country. ♪ >> so we're heavy here this morning, i'm christi paul. >> and i'm martin savage in for victor black well. he served in the u.s. senate for more than 30 years. six terms in that role, better known as the maverick. >> we're talking about u.s. senator, john mccain. he passed away yesterday afternoon. he wads at his home near sedona, arizona, and he was surrounded by his family in his final hour. cnn's dana bash has a look at his distinguished political

career. >> his dramatic senate return, against doctor's orders after being diagnosed with brain cancer. >> i've been a member of the united states senate for 30 years. >> his late night thumbs down that single handedly crushed his party's push to repeal and replace obamacare. john mccain's last big moment in the political spotlight captured so many of the complexities of his character, a stubborn man who survived many abrush with death, who spent a lifetime looking for moments to shine as a leader, and put country first. yet forever a hot dogfighter pilot with dramatic flare and white knuckle political instincts. john sidney mccain, iii rm was born with a story legacy service to live up to. his father and grandfather were both four-star admirals. >> his father and grandfather instilled in him a sense of duty, honor, and country. >> young mccain's passion was

literature. ways veracious leader all his life. >> hemmiingway as always been m favorite author in many ways rare larger than life figured that i always admired a lot. >> yet mccain followed the path of larger than life figures in his own family, enrolling at the naval academy where he stood out for being a stroubl matroublema. he became a fighter pilot. his first combat mission was aboard the u.s.s. forrestal. on deck his plane was accidentally struck by a missile causing a huge inferno, 134 fellow sailors died. a few months later he was on a routine bombing mission. his plane was shot down. >> i was gyrating very vieptly almost straight down, so i had to eject very quickly. i was knocked unconscious. >> he found himself surrounded by angry villagers swinging baio

nets. the north vietnamese forced him to give this interview in exchange for life-saving treatment. >> i'm treated well here. >> he was taken as a prisoner of war and tortured. >> he was beaten on a regular basis being hung by his arms from a ceiling, sock et cetera pulled out. >> when his father jack mccain was named commander of u.s. pacific forces, the vietnamese offered john mccain freedom. he refused. it would have broken pow brot toe colonel, release in order of capture. >> there was a correlation between my refusal to accept early release and my treatment. the treatment got very much worse. >> ultimately they broke mccain, getting him to sign a statement admitting to claims against him which he regretted the rest of his life. >> after he signed it i think he wanted just to die. >> because he felt so disloyal? >> he had felt -- he felt shame. that he had let the country down. >> finally, after nearly 5 1/2

years in prison, mccain was released. >> you still see the impact of that today, the way he was tied. you know, the way he can't raise his arms, his hands, can't comb his hair. the things that we take for granted. >> his marriage to first wife carol who waited anxiously for mccain while imprisoned fell apart. he became a naval lee say son to the u.s. senate where he caught the political bug. in 1982 he ran from the house from arizona home with new wife cindy and won. four years later, it was on to the u.s. senate. early on, controversy. the keating five. mccain and four other senators met regulators investigating the failed savings and loan back of charles keating, a mccain contributor. >> i am of course relieved that i have been exonerated. >> an investigation cleared mccain of wrongdoing, but rebuked him for poor judgment. the episode sent mccain on a crusade to clean up washington,

pushing campaign finance reform, fighting big tobacco, railing against earmarks. >> that's our obligation and duty to the american people. >> everything with passion. humor. >> he's very direct, he's also very funny. he has a way of sort of tooesea people he likes. >> thanks for the question, you little jerk, he was a jerk. >> and his temper. >> he can be a complete jerk to his closest friends and hug you dearly next. >> in the fall of 1999, mccain announced his candidacy for president. as an underdog, he got attention by being constantly available to reporters aboard his bus, the straight talk express. he trumped front runner george w. bush in the primary but then lost south carolina where it got ugly and personal. mccain soon dropped out and returned to the senate even more determined to work across the aisle with democrats like ted kennedy on issues like a

