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Former President George W. Bush issued a statement saying, \"Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order.\"

\"He was a public servant in the finest traditions of our country. And to me, he was a friend whom I'll deeply miss. Laura and I send our heartfelt sympathies to Cindy and the entire McCain family, and our thanks to God for the life of John McCain.\"

Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, added that McCain was \"a public servant of rarest courage.\"

\"Few sacrificed more for, or contributed more to, the welfare of his fellow citizens -- and indeed freedom-loving peoples around the world,\" Bush Sr. wrote in a statement. \"Another American maverick and warrior, General George Patton, once observed: 'We should thank God that men such as these have lived.' To that, I can only add my gratitude to John's wife Cindy, his wonderful family, and the people of Arizona who permitted this great and good man to serve with such distinction in the world's greatest deliberative body.\"

\"PHOTO:
Ross D. Franklin/AP
PHOTO: With a police escort, a long procession follows the hearse carrying the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, along Interstate 17 en route to Phoenix, Aug. 25, 2018, in Anthem, Ariz.
>

Former President Bill Clinton described McCain as a \"skilled, tough politician,\" who was willing to work with colleagues on both sides of the political aisle.

\"Senator John McCain believed that every citizen has a responsibility to make something of the freedoms given by our Constitution, and from his heroic service in the Navy to his 35 years in Congress, he lived by his creed every day,\" Clinton said in a statement.

Clinton said his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was honored to serve with McCain in the Senate and considered him a \"trusted colleague.\"

\"He frequently put partisanship aside to do what he thought was best for the country, and was never afraid to break the mold if it was the right thing to do,\" Clinton said.

Former President Jimmy Carter called McCain \"a man of honor, a true patriot in the best sense of the word.\"

\"Americans will be forever grateful for his heroic military service and for his steadfast integrity as a member of the United States Senate,\" Carter wrote in a statement. \"Rosalynn and I extend our sincere condolences to Senator McCain's family and to the people of Arizona whom he represented so forthrightly for so many years.\"

\"PHOTO:
Porter Gifford/Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: John Mccain declares his candidacy for President of the U.S., on Sept. 27, 1999, in Nahua, N.H.
>

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who forged a close friendship with McCain, said McCain \"is proof that some truths are timeless. Character. Courage. Integrity. Honor.\"

\"A life lived embodying those truths casts a long, long shadow. John McCain will cast a long shadow. His impact on America hasn't ended. Not even close,\" Biden said. \"It will go on for many years to come.\"

Another close friend of McCain, Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., tweeted that \"America and Freedom have lost one of her greatest champions. ....And I've lost one of my dearest friends and mentor.\"

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would introduce a resolution to rename the Russell Senate Office Building after McCain.

\"As you go through life, you meet few truly great people. John McCain was one of them,\" Schumer wrote in a statement. \"His dedication to his country and the military were unsurpassed, and maybe most of all, he was a truth teller -- never afraid to speak truth to power in an era where that has become all too rare. The Senate, the United States, and the world are lesser places without John McCain.\"

In the hours following McCain's death, accolades continued to come from national Republican and Democratic leaders, many of them also McCain's closest friends, and celebrities:

-- Sen. Jeff Flake, McCain's Republican Senate colleague from Arizona, said, \"Words cannot express the sorrow I feel at John McCain’s passing. The world has lost a hero and a statesman. Cindy and the McCain family have lost a loving husband and father. I have lost a wonderful friend.

-- House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., called McCain \"a giant of our time, not just for the things he achieved but for who he was and what he fought for all his life.\" Ryan said. \"John put principle before politics. He put country before self. He was one of the most courageous men of the century. He will always be listed among freedom's most gallant and faithful servants.\"

Photos: Senator John McCain through the years

-- Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., simply said, \"The nation is in tears.\" Pelosi added, \"Compelled by his unshakeable faith and deep love of country, he dedicated his life to defending both America and the American idea -- fighting tirelessly to ensure that our nation always remains a land of justice, freedom and hope.\"

-- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said of McCain, \"In an era filled with cynicism about national unity and public service, John McCain's life shone as a bright example. He showed us that boundless patriotism and self-sacrifice are not outdated concepts or clichés, but the building blocks of an extraordinary American life.\"

-- Former Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who McCain said was his first choice as a running mate in his 2008 presidential run, said that although McCain's death was expected, the loss still hurts. \"America has lost one of the greatest patriots and public servants in our history. And I have lost a dear friend. I was lucky to know him and work with him and am comforted now by great memories of our times together and by the words he spoke to me last summer when he was recovering from the brain cancer surgery: 'I want to live as long as I can but if my life ends soon as a result of this cancer, I will have been blessed to have lived a great life. So I am going to go forward with a lot of gratitude and joy every day I can.'\"

-- Ellen Degeneres said she was \"honored to have met\" McCain. \"He always stood up for what he believed was right. Sending love to his family on this very sad day for our country.\"

ABC News' Meghan Keneally contributed to this report.

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