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'An American Original' And A Pillar Of The Senate: Mass. Democrats Remember John McCain

U.S. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., listens during a town hall meeting dominated by discussion of Syria, Sept. 5, 2013, in Phoenix. (Ralph Freso/AP)
U.S. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., listens during a town hall meeting dominated by discussion of Syria, Sept. 5, 2013, in Phoenix. (Ralph Freso/AP)

After the death of Arizona Republican and Vietnam veteran John McCain, prominent Massachusetts Democrats have offered their condolences and commendations of the "maverick" senator, who died Saturday at the age of 81.

“John McCain was an American original — guts, grit, and ultimately grace personified,” former Sen. John Kerry said in a statement. “I loved John’s will to fight but respected even more his power to forgive.”

Both McCain and Kerry served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, but came out of it with contrasting outlooks and experiences. McCain was imprisoned in Hanoi for more than five years and held a more favorable opinion of the war, while Kerry, who won multiple Purple Hearts, was notably against it.

However, the two found “common ground” when they returned to Vietnam later in life in peacemaking efforts, Kerry said.

“John McCain showed all of us how to bridge the divide between a protester and a ‘POW,’ and how to find common ground even when it was improbable,” Kerry said. “I will be grateful for that lesson every day of my life.”

John McCain is administered to in a Hanoi, Vietnam hospital as a prisoner of war in the fall of 1967. (AP)
John McCain is administered to in a Hanoi, Vietnam hospital as a prisoner of war in the fall of 1967. (AP)

Rep. Seth Moulton of Salem, who served in the Marine Corps during the Iraq War, recalled his awe listening to McCain speak at the very spot he was tortured as a prisoner of war.

“One of the most moving moments of my life was touring the Hỏa Lò Prison with Senator McCain last year,” Moulton said in a statement. “We stood enthralled by his stories, but to see the throngs of Vietnamese standing in awe of simply seeing him … was a true testament to the worldwide reach of the values he preached and the example he set.

"We have few true American heroes in politics today, and we just lost one of the best,” he said.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren took to Twitter to remember her fellow senator, whom she called “fiercely devoted” and “a true American patriot.”

While Warren said she disagreed with McCain “on many things, and sometimes quite forcefully,” she also “respected that his heart was focused on doing what he thought was best for the American people.”

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. (Evan Vucci/AP)
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. (Evan Vucci/AP)

“At a time when character & integrity are under siege, we all mourn the loss of a public servant who lived with courage & conviction,” Warren said.

Rep. Katherine Clark, who represents Massachusetts' 5th District, described McCain as “a true patriot,” whose service was “not defined by partisanship but faith in the power of democracy.”

Rep. Bill Keating of Norwood remembered McCain for his strong role in Congress.

“On August 25, 2009, we lost the Lion of the Senate, Ted Kennedy," Keating said on Twitter. "Today, nine years later, we lost another pillar of the United States Senate in John McCain.”

McCain, commonly referred to as the “maverick” of the Senate, is remembered by many for frequently speaking his mind on the Senate floor — unafraid to disagree with his party and work across the political aisle

"John McCain had courage and patriotism flowing through his veins, and our nation drew strength and inspiration from that lifeblood,” Sen. Ed Markey said in a statement. “Whether it was the courage of a soldier during war, the courage of a legislator to reach across the aisle, or the courage of a husband and father to face a diagnosis with dignity and resolve, John McCain was a hero."

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