patient's bill of rights and immigration reform. >> i announce my candidacy for president of the united states. >> in 2008, his second presidential bid in the time he was the heir apparent but mccain's support for a troops abroad and work on immigration reform hurt him with gop voters. his poll numbers plunged. he held town halls in new hampshire, talked border security return said it of immigration reform and climbed back. >> back to get ailing second chance, what does that say to you? >> means that we are happy with how far we've come. >> after securing the gop nomination are, he had to mick a running mate. joe lieberman was his first choice. >> so i hear. >> he never told you that? >> no, he did. >> he convinced mccain that lieberman's support for abortion rights made it impossible. mccain still went bold. first term alaska governor sara

pail i palin. at first she helped draw support that he was lacking. but after some business dar interviews, she became a liability. >> putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the united states -- >> mccain would never say he regretted choosing palin? >> no. >> he didn't talk about it. >> and he never will. >> still, he worked to stay out of gutter politics, taking the mike from a voter who claimed that barack obama was arab. >> nom. >> and giving a concession speech that marked the historic moment for the country. >> this is a historic election, and i recognize the special significance it has for african americans. and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight. >> mccain settled into life as a seen juror statesman, fulfilled a dream of becoming senate arms services chairman and traveled around the world every chance he got. an informal diplomat and an

informed senator. from president trump was elected, mccain took it upon himself to reassure world leaders visiting 26 countries and four continents in the first six months of 2017 alone. even at age 80, mccain liked to travel with and mentor younger senators in both parties forging close relationships. >> he is loyal to his friends. he loves his country. and if he has to stand up to his party for his country, so be it. he would die for this country. i love him to death. >> july 2017 brain cancer diagnosis and treatment for it forced mccain to slow down. but he hated pity. this is how he always wanted to be remembered. paraphrasing his political hero teddy roosevelt. i've had the most wonderful life and career that anybody will ever meet. >> thank you. >> dana bash, cnn, washington.

that's so striking to hear him say i've had the most wonderful life when you think he spent 5 1/2 years of it as a pow in a camp being tortured and caught. >> there's so many ways his life say remarkable life, even with the pain, of course are of being a prisoner and tortured. >> that's what i mean. it's almost as though not that he appreciated it, but on the other side of it, he grew so much and learned so much and appreciated so much. and tributes, i think, just in part because of that are pouring in for the senator. >> in his adoptive state of arizona flags were lowered to half staff yesterday. he represented the state of washington, d.c., first in the house of representatives and then in the senate for more than 30 years. a remarkable number. let's go to stephanie elam. she's in sedona, arizona. she's outside john mccain's ranch. good morning to your. the family has been throughout all of this very open and says senator mccain about the illness he faced. so we knew this was coming but

it's still painful now that it's here. >> reporter: it never takes away the pain, martin, it never does. and it's true, i think many of us figured that if the family on their own accord would put out a statement as they did on friday saying that he no longer was going to treat his brain kans, he are that the end may be near. what we've learned is that the senators with very much part of the plans for how the end of his days would be lived out here at his beloved cabin which we understand is about a mile up that road behind me there. and also planning for how his reception would be after he passed. and the funeral proceedings, we saw out here after the broke of news broke it was late afternoon, people were starting to stop by and drop off flourds, one couple putting in an american flag just outside the dirt road here. people in the state love senator mccain. as you were saying, elected six times to the u.s. senate representing the state. so he is a beloved son and

iconic figure defensively in arizona. but for sure around the world. and when you think about senator mccain, you know, you know he is also the father of seven children and one of those children, megan mccain, had just a beautiful testament to her father that she tweeted out yesterday. and released this statement. i want to read it to you now because it is really beautiful. it starts with my father, united states senator john sidney mccain the third departed this live today. i was with my father at his end as he was with me at the beginning. in the 33 years we shared together, he raised me, taught me, corrected me, comforted me, encouraged me, and supported me in all things. he loved me and i loved him. he taught me how to live. his live love hnds a care always present, always unfailing, took me from a girl to a woman and he showed me what it is to be a man. all that i am is thanks to him. now that he is gone, the task of my lifetime is to live up to his

