Biden’s McCain Eulogy Turns Fiery as He Addresses Politics, Values and Abuse of Power

RUSH TRANSCRIPT that s ░░░░░░░░ John lived his life ░░░░░░░░ truth is John s ░░░░░░░░ was ageless Is ageless ░░░░░░░░ you talked earlier you ░░░░░░░░ about values It wasn ░░░░░░░░ about politics with John ░░░░░░░░ could disagree on substance ░░░░░░░░ the underlying values that ░░░░░░░░ everything John did everything ░░░░░░░░ was He could come ░░░░░░░░ a different conclusion but ░░░░░░░░ would part company with ░░░░░░░░ if you lacked the ░░░░░░░░ values of decency respect ░░░░░░░░ that this project is ░░░░░░░░ than yourself John s ░░░░░░░░ is the American story ░░░░░░░░ s not hyperbole It ░░░░░░░░ the American story Grounded ░░░░░░░░ respect and decency basic ░░░░░░░░ The intolerance for the ░░░░░░░░ of power Many of ░░░░░░░░ have traveled the world ░░░░░░░░ at how the rest ░░░░░░░░ the world looks at ░░░░░░░░ They look at us ░░░░░░░░ little naive We re ░░░░░░░░ fair so decent We ░░░░░░░░ the naive Americans but ░░░░░░░░ s who we are ░░░░░░░░ s who John was ░░░░░░░░ could not stand the ░░░░░░░░ of power Wherever he ░░░░░░░░ it in whatever form ░░░░░░░░ whatever country It s ░░░░░░░░ about basic values fairness ░░░░░░░░ dignity respect giving hate ░░░░░░░░ safe harbor leaving no ░░░░░░░░ behind and understanding that ░░░░░░░░ Americans we re part ░░░░░░░░ something much bigger than ░░░░░░░░ With John it was ░░░░░░░░ value set that was ░░░░░░░░ selfish nor self serving ░░░░░░░░ understood that America was ░░░░░░░░ and foremost an idea ░░░░░░░░ and risky Organized around ░░░░░░░░ tribe but around ideals ░░░░░░░░ of how he approached ░░░░░░░░ issue The ideals that ░░░░░░░░ have rallied around for ░░░░░░░░ 200 years the ideals ░░░░░░░░ world has repaired to ░░░░░░░░ idea enshrined in the ░░░░░░░░ Sounds corny We hold ░░░░░░░░ truths self evident that ░░░░░░░░ men are created equal ░░░░░░░░ by their creator with ░░░░░░░░ inalienable rights To John ░░░░░░░░ wor meaning As they ░░░░░░░░ for every great patriot ░░░░░░░░ has ever served this ░░░░░░░░ We both loved the ░░░░░░░░ Proudest years of my ░░░░░░░░ were being a United ░░░░░░░░ senator I was honored ░░░░░░░░ be vice president but ░░░░░░░░ a United States senator ░░░░░░░░ both lamented watching it ░░░░░░░░ During long debates in ░░░░░░░░ 80s and 90s as ░░░░░░░░ of the colleagues around ░░░░░░░░ would know I would ░░░░░░░░ go over and sit ░░░░░░░░ to John next to ░░░░░░░░ seat or he would ░░░░░░░░ over on the democratic ░░░░░░░░ and sit next to ░░░░░░░░ I m not joking ░░░░░░░░ would sit there and ░░░░░░░░ to each other I ░░░░░░░░ remember the day when ░░░░░░░░ came out to see ░░░░░░░░ we reminisced about it ░░░░░░░░ was in 96 and ░░░░░░░░ were about to adjourn ░░░░░░░░ what we call the ░░░░░░░░ There s a luncheon ░░░░░░░░ a week that all ░░░░░░░░ Democratic senators have lunch ░░░░░░░░ and all the Republican ░░░░░░░░ And we both went ░░░░░░░░ our caucus and coincidentally ░░░░░░░░ were approached by our ░░░░░░░░ leaders with the same ░░░░░░░░ it was raised as ░░░░░░░░ Joe it doesn t ░░░░░░░░ good you sitting next ░░░░░░░░ John all the time ░░░░░░░░ to god Same thing ░░░░░░░░ said to John in ░░░░░░░░ caucus That s when ░░░░░░░░ began to change for ░░░░░░░░ worse in America in ░░░░░░░░ Senate That s when ░░░░░░░░ changed What happened was ░░░░░░░░ those times it was ░░░░░░░░ appropriate to challenge another ░░░░░░░░ s judgment Never appropriate ░░░░░░░░ challenge