Former President George W. Bush, John McCain's one-time bitter political rival, recalled the late senator Saturday as a man who loved freedom, detested the abuse of power and wasn't afraid to take on anyone, including presidents.
"He was honest, no matter who it offended," Bush said in his eulogy at the National Cathedral. "Presidents were not spared. He was honorable, always recognizing that his opponents were patriots and human beings."
McCain's personal invitation to Bush, and to former President Barack Obama, to speak at the memorial service, was as much a gesture toward bipartisanship as was his pointed refusal to invite President Donald Trump.
The invitation to Bush was especially striking, given the animosity between the two men over the 2000 GOP primary.