example, his expectations, and his love. my father's passing comes with sorrow and grief for me, for my mother, for mire brothers and for my sisters. he was a great fire who burned bright and we lived in his light and warm for so very long. we know that his flame lives on in each of us. the days and years to come will not be the same without my dad, but they will be good days filled with life and love because of the example ef livhe for us. your prayers for our soul and our family are deeply appreciated. my father is goned a miss him as only an adoring daughter can. but in this loss and sorrow i take comfort in this, john mccain, hero of the republican and to his little girl wakes today to something more glorious than anything on this earth. today the warrior enters his true and eternal life grooeted by those who have gone before him rising to meet the author of all things. the dream has ended, this is the

mourning. just a beautiful testament from megan mccain for her father. we know he was surrounded by his family yesterday as he was making that transition and that it was all very expeditious how quickly it was done here because the planning had obviously been along the way here. we saw as the hurst arrived, parade of suvs with a police escort and shortly thereafter we saw that same procession leave here and make its way down to phoenix. it's about a two-hour drive from here. but i have to tell you it is beautiful here in sedona. when the sun is out and it's even full moon just about here tonight and it's still gorgeous. you can see why the senator wanted to spend his final days here. >> it's a very spiritual, peaceful place to be, isn't it? thank you so much. presidents past and present

are paying tribute to john mccain. >> they're remembering him in their own words. we'll tell you more when we come back. >> can't we stand up and speak? can't the president of the united states stand up and speak for the people of syria? can't he say this massacre is unacceptable and must stop? tremfya® is for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i'm ready. with tremfya®, you can get clearer. and stay clearer. in fact, most patients who saw 90% clearer skin at 28 weeks stayed clearer through 48 weeks. tremfya® works better than humira® at providing clearer skin, and more patients were symptom free with tremfya®. tremfya® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or have symptoms such as: fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. before starting tremfya® tell your doctor if you plan to or have recently received a vaccine.

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♪ you hear that and see that picture and you know what i'm about to tell you. it's a tough day in washington and across the country. i know a lot of you are wake up to the news that senator john mccain has died of brain cancer. >> flags are flying at half staff in washington and in arizona. mccain's adopted home state. white house reporter sara westwood is following the reaction in our nation's capital. sara. >> reporter: martin, we've seen on capitol hill an outpouring of love and admiration from senator mccain's colleagues on both sides of the aisle and on the other side of pennsylvania avenue the flag over the white house is flying at half staff. white house aides are referring reporters to a tweet that president trump sent yesterday evening. he wrote, my deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of senator john mccain. our hearts and prayers are with you. now the president, vice president, and first lady all reacting to the news of mccain's passing also on twitter.

we're learning that mccain's plans for his own funeral included requests to two former presidents and former rivals for the presidency in 2000 and 2008. obama and george w. bush, to deliver eulogies at his funeral, but it was mccain's wish that president trump not attend the funeral. that's a twhash family friends say mccain held to the end. obviously mccain and trump had a very complicated relationship in the year since trump came on the political stage. so many of the things that be mccain spent his career fighting for for foreign policy to immigration reform are things that president trump had diametrically opposite views. but today's a day that politics are being set aside and all of washington is mourning the loss of this american hero. >> all right. sara westwood, we appreciate it. thank you. former president barack obama honored his one-time political opponent john mccain in a statement last night on twitter writing in part, few of us have been tested the way john

once was or are required to show the kind of courage that he did. but all of us can aspire to put the courage above the greater good, about our own. >> president obama's already been asked to give a eulogy at mccain's funeral. of course they sparred on the campaign trail, even in the fierce political fight. mccain defended president obama to a voter when this voter called obama an arab. take a look at what happened. >> i can't trust obama. i have read about him and he's not -- he's not -- he's a -- he's an arab. he is not -- >> nom. >> no? >> no ma'am. he's a decent family citizen who i just have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that's what this campaign is all

about. he's not, thank you. >> i want to bring in former director of the nixon presidential library, tim. he's with us on the phone. tim, thank you for being with us. >> my pleasure. >> is there -- you know, any indication how the senate has been shaped by john mccain? >> well, i think that this country has been shaped by john mccain, and i think to some extent our international reputation has been shaped by john mccain. john mccain's courage as -- as a pow who survived torture and who refused to accept early release because -- because of -- of what he believed in and his commitment to his fellow pows set him as a symbol of courage for this country.

