>>>
>>> TO
>>> TO JOHN'S BELOVED FAMILY, MRS. McCAIN4@, TO CINDY 4@AND T
McCAIN CHILDREN4@,4@ PRESIDENT
MRS. BUSH, PRESIDENT AND
SECRETARY CLINTON, VICE
PRESIDENT AND MRS. BIDEN, VICE
PRESIDENT CHENEY AND VICE
PRESIDENT GORE AND AS JOHN
WOULD SAY MY FRIENDS4@4@, WE CO
TO CELEBRATE AN EXTRAORDINARY
MAN4@. A WARRIOR, A STATESMAN,4
PATRIOT. 4@HE EMBODIED SO MUCH
THAT IS 4@BEST IN AMERICA.4@
PRESIDENT BUSH AND I ARE AMONG
THE FORTUNATE FEW WHO COMPETED
AGAINST JOHN AT THE HIGHEST
LEVELS OF POLITICS.
HE MADE US BETTER PRESIDENTS.4@
LEVELS OF POLITICS. HE MADE US BETTER PRESIDENTS.4@@
HE MADE THE SENATE BETTER JUST
AS HE 4@MADE THIS COUNTRY BETTE
FOR SOMEONE4@ LIKE JOHN TO ASK
YOU WHILE HE IS STILL ALIVE4@ T
STAND AND SPEAK OF HIM WHEN HE
IS GONE IS A PRECIOUS AND
SINGULAR HONOR.
SINGULAR HONOR. WHEN JOHN CALLED ME WITH THAT
REQUEST EARLIER THIS YEAR I 4@
WILL ADMIT SADNESS4@ AND ALSO A
REQUEST EARLIER THIS YEAR I 4@ WILL ADMIT SADNESS4@ AND ALSO A@
CERTAIN SURPRISE BUT AFTER OUR
CONVERSATION ENDED I REALIZED
HOW WELL IT CAPTURED SOME OF
JOHN'S ESSENTIAL QUALITIES. TO @
START WITH JOHN LIKE TO BEING
UNPREDICTABLE.4@
UNPREDICTABLE.4@ EVEN THE LITTLE CONTRADICTORY.
HE HAD NO INTEREST IN
CONFORMING 4@TO SOME PREPACKAGE
VERSION OF WHAT A SENATOR
SHOULD BE AND HE DIDN'T WANT4@
MEMORIAL THAT WOULD BE
PREPACKAGED EITHER.
PREPACKAGED EITHER. IT ALSO SHOWED 4@JOHN'S SUSTAIN
FOR SELF4@-PITY4@. HE HAD BEEN
HELL AND BACK.
HE HAD SOMEHOW NEVER LOST HIS
ENERGY OR 4@HIS OPTIMISM OR HIS
ZEST FOR LIFE.4@4@ CANCER DID N
SCARE HIM AND HE WOULD MAINTAIN
THAT SPIRIT TO THE 4@VERY END T
STUBBORN TO FIT THE BILL.4@ HE
WAS OPINIONATED AS EVER4@ AND
FIERCELY DEVOTED TO HIS FRIENDS
AND MOST OF ALL TO HIS FAMILY.
IT SHOWED HIS4@ [ INAUDIBLE-
STATIC]
STATIC]
STATIC] SENSE OF HUMOR 4@AND A
MISCHIEVOUS
4@
MOST
MOST OF
MOST OF ALL IT SHOWED4@ A LARGENESS OF SPIRIT4@. THE
ABILITY TO SEE PAST DIFFERENCES
IN SEARCH OF COMMON GROUND4@ AN
IN FACT ON THE SURFACE JOHN AND
I COULD NOT HAVE 4@BEEN MO4@RE
DIFFERENT.4@4@
DIFFERENT.4@4@ I CAME FROM A BROKEN HOME AND
NEVER KNEW MY FATHER.
