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U.S. Senator John McCain has passed away, surrounded by loved ones in Arizona.
The 81 year-old was diagnosed last year with an aggressive form of brain cancer, and on Friday his family announced he was stopping treatment.
Senator McCain was one of the most prominent members of the Republican party and had become one of the strongest conservative voices against President Donald Trump.
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SOT (John McCain in Senate 25 July 2017):
“Make no mistake - my service here is the most important job I’ve had in my life.”
VO: John McCain addressing the Senate last summer, in what was his first appearance after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
VO: He was marking his THIRTIETH year representing the state of Arizona…
SOT (John McCain in Senate 25 July 2017):
“I’m so grateful to the people of Arizona for the privilege, the honor, and the opportunities it give me to play a small role in the history of the country that I love.”
VO: It was a career during which he became one of the de facto leaders of the Republicans…
VO: Despite earning the nickname MAVERICK for his reputation of speaking out against his party when he felt it was necessary.
SOT (John McCain in Senate 25 July 2017):
“What have we to lose by trying to work together to find those solutions?”
VO: He ran for president twice, losing the GOP nomination to George W. Bush in 2000, then becoming the Republican nominee in 2008.
VO: During that campaign he controversially chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee, and as he fought for the White house against Barack Obama, he also made deadlines for the grace with which he defended his opponent against racist attacks.
SOT (John McCain in town hall 2007):
Woman: “He’s an Arab.”
McCain: “No m’am, he’s a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with.”
VO: McCain will be remembered not only for his political leadership but also for his military heroism…
VO: During the Vietnam War he was captured and tortured as a prisoner of war, an experience that made him a strong opponent of torture — which turned out to be just one of the many issues on which he stood up to the Trump administration.
SOT (John McCain in Senate 25 July 2017):
“We are an important check on the powers of the executive. Our consent is necessary for the president to appoint jurists and powerful gov’t officials, and — in many respects — to conduct foreign policy. Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the president’s subordinates. We are his equal.”
VO: John McCain is survived by his wife Cindy and seven children, including daughter Meghan who has followed her father’s footsteps into politics, becoming a prominent Republican commentator.
In Los Angeles, I’m Mary MacCarthy