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Montana politics, elections and legislative news

To Honor John McCain, Montana Gov Orders Flags To Half-Staff

John McCain in a U.S. Senate portrait from 2012.
John McCain in a U.S. Senate portrait from 2012.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock says all flags flown in the state will be lowered for seven days to honor U.S. Sen. John McCain. Bullock says flags will fly at half-staff from Monday, August 27 until McCain is buried on Sunday.

The Arizona Republican died Saturday of brain cancer.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock orders flags in the state to be flown at half-staff in honor of deceased Sen. John McCain, August 27, 2018.
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock orders flags in the state to be flown at half-staff in honor of deceased Sen. John McCain, August 27, 2018.

Montana Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines both issued statements praising McCain for his service. Former Montana Senator Max Baucus served alongside McCain in the Senate for 28 years, and called him a “great guy.”

"He’s intense and he’s driven," Baucus says. "He's an amazing guy. He very much subscribes to the military code of honor. Stands up for America. He’s a patriot. He’s honest, he’s direct. You may not always agree with him, and he may not always agree with you, but he says what he thinks. He speaks truth to power, because he has all the credibility to do so."

Governor Bullock’s proclamation calls McCain a hero in war and in Congress. Bullock says McCain's moral courage, perseverance and ability to work with all who wanted to advance American values will never be forgotten.

Eric Whitney is NPR's Mountain West/Great Plains Bureau Chief, and was the former news director for Montana Public Radio.
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