JOHN WAS THE SON OF ONE OF
AMERICA'S MOST DISTINGUISHED
MILITARY FAMILIES. I HAVE A
REPUTATION FOR KEEPING COOL,4@
JOHN NOT SO MUCH.4@
WE4@ WERE STANDARDBEARERS OF
DIFFERENT POLITICAL TRADITIONS4
AND THROUGHOUT MY PRESIDENCY
JOHN NEVER HESITATED TO 4@TELL
WHEN HE THOUGHT I WAS SCREWING
UP, WHICH BY HIS CALCULATIONS
WAS ABOUT ONCE PER DAY.4@
FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENCE, FOR
ALL OF THE TIMES WE SPARRED, 4@
NEVER TRIED TO HIDE AND I THINK
JOHN CA4@ME TO UNDERSTAND4@ THE
LONG-STANDING AD4@MIRATION THAT
HAD FOR HIM.4@
BY HIS OWN ACCOUNT JOHN WAS A
REBELLIOUS YOUNG MAN AND IN HIS
CASE THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE4@,
WHAT FASTER WAY TO DISTINGUISH
YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE THE SON
AND GRANDSON OF ADMIRALS THEN
THROUGH MUTINY?4@
THROUGH MUTINY?4@ EVENTUALLY THOUGH HE CONCLUDED
THAT THE ONLY WAY 4@TO REALLY ME
HIS MARK ON 4@THE WORLD IS TO
COMMIT TO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN
HIS MARK ON 4@THE WORLD IS TO COMMIT TO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN@
YOURSELF AND FOR JOHN HE
ANSWERED THE HIGHEST OF CALLING@
, SERVING HIS COUNTRY IN A TIME
OF WAR.4@4@
OF WAR.4@4@ THIS WEEK AND THIS MORNING4@
SPEAKING TO THE DEPTHS OF HIS
TORMENT AND THE DEPTHS OF HIS
COURAGE4@4@ WHEN IN HIS CELL IN
VIETNAM DAY AFTER DAY AND YEAR
AFTER YEAR THE YOUTHFUL IRON
WAS TEMPERED INTO STEEL.4@
THAT BRINGS TO MIND SOMETHING
THAT HEMINGWAY WROTE4@ IN A BOO
THAT MEGAN REFERRED TO AS HIS
FAVORITE 4@BOOK.
FAVORITE 4@BOOK. TODAY IS ONLY ONE DAY IN ALL OF
THE DAYS THAT FB:4$E WILL EVER
BE.4@
BE.4@
BE.4@ WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN ALL OF THE
OTHER DAYS THAT 4@EVER COME CAN
DEPEND ON WHAT 4@YOU DO TODAY4@
CAPTIVITY 4@JOHN LEARNED IN WAY
THAT FEW OF US EVER WILL THE
MEANING OF THOSE WORDS.4@
HOW EACH MOMENT EACH DAY4@, 4@E
CHOICE IS A TEST.4@
JOHN McCAIN PASSED THAT TEST
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
THAT IS WHY WHEN JOHN SPOKE 4@O
VIRTUES LIKE SERVICE AND DUTY
IT DIDN'T RING HOLLOW.
THEY WERE NOT JUST WORDS TO
HIM, IT WAS A TRUTH THAT HE 4@H
LIVED AND 4@FOR WHICH HE WAS
PREPARED 4@TO DIE.4@
IT FORCED EVEN THE MOST CYNICAL
TO CONSIDER, WHAT ARE WE DOING
FOR OUR COUNTRY?
WHAT MIGHT WE RISK EVERYTHING
FOR X4@ --?4@
MUCH HAS BEEN SAID THIS WEEK 4@
ABOUT WHAT A MAVERICK JOHN WAS.
MUCH HAS BEEN SAID THIS WEEK 4@ ABOUT WHAT A MAVERICK JOHN WAS.@
IN FACT JOHN WAS A PRETTY4@
CONSERVATIVE GUY, TRUST ME I 4@
WAS ON THE RECEIVING END OF
SOME OF THOSE BOATS.
