Bush, Obama set to wish McCain the final farewell
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the president asked me to be here on behalf of a grateful nation to pay a debt of honour and respect to a man who served our country throughout his life in uniform and in public office1 late us senator john mccain will receive his final public sendoff saturday in a nationally televised ceremony featuring eulogies from two ex-presidents but with current commander in chief donald trump conspicuously absent from the proceedings1 that the men who vanquished mccain in their presidential battles were asked to speak is testament to the former war prisoners commitment to looking beyond party and signalling that americans regardless of political affiliation are rowing together in the same boat1 amid todays inflammatory political environment the message could serve as a soothing balm for a nation bruised by two years of divisive discourse1 and the absence of trump whose bitter feud with mccain has wrangled us politics during that time will serve as a final rebuke of the president highlighting the clash between a republican elder statesman and the current president from his own party1 mccains last public event before he is laid to rest sunday in a private ceremony at the us naval academy in annapolis maryland comes a day after he was accorded the rare recognition of lying in state in the us capitol1 while members of congress honored one of their own in a touching ceremony that featured an address by vice president mike pence trump was again not there1 instead he holed up in the white house and remained uncharacteristically silent on twitter during the ceremony before flying to a political event in north carolina later in the day1 mccains widow cindy his seven children and his 106-year-old mother roberta mccain joined scores of members of congress state governors diplomats and other dignitaries at the somber rotunda ceremony1 pence in his tribute told mccains family that it is deeply humbling to stand before you today at the united states capitol to commemorate the life and service of an american patriot1 republican george w. bush and democrat barack obama will deliver remarks honoring their friend and former white house challenger at a memorial service in washingtons national cathedral that mccain planned himself in recent months as he battled brain cancer1 it was an awkward message to deliver from a president who has studiously refrained from praising mccain either during his illness or since his death1 their feud took root during trumps 2016 campaign when he questioned the notion mccain was a war hero because he had been captured after his navy fighter jet was shot down over hanoi in 19671 mccain pushed back in the following months calling trumps behaviour petty and disgraceful and in one of his final acts in the senate blocked the republican effort to repeal obamas health care law known as obamacare1 mccain the aviator spent more than five years in a vietnamese prison camp returning home to launch a political career that saw him eventually run for president in 2000 but lose the nomination to bush1 eight years later he won the nomination in a contest that seemed almost predestined only to lose the election to obama who became americas first black president1 saturdays ceremony could serve as a rehabilitation of sorts for bush who will be delivering one of his most high-profile addresses since leaving the white house nearly 10 years ago1 he has endured deep criticism for controversially leading the us into war in iraq an invasion that mccain steadfastly supported at first but eventually grew to believe was a mistake1 for obama the moment will allow him to share his thoughts about a presidential campaign rival whose magnanimity in defeat only boosted his stature as an american statesman1 tonight more than any night i hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens whether they supported me or senator obama mccain said at the time1 i wish godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president1