TO OUR TOP STORY THIS HALF HOUR,
A NATION BIDDING FAREWELL TO
JOHN McCAIN.
ARIZONA SENATOR, WAR HERO,
HAVE EVER SACRIFICED AS MUCH AS
JOHN McCAIN.
HE WAS FIERCE.
HE WAS LOYAL.
HE COULD WORK ACROSS THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE AISLE BUT HE COULD
BE THE VERY BEST PERSON IN A
BATTLE.
>> HE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO
DO THAT.
AFTER AND THE MONTHS AFTER, IT'S
GOING TO BE AS A PATRIOT WITH
ALL HIS STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES, ALL OF THE
FIRST WITH HIM.
DAGEN: JOINING US NOW IS FORMER
AIKEN.
HOW DO YOU REMEMBER -- WHAT IS
THE ONE THING THAT YOU CARRY
WITH YOU AND WHEN SOMEONE SAYS
TO YOU TELL ME ABOUT SENATOR
McCAIN?
>> HE HAD AN ENDURING FAITH IN
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
HE LOVED THE ROUGH AND TUMBLE OF
POLITICS.
HIS VERY FAVORITE THING WERE
TOWNHALLS WHERE HE COULD
INTERACT WITH, HEAR FROM -- GET
AN AIRFUL IF NECESSARY, HE --
EARFUL, IF NECESSARY, HE WAS
PERFECTLY FINE WITH THAT.
THE ZEST HE BROUGHT TO THAT
ACTIVITY, I'LL NEVER FORGET.
I THINK IT ALLOWED HIM TO CARRY
HIMSELF THROUGH HIS CAREER.
HE BELIEVED IN DEMOCRACY.
HE WAS CONSTANTLY TRAVELING,
PROMOTING PEOPLE'S FREEDOM AND
HUMAN RIGHTS.
BUT IT ALLOWED HIM WHEN HE LOST
TO HAVE GREAT FAITH IN THE
RESULTS, THE PEOPLE HAD SPOKEN
AND THAT WAS THAT.
I REMEMBER AFTER 2008, I RAN
INTO HIM ABOUT A YEAR LATER AND
HE JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, JUST
WASN'T OUR TIME.
HE APPEARED TO BE PERFECTLY
COMFORTABLE IN HIS SKIN AND OVER
IT.
I WAS NOT.
I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT.
DAGEN: I'M SURE YOU MADE A JOKE
ABOUT THAT TO YOU.
>> OH, YEAH.
HIS SENSE OF HUMOR IS LEGENDARY.
SOMETHING WAS COMING.
>> I LOVE THE JOKE THAT HE WOULD
TELL ABOUT HOW HE SLEPT LIKE A
BABY AFTER HE FOUND OUT LIKE HE
HOURS AND WAKE UP CRYING.
GO BACK TO SLEEP FOR TWO HOURS,
WAKE UP CRYING.
HES HAD A SELF DEBRIS
HES HAD A SELF DEPRIS
HES HAD A SELF DEPRAS
HES HAD A SELF DEPRACATING
HUMOR.
HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT TWICE AND
LOST.
I DON'T THINK HE REALLY LOST.
I THINK HE WAS RIGHT WHERE HE
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.
HE HAD A CALLING.
HIS CALLING WAS REALLY TO REACH
ACROSS THE AISLE, TO BRING
PEOPLE TOGETHER, TO STAND UP FOR
HIS VALUES AND I HOPE THAT WE
CAN TAKE THIS MOMENT AND THIS
WEEK CELEBRATING HIS LIFE, I'M
GLAD WE HAVE A FULL WEEK TO DO
THAT, AND REALLY THINK ABOUT
WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US AS
AMERICANS RIGHT NOW IN THIS
VERY, VERY CRITICAL TIME.
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS WEEK, AS
WE REFLECT, THERE'S GOING TO BE
A CHANGE AS PEOPLE THINK ABOUT
WHAT THIS MAN WAS ABLE TO DO BY
STANDING UP FOR WHAT YOU
BELIEVED AND TALKING TO PEOPLE
HE DISAGREED WITH?