-- VOTES.4@ HE DID UNDERSTAND
SOME FRONTS PULLS TRANSCEND
POLICY.4@ SOME VALUES TRANSCEND
PARTY.4@
PARTY.4@
PARTY.4@ HE CONSIDERED4@ IT PART OF HIS
DUTY TO 4@UPHOLD THOSE PRINCIPL
AND UPHOLD THOSE VALUES.
JOHN CARED ABOUT THE
INSTITUTIONS OF SELF-GOVERNMENT
, OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR BILL OF
RIGHTS4@, THE RULE OF LAW4@,
SEPARATION OF POWERS 4@AND EVEN
THE RULES AND PROCEDURES OF 4@T
SENATE.
SENATE.
SENATE. HE KNEW IN A NATION AS BIG AND
BOISTEROUS AND 4@DIVERSE AS OUR
THOSE INSTITUTIONS AND RULES 4@
ARE WHAT BIND US TOGETHER.4@ TH
GIVE SHAPE AND ORDER TO 4@OUR
COMMON LIFE.4@
COMMON LIFE.4@ EVEN WHEN WE 4@DISAGREE,
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DISAGREE4@4@
JOHN BELIEVED IN HONEST ARGUMENT
AND HEARING OTHER VIEWS. HE
UNDERSTOOD THAT IF WE GET IN
THE HABIT OF BENDING THE TRUTH
TO PURSUE POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY4
OUR DEMOCRACY WILL NOT WORK,
THAT IS WHY HE WAS WILLING TO
BUCK HIS OWN PARTY AT TIMES AND
OCCASIONALLY WORK ACROSS THE
AISLE ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPOR@
-- REFORM OR IMMIGRATION
REFORM.
REFORM.
REFORM. THAT IS WHY HE CHAMPIONED A
FREE AND 4@INDEPENDENT PRESS4@
IT EARNED HIM GOOD COVERAGE
WHICH DIDN'T HURT HIM EITHER.4@
JOHN UNDERSTOOD4@ AS 4@JFK
UNDERSTOOD AND AS RONALD REAGAN
UNDERSTOOD PART OF WHAT MAKES
OUR COUNTRY GREAT IS 4@THAT OUR
MEMBERSHIP IS BASED NOT ON OUR
BLOODLINE,4@ NOT ON WHAT WE LOO
LIKE OR OUR LAST NAMES ARE,4@ N
BASED ON WHERE OUR PARENTS OR
GRANDPARENTS CAME FROM OR HOW
RECENTLY THEY ARRIVED, BUT ON
ADHERENCE TO A COMMON CREED.4@
THE CREED THAT ALL OF US ARE 4@
CREATED EQUAL.4@
CREATED EQUAL.4@ WE WERE ENDOWED WITH CERTAIN 4@
UNALIENABLE RIGHTS. IT HAS BEEN
MENTIONED TODAY4@ AND WE HAVE
SEEN FOOTAGE THIS WEEK 4@OF JOH
PUSHING BACK4@4@ --4@ I WAS GRA
BUT I WASN'T SURPRISED. AS JOE @
LIEBERMAN SAID IT WAS JOHN'S
INSTINCT4@. I NEVER SAW JOHN
TREAT 4@ANYONE DIFFERENTLY
BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE OR
RELIGION OR GEN4@DER.4@
I AM CERTAIN THAT4@ IN THOSE
MOMENTS REFERRED TO IN THE
CAMPAIGN 4@HE SAW HIMSELF AS
DEFENDING AMERICA'S CHARACTER
NOT 4@JUST MINE4@. HE CONSIDERE
THE IMPERATIVE OF EVERY CITIZEN
THAT LOVES THIS COUNTRY TO
TREAT ALL 4@PEOPLE FAIRLY.
FINALLY WHILE JOHN AND I4@4@
DISAGREED ON ALL KINDS OF
FOREIGN-POLICY ISSUES WE STOOD
TO GATHER ON AMERICA'S ROLE AS
THE ONE INTO SPENDABLE --
BELIEVING4@ THAT GREAT POWER AN
GREAT BLESSINGS4@ ALSO COMES
GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.4@
GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.4@ THAT BURDEN4@ IS BORNE MOST
HEAVILY BY OUR 4@MEN AND WOMEN
UNIFORM.
UNIFORM.
UNIFORM. SERVICE MEMBERS LIKE4@ DOUG, JI@
AND JACK THAT FOLLOWED IN THEIR
FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS AS WELL AS
THE FAMILIES WHO SERVED
ALONGSIDE OUR TROOPS.4@
JOHN UNDERSTOOD4@ IS4@4@ --4@ T
INFLUENCE WAS NOT JUST BY OUR
WEALTH OR MILITARY MIGHT AND
NOT JUST OUR ABILITY TO BEND
OTHERS TO OUR WILL4@ BUT FOR OU
CAPACITY TO INSPIRE OTHERS.
TO 4@INSPIRE OTHERS WITH
UNIVERSAL 4@VALUES LIKE RULE OF
LAW AND 4@HUMAN RIGHTS AND
INSISTENCE 4@ON THE GOD-GIVEN
DIGNITY OF EVERY HUMAN BEING.4@
OF COURSE4@ JOHN WAS THE FIRST
TELL US HE WAS NOT PERFECT.4@
LIKE ALL OF US WHO GO INTO
PUBLIC SERVICE HE DID HAVE AN
EGO. LIKE ALL 4@OF US THERE WAS
NO DOUBT SOME VOTES HE CAST4@ A
SOME COMPROMISES HE STRUCK,
SOME DECISIONS HE MADE HE WISH
HE COULD TAKE BACK. IT IS NO
SECRET4@ THAT HE HAD A TEMPER A
WHEN IT FLARED UP IT WAS A
FORCE OF NATURE4@. HIS JAW WOUL
GRIND AND HIS FACE WOULD READ
AND -- GET RED AND HIS EYES
WOULD BURN A HOLE 4@THROUGH YOU
NOT THAT I EVER EXPERIENCED
THIS FIRSTHAND MY DUE -- 4@MIND
YOU4@. TO KNOW JOHN IT WAS TO N
AS QUICK AS HIS PASSIONS MIGHT
FLARE HE WAS JUST AS QUICK TO
FORGIVE AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS@
HE KNEW MORE4@4@ ABOUT HIS FLAW
AND HE KNEW HOW TO LAUGH AT
HIMSELF AND THAT SELF-AWARENESS
MADE HIM ALL MORE COMPELLING.4@
WE DIDN'T ADVERTISE IT BUT EVER
SO OFTEN THROUGHOUT THE COURSE
OF 4@MY PRESIDENCY JOHN WOULD
COME OVER TO 4@THE WHITE HOUSE
AND WE WOULD JUST SIT AND TALK
IN THE OVAL4@ OFFICE JUST THE T
OF US.
OF US.
OF US. WE
OF US. WE WILL 4@TALK ABOUT POLICY AND
FAMILY4@ AND THE STATE OF
POLITICS.4@
POLITICS.4@ OUR DISAGREEMENTS DIDN'T GO AWAY
DURING THESE PRIVATE
CONVERSATIONS.4@ THOSE WE4@RE R
AND THEY WERE OFTEN DEEP4@. WE
ENJOYED THE TIME WE SHARED AWAY
FROM THE BRIG4@HT LIGHTS.4@
WE LAUGHED WITH EACH OTHER AND
WE LEARNED FROM EACH OTHER4@. W
NEVER DOUBTED THE OTHER MAN'S
SINCERITY OR THE OTHER MAN'S
PATRIOTISM, OR THAT WHEN ALL
WAS SAID AND DONE4@ WE WERE ON
THE SAME TEAM.4@
WE NEVER DOUBTED WE WERE ON THE
SAME TEAM.4@4@
SAME TEAM.4@4@ FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENCES WE
SHARED A FIDELITY TO THE IDEALS
FOR WHICH GENERATIONS OF
AMERICANS HAVE MARCHED AND
FOUGHT AND SACRIFICED4@ AND GIV
THEIR LIVES. 4@
WE CONSIDER IT OUR 4@POLITICAL
A PRIVILEGE.4@
A PRIVILEGE.4@ AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE 4@AS
STEWARDS FOR THOSE IDEALS HERE
AT HOME AND TO DO OUR BEST TO
ADVANCE THEM AROUND THE WORLD.4
WE SAW THIS COUNTRY AS A PLACE
WHERE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
CITIZENSHIP 4@IS AN OBLIGATION
ENSURE THAT IT FOREVER REMAINS @
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY. MORE THAN ONCE DURING HIS CAREER
JOHN DREW COMPARISONS TO 4@TEDD
ROOSEVELT AND I'M SURE IT WAS
NOTED THAT ROOSEVELTS4@ TAILORE
TO JOHN.
