John McCain, Arizona Republican, Two-Time Presidential Candidate and Decorated Navy Vet, Dies at 81

Source: PBS NewsHour

Statement from Governor Andrew Cuomo 

"America lost one of her greatest warriors today. "At a time of political division and hostility, Senator McCain was a maverick who was willing to put principles above party. While I did not always agree with his positions, he was a public servant who indisputably aimed to put country over party. 

"When he spoke to the Naval Academy in October 2017, Senator McCain offered lessons 'about sacrificing for something more important than yourself,' and about 'the meaning and responsibilities of honor.' Few people knew more about that word than he did. 

"John McCain championed bipartisan efforts to implement campaign finance reform and build a fairer immigration system. And his historic vote to save the Affordable Care Act - with a memorable thumbs down - protected health care for millions of Americans. 

"It was not just his well-known heroism in the Vietnam War, and the extraordinary ordeal he endured as a prisoner of war. John McCain gave his life in service to this nation, exemplifying all that we admire in a hero. He was a warrior and a statesman, in the old-fashioned sense. In his own way, he spoke truth to power. He criticized Republicans and Democrats alike. John McCain criticized all of us. Because in his mind, those of us who are privileged to hold public office can never work hard enough for the people of this country. He was right. 

"He was born before the Second World War, and in many ways he seemed like a hero from the greatest generation, if not from a much older time. We know how much he sacrificed for his country; though he was never one to complain. We know it all the more powerfully because of his reticence to talk about it. He never boasted in any way. Yet he was the embodiment of courage and sacrifice. 

"Near the end of his commencement address in Annapolis, he urged his young audience to avoid a 'polarized politics, which exaggerates our differences' and 'looks for scapegoats instead of answers.' He knew war, and he knew politics, and he knew that they did not have to resemble each other as much as they do. 

"Let all Americans unite, as he wanted us to, in honoring one of the finest public servants in our history. He was a Republican who loved this Republic. He was a democrat - small d - who stood for the best of democracy. Godspeed, Senator McCain." 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo