Ted Kennedy's Son Remembers His Father's Friendship With John McCain
(CNN) -- Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, the son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, on Monday fondly remembered his father's friendship with the late Sen. John McCain, saying the two maintained ties despite their political differences.
"They both recognized and loved each other's passion. For my father's part, everyone knew how passionate (Ted Kennedy) was and that was known for John McCain. He really loved the fight, but he never let that get in the way of respect," Kennedy told CNN "New Day" co-anchor John Berman. "And that's what is missing in today's politics, that genuine respect for democracy."
Keller @ Large: McCain Had A Special Relationship With Massachusetts
Ted Kennedy, a Democrat known as the "Lion of the Senate," for his long tenure in the Senate chamber, died in 2009 from glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer. McCain died Saturday at the age of 81 on the anniversary of Sen. Kennedy's death from the same type of cancer.
Patrick Kennedy on Monday said McCain respected his father, despite his political affiliation.
"He knew that my father cared for this country. He knew that my father lost his brothers for this country. He knew that my father was part of this country and respected that. And my father genuinely loved and respected John McCain," he said. "It's an example of what we need today and that is that even though they disagreed, they were always searching for ways to put their country ahead of their party. It sounds trite, but no, not at all -- These days we're living in, we really need people to have that as their goal."
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