WASHINGTON — Arizona Sen. John McCain died Saturday in Arizona after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 81 years old. His 35-year political career took him to Congress and the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. McCain became known as a political maverick willing to stick to his convictions rather than go along with party leaders — an independent streak that has drawn a mix of respect and ire. A statement from the senator’s office said that he died at 4:28 p.m. surrounded by his wife Cindy and their family.
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McCain’s daughter Meghan said that the task of her lifetime is to live up to her father’s example.
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Tributes and remembrances have poured out for McCain from his colleagues in the Senate. Sens. on McCain’s Death Former President Barack Obama, who faced off with McCain in the 2008 presidential election said that they competed at the highest level of politics but shared a “fidelity to something higher.”
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From Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency, McCain and the president have exchanged criticisms against each other. McCain drew the Trump’s ire when he voted last year against repealing the Affordable Care Act. McCain was also critical of the president’s foreign policies, particularly Trump’s relationship with Russia.
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“He was a rare figure in his politics,” Washington Post congressional reporter Sean Sullivan said. “He was one of the few Republicans who didn’t seem to have any reservations about criticizing Trump, speaking out against him when he disagreed with him.” Democratic Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin said that McCain’s reputation as a maverick stemmed from his boldness to stand up to leaders of his own Republican party. McCain’s running mate in the 2008 presidential election and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin referenced McCain’s position as a maverick, which figured prominently in his campaign, in her remembrance.
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“He did what was right; he worked across party lines when we agreed on an issue,” Cardin said. “He didn’t care about the niceties of American politics. He was more concerned about standing up for what was right, regardless of political consequence.” Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said that he will introduce a resolution to rename the Russell Senate Office Building for McCain.
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McCain believed that Democrats and Republicans have to work together, and he believed in compromise and working to get things done, Cardin said. WTOP’s Dave McConnell, who has covered McCain extensively, said that the senator was friendly and responsive; but he could be testy if a question wasn’t well thought out. “Early on he would often cite the WTOP call letters when he would see me outside the Senate chambers,” McConnell said. McConnell remembers the day McCain voted against repealing the Affordable Care Act and his speech to his colleagues, urging them to not be so partisan and stop getting involved in the tribalism of American politics, to have a thought about being independent, to do the right thing. “That was his thing, doing the right thing for his country. He clearly felt that a lot of his colleagues weren’t doing the right thing,” McConnell said. But Cardin said that McCain’s lasting legacy was that he stood up for democracy and American leadership. “He stood up for the best principles of our country,” Cardin said.
