AP PHOTO/SUSAN WALSH
AGING
BULL
banner in 2008. And his reemergence gives the war hero and former Vietnam prisoner of war an
opportunity to be remembered at
the end of his career for things
other than a disappointing presidential run that associated him
indelibly with former Alaska
Gov. Sarah Palin, who he chose
as his running mate.
McCain knows he is living out
the closing chapters of a storied
career. During our interview, he
spoke frankly about his current
role in politics, and his clashes
HUFFINGTON
03.31.13
with the Obama administration
and members of his own party.
And he expressed concern that he
not overstay his welcome in the
Senate, raising questions about
whether he intends to run for reelection in 2016 at age 80.
But he is also a restless soul,
who cannot stand still for long.
McCain wrote in his 2002 book,
Worth the Fighting For, that one
of his favorite quotes came from
his mentor, former Sen. John
Tower (R-Texas). “Son, don’t let
your shirttail hit you in the ass.
Keep running,” Tower used to say.
McCain told me it was this sort
of mindset that helped keep him
McCain
addresses
Chuck Hagel
(center)
during the
Senate
Armed
Services
Committee
hearing
on Hagel’s
Secretary
of Defense
nomination.