their motive When ░░░░░░░░ challenged their motive it ░░░░░░░░ impossible to get to ░░░░░░░░ If I say you ░░░░░░░░ doing this because you ░░░░░░░░ being paid off if ░░░░░░░░ say you re doing ░░░░░░░░ because you re not ░░░░░░░░ good Christian if I ░░░░░░░░ you re doing this ░░░░░░░░ you re this that ░░░░░░░░ the other thing it ░░░░░░░░ impossible to reach consensus ░░░░░░░░ about it in your ░░░░░░░░ lives All we do ░░░░░░░░ is attack the opposition ░░░░░░░░ both parties their motives ░░░░░░░░ the substance of their ░░░░░░░░ This is the mid ░░░░░░░░ It began to go ░░░░░░░░ from there The last ░░░░░░░░ John was on the ░░░░░░░░ floor look what he ░░░░░░░░ fighting to do He ░░░░░░░░ fighting to restore what ░░░░░░░░ call regular order to ░░░░░░░░ to treat one another ░░░░░░░░ like we used to ░░░░░░░░ was never perfect John ░░░░░░░░ know that We were ░░░░░░░░ a long time together ░░░░░░░░ I watched teddy Kennedy ░░░░░░░░ James Eastman fight like ░░░░░░░░ on civil rights then ░░░░░░░░ have lunch together in ░░░░░░░░ Senate dining room John ░░░░░░░░ to see quote regular ░░░░░░░░ writ large get to ░░░░░░░░ one another You know ░░░░░░░░ and I were both ░░░░░░░░ and I think Lindsey ░░░░░░░░ at one of these ░░░░░░░░ where John and I ░░░░░░░░ two prestigious awards the ░░░░░░░░ year I was vice ░░░░░░░░ and then one immediately ░░░░░░░░ for our dignity and ░░░░░░░░ we showed to one ░░░░░░░░ We received an award ░░░░░░░░ civility in public life ░░░░░░░░ s a college allegheny ░░░░░░░░ puts out this prestigious ░░░░░░░░ every year for bipartisanship ░░░░░░░░ and I looked at ░░░░░░░░ other and said what ░░░░░░░░ the hell s going ░░░░░░░░ here No not a ░░░░░░░░ I said to senator ░░░░░░░░ that s how it ░░░░░░░░ supposed to be You ░░░░░░░░ getting an award I ░░░░░░░░ serious Think about this ░░░░░░░░ an award for your ░░░░░░░░ Getting an award for ░░░░░░░░ Classic John the one ░░░░░░░░ allegheny college hundreds of ░░░░░░░░ there got the award ░░░░░░░░ John the Senate was ░░░░░░░░ session so he spoke ░░░░░░░░ and as he walked ░░░░░░░░ the stage and I ░░░░░░░░ on he looked at ░░░░░░░░ and said Joe don ░░░░░░░░ take it personal but ░░░░░░░░ just don t want ░░░░░░░░ hear what the hell ░░░░░░░░ had to say and ░░░░░░░░ One of John s ░░░░░░░░ campaign people is now ░░░░░░░░ the Senate with the ░░░░░░░░ of Ohio was on ░░░░░░░░ morning I happened to ░░░░░░░░ it He said that ░░░░░░░░ and McCain had this ░░░░░░░░ relationship They always seemed ░░░░░░░░ have each other s ░░░░░░░░ Whenever I was in ░░░░░░░░ John was the first ░░░░░░░░ there I hope I ░░░░░░░░ there for him And ░░░░░░░░ never hesitate to give ░░░░░░░░ other advice He would ░░░░░░░░ me in the middle ░░░░░░░░ the campaign and say ░░░░░░░░ the hell did you ░░░░░░░░ that for It was ░░░░░░░░ an issue You just ░░░░░░░░ up Joe I occasionally ░░░░░░░░ call him Look I ░░░░░░░░ been thinking this week ░░░░░░░░ why John s death ░░░░░░░░ hit the country so ░░░░░░░░ Yes he was a ░░░░░░░░ serving senator with a ░░░░░░░░ record Yes he was ░░░░░░░░ two time presidential candidate ░░░░░░░░ captured the support and ░░░░░░░░ of the American people ░░░░░░░░ yes John was a ░░░░░░░░ hero and demonstrated extraordinary ░░░░░░░░ I think of John ░░░░░░░░ I must say my ░░░░░░░░ when I think of ░░░░░░░░ s word when the ░░░░░░░░ defies fear when duty ░░░░░░░░ the gauntlet down to ░░░░░░░░ when honor scorns to ░░░░░░░░ with death that is ░░░░░░░░ Everybody knows that about ░░░░░░░░