Sen. John McCain received this year’s National Constitution Center Liberty Medal in Philadelphia on Monday night and was honored by former Vice President Joe Biden
Biden called the longtime Arizona sentor a dear friend and praised his courage and loyalty.
The two met when McCain served as the Navy’s liaison to the Senate Foreign Relations committee in the 1970s while Biden was on the committee, he said.
“He jokes he carried my bags,” Biden said. “He never carried my bags.”
Over the years, Biden said, the two counseled each other. When McCain first ran for office, Biden was encouraging.
In the 1990s, Biden said the two were chastised by their parties for sitting together during debates. In recent years, the two have been honored for their bipartisanship.
“We don’t understand why you should get an award for bipartisanship,” Biden said.
The former vice president said he never expected to find himself on the ballot against McCain, as he did during the 2008 presidential race. During the campaign, he said he remembered offering to defend the Republican nominee after a number of attacks.
“Boy, was my team angry as hell at me,” Biden said.
Biden said McCain was always someone his sons admired and their families remain close.
McCain said of his many years of service, “I see now that I was part of something important.”
Starbucks founder Howard Schultz also spoke at the event, praising the senator’s vote against the repeal of Obamacare earlier this year, service in the Navy, and bravery for his time as a prisoner of war durign the Vietnam War.
McCain, who diagnosed with brain cancer earlier this year, has served six terms in the Senate.
