house senate career john_mccain iii retired united_states_navy april years service spent navy liaison united states senate moved arizona new wife aided job father law contacts gave soon began new career politics elected republican arizona 1st congressional district serving terms making impression rising political figure elected senator arizona senators scandal late 1980s survived elected generally american established reputation political willingness republican issues reaction experience campaign finance reform signature concerns leader diplomatic relations vietnam national visibility senator gave basis begin campaign republican nomination president united_states entry politics house campaign having moved phoenix march went work new father law large beer vice president little interest beer business instead preferring talk colleagues current events carrying job able gain political support local business community meeting powerful figures banker real estate developer newspaper publisher duke locally known auto dealer looking electoral opportunity original plan run new seat arizona created following census turned far phoenix longtime republican congressman arizona 1st congressional district announced retirement january years congress seat encompassed portion phoenix metropolitan area close lived wife bought house district day rhodes announcement rhodes suggested run gain experience interest slowly working way ran seat republican formally announced candidacy late march faced candidates republican primary real contest heavily republican district entered race state senator state representative active civic figure given good chance win primary election ranked best early polls spring heat phoenix summer wife campaigned door door hours day days week exhausting schedule combined hair color led nicknamed white tornado assisted day wife familiar legal procedural matters supporters dubbed navy stressed familiarity ways washington role liaison helped bring defense contract district newcomer state hit repeated charges finally candidates forum gave famous voter making charge listen pal spent years navy father navy grandfather navy military service tend lot live parts country parts world wish luxury like growing living spending entire life nice place like district arizona things matter fact think place lived longest life phoenix gazette columnist later label devastating response potentially troublesome political issue heard campaign fell early debt wife began tens thousands dollars alive donations came executives amounts grew large forced returned close primary able opponents half primary expenditures financed eventual wife lent campaign agreement kept family assets finances apart file separate income tax returns end loan spending advantage felt television advertising including highly effective minute mini documentary presented new leader arizona record service country rival later called best political commercial seen endorsed senator friend mentor liaison stint turn got endorsement arizona governor senator arizona senator state powerful political figure officially neutral race aides working opponents said view political despite military service late race appeared public statement critical tower persuaded confirm reporters damage limited benefited support duke state powerful newspaper won highly contested primary election september getting percent vote compared russell percent percent percent expected victory general election months later defeating democrat percent percent margin congressman house years immediate impression congress background social skills contacts navy senate liaison job popular star new house members elected president republican freshman class representatives lobbying republican leadership assigned assignment wanted develop expertise issues relevant state including water rights public land management native american affairs assigned important arizona large retired population eventually indian affairs fulfilled campaign pledge return congressional district weekend making trips year met frequently constituents public appearances combined wife decision live arizona washington helped political base arizona sponsored number indian affairs bills dealing mainly distribution lands reservations tribal tax status bills unsuccessful august voted bill making day federal holiday saying expensive federal holidays measure failed years earlier passed house signed law later year politics point mainly line president ronald_reagan later describe greatest political influence embraced core reagan convictions faith individual skepticism government free trade vigorous capitalism strong defense robust championed values abroad important stated belief america national greatness supported favor school prayer opposed abortion aspects foreign policy reagan administration including stance soviet_union supported reagan administration policy central american conflicts including invasion support nicaragua early 1980s served board chapter international group things aided rebels nicaragua suspected council illegal activity resigned voted resolution allowing president reagan marines deployed lebanon grounds objectives lebanon catastrophic barracks bombing month later stance party president gained national media exposure started reputation political sided group young conservatives battles house democratic leadership declined join felt personal affection democratic speaker established good relations democrats house especially won election house easily facing republican primary opposition defeating democratic energy analyst percent vote percent general election subsequent arizona campaigns rarely emphasized vietnam prisoner war experiences new term gained spot addition existing assignments got signed law following year worked early attempts legislation indian gaming took moderate stands environment social issues applauded concerns african americans groups returned vietnam special saw monument famous downed air pirate pulled lake return trips voted reagan veto comprehensive anti act imposed sanctions south_africa december visited chilean dictator member admiral told meetings friendly warm described obsessed dangers communism likened statement support bid remain president publicly known meeting widely reported latin american mainstream press visit opposition leaders trip ambassador recently ministers refused meet january senator visited opposition leaders later called chilean government respect upcoming chilean national children wife child daughter followed son known jack son james brought abandoned month old girl badly needed medical treatment severe run decided adopt named drawn adoption