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Home > Morning Joe > A Real Human Being; and A Real Hero: The Life and Legacy of Senator John McCain


	Podcast:		Morning Joe
	Episode:		A Real Human Being; and A Real Hero: The Life and Legacy of Senator John McCain
	Category:		News & Politics
	Duration:		01:36:48
	Publish Date:		2018-08-27 07:34:15
	Description:		On Saturday afternoon, U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona passed away from his longtime battle with brain cancer at the age of 81. McCain had opted to cease treatment only the day before his death. Senator McCain was, to many, the epitome of American courage and heroism: a Vietnam War veteran, and subsequent POW, McCain endured over five years of imprisonment and torture at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton." While there, McCain even refused an early release from detainment, citing it as a propaganda win for the Vietnamese; but, above all, McCain did not want to abandon his fellow men, also imprisoned. His career as a politician was that of a staunchly independent one. Senator McCain never made himself out to be a politician who blindly fell in line with his Republican party -- even criticizing Bush 43 on his approach to the Iraq War and the Administration's flailing economy. After his failed run at the Presidency, ultimately losing to Barack Obama in 2008, McCain returned to the Senate, and became one of the most vocally indignant Republicans in Congress, taking aim at the modern, excessively divided state of Congress, and the unchecked power of the Executive Office. As the 45th President of the United States was sworn in, Senator McCain doubled down on this mantra, and continued his advocacy for a higher sense of Congressional accountability on behalf of the American people. President Donald Trump weighed in on Senator McCain's passing with a picture of himself on Instagram, offering his "deepest sympathies" to The McCain Family. The President, for years, has been a notable critic of McCain, criticizing his capture during the Vietnam War. President Trump, however -- equally as notably -- secured a draft deferment from the War for bone spurs. With us, this morning, we have a plethora of political correspondents, writers, and friends of Senator McCain, all here to pay tribute to one of the last great political figures of the modern political age. It's Monday, August 27, 2018. Welcome to Morning Joe.
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