McCain funeral speakers expected to include Bush and Obama

Presidents past and present joined members of Congress from both parties and world leaders in mourning Sen. John McCain and praising him for a lifetime of service and accomplishments.

Former Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama, who blocked the Arizona Republican's own White House ambitions, are among those expected to speak at McCain's funeral.

"These were bitter contests, both of them," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and "to ask them to speak at your funeral, and for them to be honoured at the opportunity, that tells you all you need to know."
Flake told CBS' "Face the Nation" that McCain "was quick to forgive - certainly put the good of the country above himself, and the fact that his former opponents will be there speaking says all we need to know."
A statement from Ducey's office said that "now is a time for remembering and honoring a consequential life."
Obama, who triumphed over McCain in 2008, said that despite their differences, McCain and he shared a "fidelity to something higher - the ideals for which generations of Americans and immigrants alike have fought, marched, and sacrificed."
Obama said they "saw our political battles, even, as a privilege, something noble, an opportunity to serve as stewards of those high ideals at home, and to advance them around the world."
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in English that McCain "was a true American hero. He devoted his entire life to his country."
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said McCain's support for the Jewish state "never wavered. It sprang from his belief in democracy and freedom."
And Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, called McCain "a tireless fighter for a strong trans-Atlantic alliance. His significance went well beyond his own country."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, called McCain a "fascinating personality."
"He would occasionally be in a bad place with various members, including myself, and when this would blow over it was like nothing ever happened," McConnell said Saturday after a GOP state dinner in Lexington, Kentucky. "He also had a wicked sense of humor and it made every tense moment come out better."
Former Vice President Joe Biden, who developed a friendship with McCain while they served together in the Senate, said the Arizona lawmaker will "cast a long shadow."