at this opponent ‘s give eulogies at this memorial service. that is barack obama. tojohn‘s to john's beloved tojohn‘s beloved family, mrs mccain, to cindy and the children, president bush, president clinton, vice president, mrs biden and as john would say, my friends. we come to celebrate an extraordinary man. a warrior. a statesman. a patriot. in

body so much that is best in america —— embodied. president bush and i are amongst the fortunate few who competed againstjohn at the highest levels of politics. he made us better presidents just as he levels of politics. he made us better presidentsjust as he made the senate better. just as he made this country better. so for someone likejohn to ask you one he still alive —— while he's still alive to stand and speak of him when he's gone is a precious and single honour. —— cingular. whenjohn called me with that request earlier this year, i'll admit sadness and also a certain surprise. but after

oui’ conversation also a certain surprise. but after our conversation ended i realised how well it captured some of his essential qualities. to start with john liked being unpredictable. even a little contrary. he had no interest in conforming to some pre—packaged version of what senator should be and he did not want a memorial that was going to be pre—packaged either. it also showed john's distain for self—pity. he had been to hell and back and yet somehow never lost his energy or his optimism or his zest for life. so cancer did not scare him and he would maintain the buoyant spirit to the very end, too stubborn to sit still. opinionated as ever. fiercely

devoted to his friends and most of all to his family. it showed his irreverence. his sense of humour and a mischievous streak, after all what better way to get a last laugh than to get george and i to say nice things about him to a national audience? and most of all, it showed audience? and most of all, it showed a largeness of spirit. an ability to see past differences in search of common ground. and in fact on the surfacejohn common ground. and in fact on the surface john and i common ground. and in fact on the surfacejohn and i could not have been more different. or of different generations. 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 and john knotts much. —— not so much. we were standard—bearers of different american political traditions and throughout my presidency he never hesitated to tell me when he thought i was screwing up. which by his kaka laois and was about once a day. —— by his calculation was about once a day. but for all our differences and folder times we sparred, —— for all the times we sparred, i never tried to hide and john came to understand the long—standing admiration that i had for him. by his own accountjohn was a rebellious young man and in his case that is understandable,

what faster way to do wish or self when you are the son and grandson of admirals than to mutiny —— to distinguish yourself. eventually he concluded the only way to really make his mark on the world is to commit to something bigger than yourself. and thejohn that meant answering the highest of calls, serving his country in a time of war. others this week and this morning have spoken to the depths of his torment and the depths of his courage. they're in the cells of hanoi when day after day, year after year, the youthful line was tempered into steel, that brings to mind something that hemingway wrote in

the book that his daughter referred to, his favourite book. "today is only one day in all the days that will ever be, but what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today". in captivityjohn can depend on what you do today". in captivity john learned can depend on what you do today". in captivityjohn learned in ways that few of us ever will the meaning of those words. how each moment, each day, each choice, is a test. and john mccain passed that test again and again and again. and that's why whenjohn spoke with virtues like service and duty it did not ring

hollow. they weren'tjust service and duty it did not ring hollow. they weren't just words to him, it was a truth that he had lived. and for which he was prepared to die. and it forced even the most cynical to consider what were we doing for our country. what might we risk everything for. much has been said this week about what a maverick john was. in fact, john was a pretty conservative guy, trust me, i was on the receiving end of some of those votes. but he did understand that some principles transcend politics. that some values transcend party. he

considered it part of his duty to uphold those principles and uphold those values. john cared about the institutions of self—government and oui’ institutions of self—government and our constitution and our bill of rights and the rule of law, separation of powers, even the arcane rules and procedures of the senate, he knew that in a nation as big and boisterous and diverse as ours, those institutions and those rules and those norms are what bind us rules and those norms are what bind us together. that give it shape and ordered to our common life. even when we disagree, especially when we disagree. john believed in honest argument and hearing other views. he

understood that if we get in the habit of bending the truth to suit political expediency or party orthodoxy, our democracy will not work. that is why he was willing to buck his own party at times. occasionally work across. campaign finance reform and immigration reform. that is why he championed a free and independent press as vital to our democratic debate. and the fa ct to our democratic debate. and the fact that this earned him some good coverage did not hurt either. john understood as jfk coverage did not hurt either. john understood asjfk understood as ronald reagan understood that part of what makes our country great is that our membership is based not on oui’ that our membership is based not on our bloodline, not on what we look like and what our last names are,

not based on where our parents came from or her recently they arrived, but on adherence to a common creed. that all of us are created equal. and in doubt by certain in available rights. it has been mentioned today that we have seen footage this week ofjohn pushing back against supporters who challenged my patriotism during the 2008 campaign. i was grateful but i wasn't surprised. as joseph lieberman i was grateful but i wasn't surprised. asjoseph lieberman said, it wasjohn‘s surprised. asjoseph lieberman said, it was john's instinct. surprised. asjoseph lieberman said, it wasjohn‘s instinct. i never saw john treat anyone differently because of their race or religion or agenda. —— gender. and i'm certain

that in those moments that have been referred to during the campaign he saw himself as defending america's character, not just saw himself as defending america's character, notjust mine. for he considered it the imperative of every citizen in this country to treat everyone fairly, and finally whilejohn treat everyone fairly, and finally while john and i treat everyone fairly, and finally whilejohn and i disagreed on all kinds of foreign policy issues, we stood together on america's role as the one indispensable nation, believing that with great power and great blessings comes great responsibility. that burden is born most heavily by our men and women in uniform, servicemembers like doug,