TO JOHN.
TO JOHN. MOST OF YOU KNOW IT4@ THAT
ROOSEVELT SPEAKS OF THOSE WHO
STRIVE, WHO DARE 4@TO DO GREAT
THINGS4@, WHO SOMETIMES WIN AND
SOMETIMES COME UP SHORT4@, BUT
ALWAYS RELISH A GOOD FIGHT.
A CONTRAST TO THOSE4@ COLD AND
TIMID SOULS WHO KNOW4@ NEITHER
VICTORY NOR DEFEAT.4@
ISN'T THAT THE SPIRIT WE
CELEBRATE THIS WEEK? 4@
THAT STRIVING TO BE BETTER, TO @
DO BETTER4@, TO BE WORTHY 4@OF
GREAT INHERITANCE THAT OUR
FOUNDERS BESTOWED? 4@SO MUCH OF
OUR POLITICS4@, OUR PUBLIC 4@LI
FOUNDERS BESTOWED? 4@SO MUCH OF OUR POLITICS4@, OUR PUBLIC 4@LI@
AND PUBLIC DISCOURSE CAN SEEM
SMALL AND MEAN 4@AND PETTY.
TRAFFICKING4@ 4@AND INSULTS, PH
CONTROVERSIES AND MANUFACTURED
OUTRAGE,4@ IT IS THE POLITICS
THAT PRETEND TO BE BRAVE AND
TOUGH BUT IN FACT IS BORNE IN
FEAR.4@
FEAR.4@
FEAR.4@ JOHN CALLED ON 4@US TO BE BIGGE
THAN THAT. HE CALLED ON US TO
BE BETTER THAN THAT.
TODAY IS ONLY ONE DAY IN ALL OF
THE DAYS THERE WILL EVER BE.4@
WHAT4@ WILL HAPPEN IN ALL OF TH
OTHER DAYS THAT WILL EVER COME
CAN DEPEND ON WHAT 4@YOU DO TOD.
WHAT4@ BETTER WAY TO HONOR JOHN
McCAIN'S LIFE OF SE4@RVICE THEN
THE BEST 4@WE CAN4@ BY FOLLOWIN
HIS EXAMPLE?
HIS EXAMPLE? TO PROVE THAT THE WILLINGNESS
TO GET IN THE ARENA AND FIGHT
FOR THIS COUNTRY IS 4@NOT
RESERVED FOR THE FEW BUT OPEN
TO ALL OF US.4@ IN FACT IT IS 4@
DEMANDED OF ALL OF US AS
CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT REPUBLIC@
THAT IS PERHAPS HOW WE HONOR
HIM BEST, BY RECOGNIZING THERE
ARE SOME THINGS BIGGER THAN
PARTY OR 4@AMBITION OR MONEY 4@
FAME 4@OR POWER4@, THERE ARE SO
THINGS THAT ARE 4@WORTH RISKING
EVERYTHING FOR.
EVERYTHING FOR. PRINCIPLES THAT ARE ETERNAL4@,
TRUTHS THAT ARE ABIDING4@,4@ AT
BEST JOHN SHOWED US WHAT 4@THAT
MEANS.
MEANS.
MEANS. FOR THAT WE ARE ALL DEEPLY IN
HIS DEBT.4@
HIS DEBT.4@ MAY GOD BLESS JOHN McCAIN, MAY @
GOD BLESS THIS COUNTRY HE
SERVED SO