With watery eyes but a thankful smile, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said "I'm just fine" as he returns to the Senate this week amid "a challenge" of a "virulent" form of brain cancer, continuing to "celebrate a wonderful life" and wanting to be remembered merely for having "served his country," hopefully "honorably."
"I have just more energy than ever," a reflective Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told CNN's "State of the Union."
"I'm just fine, but the fact is, you know, I'm facing a challenge," he said. "'ve faced other challenges, and I'm very confident about getting through this one as well."
The emotional interview with CNN's Jake Tapper concluded with a question on how the longtime American senator would want to be remembered.
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"He served his country – and not always right, made a lot of mistakes, made a lot of errors, but served his country," McCain responded. "And I hope we could add honorably."
Sen. McCain, 81, told Tapper "I'm getting the best treatment that anybody could get" before reflecting on his long, "wonderful" life.
"And I'm very happy," he added. "I'm very happy with my life. I'm very happy with what I have been able to do. And there's two ways of looking at these things. And one of them is to celebrate. I am able to celebrate a wonderful life, and I will be grateful for additional time that I have."
McCain knows the seriousness of his brain cancer diagnosis might end his life sooner than later, because, as he said, "every life has to end one way or another."
"I'm not trying to paint this as a rosy picture," McCain told Tapper. "This is a very virulent form of cancer. It has to be fought against...
"I always knew that no one could live forever, but I thought there might be one exception," McCain said, quoting a playwright. "So, you've got to have joy, joy. Listen, those joyful memories of the campaign in 2000 are some of the most enjoyable times of my life. We were the underdogs. We were fighting our way up...Remember, I'm the guy that stood fifth from the bottom of his class at the naval academy."
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