jimmy andjack uniform, servicemembers like doug, jimmy and jack who followed their father's footsteps as well as the families who serve alongside our troops. butjohn understood that our security and our influence was won not just by security and our influence was won notjust by our military might and wealth, not just by notjust by our military might and wealth, notjust by our ability to bend others to our will, but from oui’ bend others to our will, but from our capacity to inspire others. with oui’ our capacity to inspire others. with our adherence to a set of universal values. like the rule of law and human rights. and the insistence on the god—given dignity of every human being. of course, john was the first to tell us that he was not perfect. like all of us who go into public

service he did have an ego, like all of us there was no doubt some votes he cast and compromises he struck and decisions he made that he wished he could have back. it's no secret that he had a temper. and when it flared up it was a force of nature and a wonder to behold. his jaw branding and his face reddening and his eyes boring a hole through you. not that i've experienced it first hand, mind you. but to nojohn was to know that as quick as his passions might flare, he was just as quick to forgive. and ask for forgiveness. he knew more than most his own flaws and his blindspots but

he knew how to laugh at himself. that self—awareness made him all the more compelling. we didn't advertise it but every so often over the course of my presidency it but every so often over the course of my presidenchohn would come over to the white house and we'd sit and talk in the oval office, just the two of us and we'd talk about policy and family. and we talk about policy and family. and we talk about policy and family. and we talk about the state of our politics. our disagreements did not go away during these private conversations. those were real and they were often deep. but we enjoy it the time we shared from the bright lights stash enjoyed. we laughed with each other and we learn from each other —— we learned from each other and we never doubted the

sincerity of the other man. or the other man's patriotism. all that when all was said and done we were on the same team. we never doubted we we re on the same team. we never doubted we were on the same team. for all of oui’ we were on the same team. for all of our differences we shared a fidelity to the ideals for which generations of americans have marched and fought and sacrificed. and given their lives. we considered our political battles a privilege and an opportunity to serve as stewards of those ideals here at home and to do oui’ those ideals here at home and to do our best to advance them around the world. we saw this country is a place where anything is possible —— asa place where anything is possible —— as a place. citizenship as an

obligation to ensure it for ever remains that way. and more than once during his careerjohn drew comparisons to teddy roosevelt and i'm sure it's been noted that roosevelt's man in the arena seems tailored tojohn. roosevelt's man in the arena seems tailored to john. most roosevelt's man in the arena seems tailored tojohn. most of you know it, roosevelt speaks of those who strive and dare to do great things. sometimes they win and sometimes they come up short. but always relish the good fight. a contrast to those cold timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. isn't that the spirit we celebrate this week? that striving to be better. to

do better. to be worthy of the great inheritance that our founders bestowed. so much of our politics and our public life, public discourse, can seem small and mean and petty. trafficking in bonn bustard and and petty. trafficking in bonn busta rd and insult. and petty. trafficking in bonn bustard and insult. —— bombast. phoney controversies and manufactured outrage, politics that pretends to be brave and tough when in fact it is born of fear. john called on us to be bigger than that. he called on us to be better than that. today is only one day in all

the days that will ever be but what will happen in all the other days that will ever come can depend on what you do today. what better way to honourjohn mccain's life of service as best we can learn to follow his example? to prove that the willingness to get in the arena and fight for this country is not reserved for the few, it is open to everyone. and in fact it is demanded of all of us as citizens of this great republic. that is perhaps how we honour him best. by recognising that there are some things bigger than party and ambition or money or

fame or power. there are some things that are worth risking everything for. principles that are eternal. truce that are abiding —— truths. at his bestjohn showed us what that means. and for that we are all deeply in his debt. may god bless john mccain, may god bless this country that he served so well. studio: applause for the former president barack obama, his eulogy comes to a close. he spoke about

john mccain living the words, service, duty, he said it was a truth he was prepared to die for and he asked what are we willing to risk and what are we willing to risk as john mccain has done. also coming off the back of george w bush, who gave the eulogy, he spoke thatjohn mccain had made us better presidents and he had also made the senate a better place. and because ofjohn mccain the country is also a better place. fanfare singing # battle hymn of the republic

"battle hymn of the republic" # glory, glory, hallelujah! # his truth is marching on #.

studio: that was the united states naval academy glee club and the united states navy band who were playing throughout this memorial service to senatorjohn mccain. that was the battle hymn of the republic. your boundless compassion consoled asim on —— consoled us home on. so that in quiet confidence we may

continue our so that in quiet confidence we may continue oui’ course on so that in quiet confidence we may continue our course on earth until by your call we reunited with those who have gone before, through by your call we reunited with those who have gone before, throuthesus christ our lord, amen. most merciful god whose wisdom is beyond our understanding deal graciously with john's family and friends in their grief and surround them with your love, that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss but have confidence in your goodness and strength to meet the days to come through jesus christ strength to meet the days to come throuthesus christ our lord, amen. a reading from the book of wisdom. the souls of the righteous are in the hand of god and no torment will ever touched them. in the eyes of

the foolish they seem to have died and their departure was thought to bea and their departure was thought to be a disaster and they're going from us be a disaster and they're going from us to be their destruction but they are at peace. for though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality and having been disciplined little they will receive great good because god tested them and found them worthy of himself. those who trust in him will understand truth and the faithful will abide with him in love because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones and he who watches over his elect. the word of the lord. music plays

music plays singing singing