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The Capital City Contemplates The Possibility Of A Washington Without John McCain

Outspoken defense hawk. Informal diplomat. Vietnam War hero. The seemingly indestructible McCain has been a pillar of Washington for decades. What could it mean if he does not return?
Sen. John McCain's diagnosis of brain cancer could eventually leave the Senate without its irascible military hawk who never holds back.

Updated at 12:24 p.m. ET

Beltway denizens heading to work on Thursday were forced to contemplate something inevitable but which no one expected anytime soon: the possibility of a Washington without Sen. John McCain.

McCain, the irascible old living legend. McCain, the Vietnam War hero. McCain, the globe-trotting State Department of one. McCain, the outspoken hawk who championed American troops — and Pentagon spending — and also pilloried the defense contractors he felt let them all down.

McCain, the Senate institution as much a fixture of the capital as the Capitol itself.

The 80-year-old Arizona Republican , his office confirmed late Wednesday, following surgery to remove a.

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