McCain: Senate "Won't Be the Same" Without Kennedy

By: Kevin Hechtkopf
Topics: Ted Kennedy

At the memorial service for Ted Kennedy tonight, Sen. John McCain paid tribute to his friend with stories about their time together in the Senate.

"He was good company, my friend, Ted," the Arizona Republican said. "He had the Irish talent for storytelling and for friendship."

In particular, McCain recalled an argument between the two on the Senate after they noticed two freshman senators arguing.

"You might think that two more senior members of the Senate would in such a situation counsel two junior members to observe the courtesies and comity, which, theoretically, are supposed to distinguish our debates," he said. "But Ted and I shared the sentiment that a fight not joined, was a fight not enjoyed. And irresistibly we were both drawn into a debate we had no particular interest in, but which suddenly looked like fun."

Here's more:

"I struck first, castigating the young Democratic Senator for abusing my Republican colleague. Before she could respond for herself, Ted rode valiantly to her rescue. And within minutes, he and I had forgotten why we were there, and what the debate was all about. We had probably even forgotten the names of our two colleagues. As one of us spoke, the other would circle the floor, agitated and anxious to fire back.

After a while, we must have thought the distance between our desks too great for either of us to hear each other clearly or that the presence of the clerk transcribing our exchange had become too distracting. And as if we had both heard some secret signal, we set down our microphones simultaneously and walked briskly to the well of the floor, where we could continue in closer quarters, and in language perhaps too…familiar…to be recorded for posterity, which, regrettably was still audible enough to be overheard by a few reporters, who were now leaning over the railing of the press gallery trying to ascertain just what the hell was going on between McCain and Kennedy."

CBSNews.com Special Report: Ted Kennedy

CBS News Special Report: Ted Kennedy - The Last Brother

McCain also talked about working with Kennedy on immigration reform legislation a few years ago, saying he was the "most reliable, the most prepared, and the most persistent member of the Senate."

"We had a daily morning meeting with other interested senators. He and I would meet for a few minutes in advance, and decide between us which members of our respective caucuses needed a little special encouragement or on occasion a little straight talk. If a member tried to back out of a previous commitment, Ted made certain they understood the consequences of their action. It didn't matter to him that the offender was a member of his own caucus," McCain said. "And though on most issues I very much wished he would give up, he taught me to be a better senator."

McCain concluded his remarks with the following sentiment: "After Labor Day, I'll go back to the Senate, and I'll try to be as persistent as Ted was, and as passionate for the work. I know I'm privileged serve there. But I think most of my colleagues would agree, the place won't be the same without him."

Read more on tonight's memorial service on CBSNews.com:

Family, Political Luminaries Honor Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy: We Have to Do What He Would Have Done
Biden: Kennedy's Legacy Is How We Look at One Another
McCain: Senate "Won't Be the Same" Without Kennedy
Kerry: Kennedy's Gift Was "Incomparable Love of Life"
Hatch: Kennedy and I Were Like "Fighting Brothers"
Dodd: "Teddy Changed Our America"
Rep. Joseph Kennedy: Teddy Was Always There
Photos: The Scene at the JFK Library Memorial
Photos: Speakers Pay Tribute to Kennedy

Kevin Hechtkopf
Kevin Hechtkopf is CBSNews.com's politics editor.
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by nextgenman09 August 29, 2009 7:24 AM EDT: by lorinkundert August 28, 2009 9:21 PM EDT
You are right about tha McCain, now the Senate will be one giant step further from the Socialist left and closer to being down to earth.
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I don't see how that's possible when McCain brought his campaign to a screeching halt to race back to Washington to vote for the Bush/Paulson $750 Billion Socialist Welfare Bailout for Banks.; Reply to this comment


by babooph August 29, 2009 2:26 AM EDT: Too bad we are not coming off 8 years of a Mc Cain presidency-less chance of 2 lost wars& no torture& concentration camp in Cuba-less religion & more morality!; Reply to this comment


by woeisme1 August 29, 2009 12:26 AM EDT: See. The thing is, Ted Kennedy was in the United States Senate for 47 years as you all know. Only two other Senators served longer than Ted Kennedy.

And Ted Kennedy wrote 2500 pieces of legislation in 40 years and 500 of them...thats 500!... were enacted into law! That is an astonishing feat when you considser that Americans feel our government is not doing their job. Ted Kennedy was faithful to his job.