in his public years as an elected official, he tried to live up to the standard of patriotism that he demonstrated in the vietnam war. he should be remembered as one of those who believed that america had an international obligation, you could even say destiny, to help those in authoritarian lands to be a beacon of hope for them. in the senate, he was willing to cross the aisle and vote with allies in the democratic party. it's one of the -- it's a very sad coincidence, but poignant that he should die on the same date, august 25th, nine years later, as ted kennedy with whom he had worked on comprehensive immigration reform. even though ted kennedy and john mccain differed on many other issues. so john mccain was willing to

take political risks at home in the senate. and he is a reminder, because i hope that this era hasn't passed forever, that bipartisanship is possible. so i think that he didn't just sha shape the senate, he wasn't majority leader or minority leader. he did bigger things than that. he actually set a tone and he personally embodied a vision for this country, at home and abroad. >> tim, thank you so much for walking us through that. certainly appreciate it. >> thank you. . >> senator mccain devoted 36 years of his life to congress. his political colleagues from both sides of the aisle will reflect on how he became one of the country's most respect and influential politicians. >> the american people know me very well. and that is independent and a maverick of the senate and i'm happy to say that i've got a

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state there, which is known for beautiful sun sets, they're called painted skies. you can see why they are. that's sedona where u.s. senator john mccain pass away just yesterday. >> for nearly 40 years he represented arizona in the halls of congress building it as a leader and a maverick. >> joe johns is in washington with us today. joe, good to see you. not good for the story, of course. it's something we knew was coming, still hard to take in, but when the tributes are nourg a -- pouring in. for a man who was known for his bipartisanship, are you seeing that lead the way for some of these reactions today? >> reporter: absolutely. the fact of the matter is, he was a senator in the republican party, very well known, but also a senator who was loved on both sides of the aisle for people in washington who knew senator mccain over the years as i did.

it's really difficult to sum him up or even do him justice with this wall to wall coverage of 24-hour news cycle let alone a written public statement or god forbid a tweet. there's only so much you can do because had he so many lives over those 81 years. so there's the traditional lowering of flags here and across the country which certainly means more with senator mccain because he went to the naval academy, because of his military service, because of the hanoi hilton, of course. also here ini did so the city, probably the biggest initial tribute came from the democratic leader chuck schumer who floated the idea of renaming the russell senate office building on capitol hill after senator mccain. this is the building where he worked and where it was not uncommon to run into him, the place where he was most

accessible, willing to stop and talk, and remarkable, i think, just because this is an idea coming from the democratic leader. now, it just speaks volumes. and we've also been hearing from some of his closest people on the hill like lindsey graham of south carolina that tweeted that america and freedom have lost one of their greatest champions, mentioning he was his greatest friend and mentor. and hearing from people who butted heads with senator mccain. including president trump, the senator had asked the president not participate in the senator's memorial, but it's likely that obama will. he bested mccain in the 2008 campaign and he's weighed in, along with the senator's running mate that would be sara palin, the former governor of alaska, he put her on the national political radar.

