His final visit.
Senator John McCain made his last visit to the Capitol on Friday, lying in state in Washington before he is buried in Annapolis. And, in a final send-off, the Washington skies welcomed the flag-draped coffin with a summer rain.
McCain is the 31st person to lie in state at the Capitol, the honor was most recently bestowed on the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii). Photos and videos of McCain’s body entering the rotunda ricocheted across social media.
John McCain’s flag-draped casket diligently carried up the steps, in the rain, to the U. S. Capitol, where he will lie in the state. His family watches on. https://t.co/wPTNYJ2v8i pic.twitter.com/VL325c6TQc
— ABC News (@ABC) August 31,2018
Inside the Capitol, a series of politicians and dignitaries were waiting to greet McCain’s body. In one photo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein are pictured beside Florida Governor Rick Scott and President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor, John Bolton.
Though expected after a long battle with brain cancer, McCain’s death rocked Washington last Saturday. He was an icon of the town and just about everybody had a story about the Arizona lawmaker. On CNN, a tearful Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said, “I’ve admired him for my entire life, and it’s tough to imagine the Senate without him. It’s tough to imagine politics without John McCain.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S. C.), one of McCain’s best friends in the upper chamber, delivered an emotional speech on the Senate floor, saying, “If you want to help the country, be more like John McCain.” He later said, “It’s going to be a hell of a week. We’re trying to give him the send-off he deserves.”
On Thursday, former Vice President Joe Biden wept as he memorialized McCain at a service in Arizona, beginning his remarks, “I’m a Democrat. And I loved John McCain,” and ended with a line from Shakespeare: We shall not see his like again.
On Sunday, McCain will be buried in Annapolis, near the Naval Academy where he was once a student. He comes from a line of Naval warriors — his father and grandfather were both admirals and are buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, just outside Washington.
Alex is a Washington DC based contributor. He is from Delaware and holds a degree in English from Salisbury University. Find him on Twitter @AlexThoma… more
