John McCain services: Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush to eulogize senator
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Senator John McCain devoted his life to serving our country.
USA TODAY
PHOENIX – Former Vice President Joe Biden will deliver a eulogy to his longtime friend John McCain at the senator’s funeral in Arizona on Thursday.
Last year, when the National Constitution Center awarded its Liberty Medal to McCain, a former prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, Biden bestowed the medal on McCain. And McCain’s wife, Cindy, tweeted that her husband enjoyed a visit from Biden in late April.Â
Biden shares another poignant link with McCain. His son, Beau, also died of brain cancer in 2015 at age 46.
“Joe Biden has been an incredible comfort to the family,” said Rick Davis, who managed McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign, at a news conference in Phoenix on Monday.
Biden is known for his moving, emotional eulogies. He spoke in 2013 at the memorial service for the 19 firefighters who died fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30.Â
During his remarks, Biden said this about the Granite Mountain Hotshots:Â
“Firefighting is not what they did. It’s who they were,” he said, and quoted an old saying, “All men are created equal but then a few become firefighters.”
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Vice President Joe Biden gives eulogy, July 9, 2013, for the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died fighting the Yarnell Hill fire.
12News
McCain will have two services in Arizona: He will lie in state at the Arizona Capitol on Wednesday, where members of the public can visit his casket, beginning at 2 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
A funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at North Phoenix Baptist Church.
During Thursday’s service, McCain’s daughter, Bridget, will do a reading along with tributes from former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. McCain was a die-hard Cardinals fan.
After the Arizona service, McCain will be transported from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., where he will lie in state Friday at the U.S. Capitol. President Donald Trump said Monday he had asked Vice President Mike Pence to speak at the Capitol ceremony.
On Saturday, the senator’s family will gather at the U.S. Capitol and escort the late senator’s body to the Vietnam War Memorial to lay a wreath. McCain’s service will be at the Washington National Cathedral at 10 a.m. EDT.
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U.S. Sen. John McCain’s final words to the American people read by spokesman Rick Davis.
Rob Schumacher, azcentral.com
McCain had requested that former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama deliver eulogies at his service.
Davis, the McCain family spokesman, confirmed on Monday that both former presidents will speak at his funeral. Joe Lieberman, a longtime friend and Democratic senator, and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger will also speak.
Bush was McCain’s primary rival during the senator’s unsuccessful 2000 presidential run. The senator eventually withdrew from the race after losing primaries to Bush on Super Tuesday. McCain later spoke in support of his former adversary.Â
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McCain took on Democratic candidate Obama in 2008, whose campaign of “Hope and Change” offered a clean break from Bush. McCain made the controversial pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, and failed to connect with voters on the economy, the most important issue at the time.
Obama won the popular vote, and in McCain’s concession speech at the Arizona Biltmore, he graciously spoke of the significance of Obama’s win and that he would not try again for the White House. Â
Contributing: Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Kelsey Mo, The Arizona Republic.Â
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Sen. John McCain, 1936-2018, was Arizona’s senator for more than three decades and twice ran for president.
Nate Kelly, azcentral.com
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