lives. john mccain was held captive five.5 years. over the past few days, there are many people that made the point they appreciate that service a great deal, even though many did not always agree with his politics. clearly here today as she comes to honor those lost in the war. they have come to connhonor her. can you see the family and the motorcade there and her husband. you see they ve already gathered. they re awaiting the u.s. military honor guard the body bearers. they will take the casket down those stairs and into the casket. the motorcade will then head over to the vietnam veteran s memorial. our presidential historian doug las brinkley is watching this. give us some historic am perspective. you know we play a quip a minute a go where john mccain said i have no quarrel with god.
see that. doug, your reflection? really, i was thinking back, when have we ever mourned a senator like this. you have to go back to robert kennedy, 50 years ago. ted kennedy. and he was shot, then ted kennedy, with the interest in the kennedy family, but i think mccain is more than a senator, and not just the vietnam background, he is the hero of the cold war. we had john glenn and neil armstrong, but mccain is a hero representing his vietnam generation in a meaningful, poignant way. expanding other generations as well. jamie was saying earlier, he had a young following. his presidential campaigns were the early people were excited and moved by his movement. it would almost be fitting if that was parked outside the cathedral. that s who he was. as we sit and watch this,
they were mugging for the cameras and joking about the sharp edge and that was part of mccain s gift, that he could have these titanic battles and move on and move on. and that spirit of forgiveness of shared service and so on, i think is something that s been kun indicated throughout the week. i think it will be in large doses communicated today. doug, he was always ready to work. he was a conservative republican with the most liberal democrat, like russ feingold or ted kennedy on specific issues close to his heart. there is no question, he s a poster person for bipartisanship. there is a national longing for it right now. and who has been left out of this is donald trump and bill clinton. because they may not have been a handshake agreement times. i think with barack obama the integrity factor.