete King
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@RepPeteKing
John McCain. American hero. True patriot. Man of total integrity. RIP

8:26 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.)
View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter

Rep. Bradley Byrne
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@RepByrne
Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the “Hanoi Hilton” with Senator McCain. It was a remarkable experience that I will never forget. May his service to our country never be forgotten. His family, friends, and colleagues will be in our prayers.

8:27 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former President George H. W. Bush
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Zeke Miller
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@ZekeJMiller
statement by former President George H. W. Bush on the death of Senator John McCain of Arizona.

11:08 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Ret. Gen. David Petraeus
“No one had the backs of America’s new greatest generation — those who fought the wars of the post 9/11 period — more than he did, no one did more to assure that they had what was needed to prevail,” Petraeus said of McCain on Sunday on “This Week.”

This Week
✔
@ThisWeekABC
Ret. Gen. David Petraeus on Sen. John McCain: "No one had the backs of America's new greatest generation — those who fought the wars of the post 9/11 period — more than he did, no one did more to assure that they had what was needed to prevail" http://abcn.ws/2oas9Hh #ThisWeek

9:36 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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This story has been updated with additional comments.

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