she said today we lost an american original, senator john mccain was a maverick and a fighter, never afraid to stand up for his beliefs. john never took the easy path in life and through sacrifice and suffering he inspired others to serve. so that's just the beginning of it. but the fact of the matter is, as i said, the top you really cannot encapsulate this man's life and career because he had so many lives. and we know him from so many different ways. it's -- it's tough here in washington, but i think there'slthere's also a lot of people glad he's not suffering anymore. >> joe johns, thank you very much for that reflection. we appreciate it greatly. >> so his with 2008 running mate sara palin says he was an american original. she said senator john mccane was a maverick and a fighter, never

afraid to stand for his beliefs. john never took the easy path in life and through sacrifice and suffering he inspired others to serve something greater than self. john mccain was my friend. i will remember the good times. >> twice senator john mccain ran for president and twice he lost. but as he tells us, he has no regrets. >> i often have a line that i've forgotten who i stole it from that they say that if you're a united states senator unless you're under indictment or detoxification, you automatically consider yourself a candidate for president of the united states. and the reason high that's funny is booecause it's so true. you have to have a certain confidence of that you are qualified and can do the job. >> you have said that the only more high pressure situation i've been in is in combat and in prison. >> yeah, because every word is scrutinized, every phrase, every

thing that you say, anything that you -- any action you may take is under the most -- is undergoing microscopic scrutiny. he and i understand that. >> so you know when you screw up you screw up. >> oh, yeah. one of my character flaws is that i do sometimes sit around and say oh, my god, why did i do that? why did i say i have a tendency to berate myself. but maybe on the other hand that helps me prevent from doing that in the future. >> do you think you could have ever overcome bush fatigue? when you look back on 2008, you were tied to bush. in a debate you said i'm not president bush. do you remember that? >> wasn't so much bush fatigue as it was the state of the economy and the -- and, of course, the conflicts that we

were in overseas. for me to biop, blame it on bush, i mean, that's a copout. that's a copout. >> right. >> i had my own campaign to run. were there maybe greater hurdles to overcome many this campaign because of the state of economy and the conflict in iraq and afghanistan? yes. but for me to say that that was the reason why i lost, look, i think the reason why i lost is there was a chair razz monochromatic, articulate, inspiring -- you don't draw the crowds that barack obama drew without being a very gifted motivator. and i think he offered the american people a vision that they were ready -- certainly the majority of them, were ready to support. so i would give great credit to the obama campaign and the candidate himself for the fact that he won. one of the aspects of that campaign is that people got out

to vote. not necessarily african american, but people came out to vote, particularly young people, that never had before because they were motivated by his candidacy. >> you declined to raise the reverend wright issue, if i recall. >> you have to look back on things and be proud of them. if i had attacked him over reverend wright and some of that stuff, that would not have been a campaign that i would have been proud of. >> that history's been wrand think it's accurate, that days before the announcement of sarah palin you were still thinking of your good friend joe leishman and you wanted lieberman, but the blowback from conservatives was going to be ferocious. >> i think it was not only going for ferocious, it was going to be a -- cause a problem in the convention because joe leishman was pro choice. and that would have -- it was certainly not clear whether we could have had sufficient votes

to nominate him even though he was my choice. yeah, joe lieberman is probably the finest man in many respects. i've known -- had the honor of knowing wonderful, fine men. he's amoungs. the top very must number. he's hooun honest, decent, he lives his religion and we were very close and good friends. >> no regrets on sara palin? >> oh, no. when i lose, she was a terrible choice. if i had won, sara palin energi energized the republican party. she got people active in the campaign that mccain never could have. i could write the script as to how it was an inspired choice. it all depends on whether you within win or lose. i do not want to appear as complaining to you, gloria, because i've had the most wonderful life and career that

anybody you will ever meet or interview. bar none. no one has had the incredible life that i've had. i think that the run for president made me appreciate how fortunate a person i am. once i got over the 24 hours of defeat, which was not unexpected, i began to be a little receitrospective and appreciate the life that i've led and that i could continue to contribute. that was one very important thing. i said i lost, it's bad, all that, but i can go back to the united states senate and i can still make a difference. so it changed me in that -- that and age have made me appreciate every single day. and it has not diminished my passion, it has increased my passion.

>> wonderfully said, it really is. >> it's such an example of how gratitude can change your life and how you live with that. long before john mccain became this titan in the senate and a presidential candidate as he spoke about there,aways a war hero. i don't know if you know everything behind his story. but his colleagues are talking about it. especially his experiences as a vietnam pritsds prison vietnam prisoner of war. stay close. >> when john talks about the military, he does so with a reverence. when he visits the troops, he feels compelled not to let them down. . ♪ it was here. i couldn't catch my breath.

