John McCain was more than a senator or a politician. He was a way of life, a statesman whose sacrifices and devotion to the country made him a celebrity both in the United States and around the world. There is a reason so many public figures, from Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to Angela Merkel, David Cameron, and Masoud Barzani are delivering tributes to McCain and his family: He was a permanent fixture on the world stage. McCain earned the respect, admiration, and envy of colleagues on both sides of the political aisle during his 30-year Senate career.
McCain’s passing leaves a gaping hole on Capitol Hill. While his persona as a maverick may be a tad overstated, there is no question whatsoever that the Arizonan was a fiercely independent politician and an equal-opportunity crank during congressional hearings. When administration witnesses appearing before his committee weren’t being forthright, or if McCain believed the witness was attempting to dodge the question and have it both ways, there would be hell to pay — usually in the mold of a loud, intense, humiliating public scolding that the cameras wouldn’t be able to avoid. He expected logical, commonsense answers, whether the witness was Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during the Abu Ghraib scandal or Secretary of State John Kerry during hearings about the Iran nuclear agreement.
