Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin praised her former running mate, Sen. John McCain, on Saturday following his death, saying the country lost an “American original” and heralding McCain for inspiring others.
“Sen. John McCain was a maverick and a fighter, never afraid to stand for his beliefs,” Palin, a Republican, said in a statement. “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.”
[Related: Obama mourns McCain death: ‘We are all in his debt’]
McCain was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008 and selected Palin as the vice-presidential candidate.
The Arizona senator, however, went on to lose to then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in the 2008 presidential election.
McCain wrote in his new book, The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations, he regretted not picking Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-Independent, as his running mate.
McCain, 81, died following a yearlong battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. His family said in a statement Friday that McCain decided to discontinue medical treatment.