Ted Kennedy served...SERVED...his constituency. He was the consumate politician we all cry today that we want representing us in Washington. He was tireless, loyal to the ideals of his constituency and those ideals reflected the greatness of our society - that greatness of our society which is measured by our treatment of the poor, the weak, the average American who struggles with the powers that be to make a living worth living, for himself, his wife, his children, his family. A living that afforded all Americans the opportunity to be productive in society.

Ted Kennedy represented us all. He was for the working man who each day faced the struggles that marked the difference between the haves and the have nots, the powerful and the less powerful, the rich and the less rich. And he dedicated his life to bridge those disparities, to acknowledge the humanity of Americans, to acknowledge the greatness of the dream and to keep its possibilities open to all who yearned to experience the greatness of the experiment called America.

He loved America. His family has been in American politics for nearly a century. His four brothers all died in service to this country. Joe Jr. in WW2., Jack who was our 35th and youngest President was assassinated. Robert, former Attorney General under his brother John, and later a candidate for President, was assassinated. And now Ted Kennedy.

No matter your political pursuasion, it did'nt matter to Kennedy. He was for us all. It would be, in my estimation, impossible to believe that inspite of Ted Kennedy's frailities, he did not hear the words, "Well done...my faithful servant".

Your life was an inspiration to many. We thank you.; Reply to this comment


by sanity4u August 29, 2009 12:14 AM EDT: McCain wouldn't amount to a pimple on Ted Kennedy's azz.; Reply to this comment

by kansas1946 August 28, 2009 10:46 PM EDT

And more soldiers and Marines are surviving IED blasts because they are riding in MRAPs. Smiling as I remembered Kennedy's determination to get these things into the battlefield, I glanced around at the soldiers I was riding with. A medic, 24 years old. Two specialists, both 20. A sergeant, 23. Up in the turret behind his .50-cal machine gun, a PFC, 19.
I considered telling them about Kennedy and his role in getting MRAPs out to the troops. But it was noisy, and they were preoccupied with the mission. And besides, I thought, Kennedy never wanted nor claimed credit, so I let it rest. But it is worth noting, as I learned of Sen. Edward Kennedy's death, that there are young Americans sent into harm's way out here, who are alive because of his good work.
On all their behalf: Thanks, Ted, and may God keep your soul.
*************************************************************

Teddy bullied the pentagon into getting these armoured vehicles ordered and then bullied the senate to find the money. More than Mr. we go to war with the sh** we have Rumsfeld.

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by jsd330 August 28, 2009 11:40 PM EDT: Right I'm sure he did it all by himself. He sure wasn't worried about the Viet Nam vets( oh I forgot we were soldiers of an unpopular war).


by woeisme1 August 28, 2009 10:38 PM EDT: Well. Caroline pretty much made it clear that she and the younger generation are part of history, a chain that cannot be broken and that they each owe it to the memory of Teddy to continue on in his stead. Think she's going to run for office? You can bet on it.

Man. I watched the ceremony tonight. I will say that the stories were so personal. None obviously rehearsed. At some points they were roasting him I thought. Teddy would have loved it.

Republicans, democrats, Mormons, Catholics, Prostestants, poor, rich, white, black, they were all there. And they were all telling the truth. That's amazing for a political event.; Reply to this comment

by tincup356 August 28, 2009 9:09 PM EDT

Who cares about ANY of these TRAITORS, they don't care about the people.....if they did.....they would represent US instead of the LOBBY DOLLAR,,,,I hope they ALL choke on GREED, they deserve it. Both parties are nothing but lobby dollar harlots.

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by User_00000000002945496845 August 28, 2009 10:45 PM EDT: I agree -- Limbaughricans an "blue dog" Democrats.


by User_00000000002945496845 August 29, 2009 7:28 AM EDT: Limbaughricans are out to destroy the good name of the Kennedy family because they fear it will be used to further the interest of the common man by way of health insurance reform.

The are right.

Health insurance reform should be passed in honor of the late Senator Kennedy, honored statesman and great America, because it was his passion to meet the needs of the downtrodden.

The Limbaughricans and "blue dog" Democrats are the same bunch that opposed civil rights -- another cause that the late great Senator Edward Kennedy championed.