“... I am no longer ever going to run
for president of the United States … ”
AGING
BULL
have seen individuals, men, who
were at the top of their game and
stayed to the point where they
were not only not at the top of
their game, but they were kind of
objects of our sympathy. I don’t
want to be one of those.”
Still, it’s difficult to imagine
McCain stopping. After speaking
in his office, we got into a green
four-door Ford Fusion being
driven by one of McCain’s young
staffers, and rode away from
the Capitol toward downtown.
We got out in front of the Grand
Army of the Republic statue at
7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue as dusk was settling among
the gray buildings.
“Where are we going?” McCain
asked one of his aides, who was on
her cell phone getting directions.
We stood there for a few minutes
in the cold, McCain without a
coat, turning around and around,
as a homeless man on a bench
about 30 feet away looked at us in
mild surprise.
McCain chuckled. “Where are
we?” he said. He appeared to be
enjoying the moment of levity,
and laughing quietly at his own
situation: a U.S. senator lost for
HUFFINGTON
03.31.13
a few seconds on the streets of
D.C. But there was a slight hint of
displeasure. McCain has always
been in a hurry. He is a man of
action who cannot abide a lack
of movement. He kept his impatience in check, and we figured
out where we were headed.
McCain made his way across
7th Street to the Navy Memorial,
through a crowd in the lobby of
the visitors center, and into a
back room to greet the panelists.
Once on stage, he made introductory remarks, and thanked
the four panelists. He also mentioned the moderator, Jenna Lee
of Fox News.
“Jenna, I would thank you for
your participation. I never watch
Fox, so, thank you very much,” McCain said, drawing laughter from
the crowd of about 300 in the auditorium. It wasn’t clear
whether he was joking.
HuffPost
reporter
Jon Ward
discusses
McCain’s
status on
the “fringe
of his party.”
Tap here
to watch the
full video on
HuffPost Live.