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♪ this morning there is an outpouring of the messages from world leaders on the passing of senator john mccain. he was known to be a foreign policy hawk and he loved to travel constantly. >> he flew combat assignments during the vietnam war. he was shot down and spent more than 5 hellish years as a hanoi prisoner of war in a camp there. i want you to listen to senator chris coons with mccain's experience there. >> it was really remarkable, it was powerful to be in that place and to go into a cell and to see the leg shackles or the tiny little barred windows and to realize this man didn't spend a few weeks or few months, but years of his life there. i asked him a question because he had been there several years

when a jailer came to him and said, we're offering you early release. now this was because his father was a four-star admiral, the commander of all the american forces in the pacific. and he said no. and i said to him, john, you stayed three 1/2 more years knowing that any day,ny minute you can end the abuse, you could end the suffering by just raising your hand and saying i'll take early release, see you guys back home. high did you not to do that? and he just looked at me and said that would have been dishonorable. >> and that's exactly the man he was. ivan watson joins us live from hong kong. ivan, what's the reaction been from that region with which we know that john mccain has a historic connection? >> reporter: it's front page news in vietnam right now, martin, all the biggest web sites there, the news web sites all have tributes to john

mccain. obituaries with headlines talking about the forts he made to reestablish ties between the u.s. and hong kong strike him as this monumental statesman of the success. it's more striking when you consider his long history with that country going back to when he was a naval aviator conducting bombing runs when he was shot down in his first mission in 1967 and held was a pow for more than five years. because his father was the u.s. commander in the pacific, the north vietnamese offered to release him multiple times ahead of fellow pows and he refused multiple times to be -- allow himself to be used as a propaganda weapon. and that's part of what made him a war hero, even though he endured horrific torture by his own accounts in -- in, among other places, that infamous

facility known as the hanoi hilton. what's all the more striking is in the decades after his release, mccain went back to vietnam again and again, back to the hanoi hilton, which i've been to which among its displays, it's a museum now, it shows photos of mccain both as a prisoner and then as a returning u.s. lawmaker. he played a role in trying to reestablish relations between the u.s. and vietnam after their terrible and bloody history '95 when the clinton administration reestablished ties. senator mccain applauded this and said it was time for people to put any ill feelings towards vietnam behind them to reestablish diplomatic relations. but there are also comments coming from other countries here in the region, the south korean president moon jae-in tweeting this morning u.s. senator john mccain was a figure who symbol lieds america's value of freedom.

i believe that he would overcome the illness with a strong spirit but now i cannot meet him again. i give my heart felt condolences to the bereached family and to all those who mourn for the deceased. martin, christi. >> all right. ivan watson, thank you so much for helping us understand all of that there. appreciate it. cnn international diplomatic editor nic robertson with us as well. i know you've been paying attention to what some of the leaders around the world have been saying about john mccain. >> reporter: it's very interesting because i think what we're hearing say reflection of what we've heard in the united states of the differences between senator mccain and president trump. and think that's been reflected in what we've heard, for example, from the german embassy saying that senator mccain was a strong supporter of the transatlantic alliance. you know, this has to be looked at somewhat in the political context of the strains between

president trump and germany and criticism over the transatlantic alliance. again, it's reflected again and again in sentiments that are coming from leaders of countries that look to the united states for support and thinking here of lithuania, estonia, coso hkosov of them have been quick to offer support and condolences. i think when we can read from some of the other leaders, from britain, david cameron, i'll read you what he said. the usa has lott a brave, principled, and inspiring leader. the world has lost a great defender of liberty. rip, rest in peace, senator john mccane. prayers and love to your family. again, there's a way that you can read these, in if you will, and understand them that leaders have a lot of respect for everything that senator mccain