>> I HOPE SO.
I THINK ONE OF THE GREAT LESSONS
OF WATCHING HIM IN ACTION WAS HE
WAS A DEEPLY CONSERVATIVE
INDIVIDUAL.
HE WAS A STAUNCH REPUBLICAN.
BUT HE BELIEVED THAT THE UNITED
STATES WAS A CAUSE GREATER THAN
THAT, GREATER THAN HIMSELF, AND
THAT IF THE UNITED STATES WOULD
ACROSS THE AISLE AND WORKING
WITH BERNIE SANDERS ON THE V.A.
OR WORKING WITH TED KENNEDY ON
IMMIGRATION OR WORKING WITH RUSS
FINEGOLD ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE
REFORM.
HE FELT THEY HAD TO BE GRAPPLED
WITH.
HE WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
AND ADDRESS BIG ISSUES.
IT GUIDED HIM.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL THING TO
WATCH IN ACTION.
DAGEN: BEFORE WE GO, YOU'RE
GOING TO THINK MAYBE THIS IS
SILLY BUT IN TERMS OF POLICY
IDEAS, EVEN WHEN HE WAS RUNNING
IN 2008, I VIVIDLY HIS IDEA FOR
REFORMING HEALTH CARE AND IT WAS
IT WAS BASICALLY LIKE PUT ALL
THE POWER IN THE HANDS OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, LET THEM MAKE
DECISIONS, TAKE AWAY THE TAX
BENEFIT OF CORPORATIONS, CUT THE
MIDDLEMAN OUT OF IT.
POLICY IDEAS AS WELL, NOT JUST
ABOUT BIPARTISANSHIP AND HIS
HERE OWEISM BUT ALSO-HEROISM BUT
ALSO THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF FREE
MARKET STUFF.
>> I AGREE.
I WAS PROUD OF THOSE POLICIES,
DISAPONTED THAT WE WENT --
DISAPPOINTED THAT WE WENT
ANOTHER DIRECTION.
AGAIN, WHEN HE FOUGHT ABOUT
POLICY ISSUES, HE WAS THINKING
ABOUT THE AVERAGE AMERICAN, HOW
DO WE TAKE CARE OF THEM, HOW DO
WE GIVE THEM THE POWER, HOW DO
WE MAKE MARKETS SERVE THEM.
IT WAS A COHERENT VISION FOR A
HE FREER AND MORE PROSPEROUS
THE FUNERAL SERVICES THIS WEEK
AND THE MEMORIAL SERVICES?
>> I WILL, YES.
DAGEN: I SAID THIS EARLIER,
BEFORE WE MOVE ON, THAT IT'S
VERY MEANINGFUL AND POWERFUL
THAT THE ENTIRE McCAIN FAMILY
SHARED HIS CANCER FIGHT WITH ALL
AGAIN, VERY OFTEN WHEN PEOPLE
ARE DIAGNOSED, THEY FEEL LIKE
THERE'S A STIGMA ATTACHED TO IT.
NOT THIS FAMILY.
AND IT REALLY LIFTS UP EVERYBODY
WHO IS FACING THAT BATTLE, EVERY
INDIVIDUAL, BUT REALLY EVERY
FAMILY AS WELL.
AND I SEND MY BLESSINGS AND
PRAYERS TO THEM AND THANK THEM
FOR THAT.
>> I THINK HE WAS AN
EXTRAORDINARY MAN.
THAT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY.
HER MOTHER ROBERTA IS STILL
ALIVE.
UNBELIEVABLE WOMAN.
DAGEN: THAT WAS THE ONE THING,
I WAS TALKING TO MY MOTHER ON
THE PHONE ABOUT SENATOR McCAIN
LAST NIGHT AND MY MOTHER WAS
TELLING ME STORIES ABOUT THE
SENATOR'S MOTHER THAT SHE WAS
REMEMBERING ALL OF THESE --
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> HOW ABOUT WHEN SHE TRIED TO
RENT A CAR IN FRANCE, THEY TOLD
HER SHE WAS TOO OLD SO SHE