stood for. and that comes across very strongly today. the president of ukraine, a country that's looked again to the united states for support recently, sad news for all ukrainian people. died a great friend of ukraine. senator john mccain. we will never forget his valuable contribution to the development of dros and freedom in ukraine. and the support of our state. condolences to the family and all american people. and strong words from the president of israel today, strong words from the prime minister of israel as well for senator mccain. prime minister benjamin netanyahu saying i'm deeply sat end by the passing of john mccain, a great american patriot and supporter of israel. i'll always treasure the constant friendship he showed to the people of israel and to me personally. his support for israel never wavered. it strang frfrong his belief in

democracy and freedom. we salute john mccain. john mccain's legacy, if you will, is this understanding of the international community that he was going to champion their causes in the united states, that he was a defender of democracy and freedom. and i think these are the values that many people around the world look towards the united states for and they found that in senator mccain. >> beautifully said. >> very true. he was the embodiment of all those things we think make america great. nic robertson r thank you very much. we'll have more on the personal life of john mccain, including a sense of humor from those who know him. at at&t innovations, we give you more for your thing. here were adding tv and movies from our unlimited plan to the powerful new samsung galaxy note9... ...the perfect device for entertainment & productivity. so, it's essentially the ed helms of devices? how so?

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>> he's like a shark. like he can't stop moving, which keeps him who he is. and he's -- he's hard to keep up with. on all of our international travels, he'd be the one up reading his briefing book while the rest of us would be passed out sleeping. first one he, first one off the plane, first one into a meeting. that's just who he is. >> you're a few years younger than john mccain. >> just a couple. >> difficult could keep up with him? >> yes. i have to tell you, honestly on our most recent trip to singapore and vietnam, he keeps a punishing schedule. he starts early, goes late, he fills absolutely every day choked full of meetings and conversati conversations. he has remarkable intellect and boundless energy. >> tell me about it. >> i don't see john as a story material as much as a one liner.

>> just quick wit. >> exactly. >> he loves to laugh. he loves humor. little known fact about john mccain, if you just give him the slightest provocation, he will go into a series of one liners by the late great kmeed yen henne jungmann. >> really? >> oh my goodness. and laughing all the way. >> and that connect you guys? >> i think that connected us. we both liked to laugh. >> he really does love literature. >> oh my god, question we traveled the globe a hundred times probably and i think he would just out of the plane if he didn't have a book. >> mostly fiction or nonfiction or both? >> history. he can tell you about every knight, temp lar and i can tell you about them because he's told me about them. >> he reads histor and he reads fiction too. and he has certain favorite books of fiction like hemingway's. >> "for whom the bell toll's ". >> there you go. he goes back to that all the time. >> what do the authors tell you

about john mccain? >> that he believes in the romantic ideal of fighting for one's belief, even if you know you're going fail. >> he's really obsessed with figures larger than life. >> yes. >> teddy roosevelt, robert jordan, you know, his father. >> what's the central thread with all the people you just named? it's either they're honor or their struggle with honor. i think that's the central thread and that's the common thread i see with john every day, it's that constant search for honor. >> he sees these giants of the past as people he himself would like to aspire to. and there have there's a certain amount of teddy roosevelt in john mccain. somebody who really can invoke an inspiration when you watch him from a distance. you know, that's what i think he's aspired to be for a long time and to a certain extent he's achieved it. >> it's the second time i'm going on a trip with him and i'm a very june juror senator at this point. you drive out to andrews air force base, there's all these guys standing at attention.

you go out to this great big airplane that says united states of america. i'm in one of the small seats and way in the back there's senator john mccain at his great big table with his four senior senators. and he spots me and he says, coons, you. i can't repeat anything -- get off my plane. and i -- sir, what? and lindsey comes over and grabs my arm and says that's how you know he likes you. >> see, that's good to know because i interviewed john mccain a couple of times in arizona and he said some things to me that i can't repeat. but they were funny and i was -- i was so -- because you know we have this sense of who he is on the global stage and in congress, i had no idea he was that funny. >> i never had the chance to meet senator mccain but fwhas hanoi with senator john kerry and at that time they presented -- the viet ma meee -

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