process began slowed uncertainty exact fate girl father adoption ruled final stood wife disclosed previous addiction said hoped publicity drug courage struggles beginning early 1990s began attending member arizona later saying found message fundamental nature fulfilling episcopal church great believers redemption identified children baptized baptist church senate campaign decided run united_states senator arizona longtime american conservative icon arizona fixture retired republican oppose primary according press secretary political strength convinced formidable possible democratic opponent governor run seat instead faced weaker opponent state legislator young politician personality slept office floor allies arizona press characterized having terminal associations having fictitious military record revelations father law past law campaign issues end won election easily percent vote percent new_york_times profile time said emerge significant figure national politics time increasing involvement arizona state party politics caused resentment republicans led falling congressman powerful state legislator senator senate career starts entering senate kept low profile member navy liaison work given positions years senate sat candy desk strong supporter legislation enforced automatic spending cuts case budget voted favor reagan failed nomination supported native american agenda advocating economic development self governance sovereignty tribe control said times years senator representative main indian gaming regulatory act codified rules native american gambling enterprises established balance indian tribal sovereignty regulatory oversight states activity passage stated personal opposition indian gaming said communities poverty faced option economic development set gambling reservations act enabled growth decades later billion indian gaming industry called founding fathers indian gaming day big issue home state governor making opposition signature stance continued opposition holiday supporting arizona holiday king removed office charges told elected embarrassment party reiterated opposition federal holiday reversed position state holiday economic image problems arizona receiving result having told republicans opposing state holiday damn holiday making look like state referendum holiday held persuaded ronald_reagan support led effort year defeated referendum late 1980s gained national visibility delivered speech fellow prisoner persistence making american flag despite drew audience tears standing ovation mentioned press short list republican nominee vice presidential running mate named chairman veterans bush staunch defender friend doomed nomination secretary defense heads moral majority founder challenging tower alleged heavy drinking affairs began difficult relationship christian right later write self serving son bitch supported united_states invasion panama partnered senator missile control act established sanctions companies nations engaged trade development long range missile systems iran iraq arms act commonly known gore act established penalties persons companies assisting iraq iran acquiring missile technology scandal john_mccain upward political trajectory scandal highly visible savings loan crisis 1980s subsidiary result bad loans order overcome debt lincoln violated direct investment rules directing accounts commercial real estate ventures caught eye federal looking shut lincoln contacted senators contributions looking intervene behalf personal friends following initial contacts received political contributions associates addition wife father invested shopping center april year met family baby trips expense aboard jet march asking travel meet refused called march heated contentious meeting april april senators met capitol chairman members branch discuss government investigation lincoln write attending meetings worst mistake life news meetings appeared september sporadically covered general media april end period learning trouble lincoln paid total air trips backed lincoln stayed business desperate cash convinced customers replace federally certificates deposit higher yielding bond certificates april lincoln failed customers left worthless bonds elderly investors lost life savings federal filed billion civil fraud suit senators came investigation attempting influence end senators charged crime instead investigated special investigator committee wanted drop action senator grounds insufficient evidence committee disagreed public hearings mildly committee exercising poor judgment intervening federal behalf report said actions improper attended gross reach level requiring institutional action senator violated law united_states specific rule united states senate later years retrospective accounts controversy reiterated contention included investigation primarily republican target experience said appearance wrong wrong appearance group senators appear meeting group conveys impression improper influence wrong thing pursue lack jurisdiction possible ethics delayed trips expense occurred house said lacked jurisdiction longer house said require amend existing financial disclosure forms house years grounds fully company staff suspected having leaked press sensitive information investigation came closed proceedings denied oath press reports later investigators concluded main time survived political scandal friendly political press held lengthy press conference answered questions blunt manner frequent guest television talk oriented news shows especially gulf war voted favor began military experience came demand began campaigning money politics election campaign found opposition split democratic community civil rights activist removed governor running independent garnered hard core conservative support campaign gathered momentum affair dominate discussion failed race background slow getting campaign underway year woman american politics failed endorsement organizations million won getting percent vote percent percent victory final end political career election arizona finally passed referendum supported enabling state holiday vietnam sponsor agent orange act enabled disability benefits vietnam veterans afflicted agent orange related diseases established periodic scientific reviews determine levels exposure diseases covered january named chairman board directors non profit democracy promotion organization informal ties republican_party position allow bolster foreign policy expertise credentials future fundraising prospects time named head recruiting fund raising republican candidates discovered shoulder removed voted confirm supreme_court justice supported contentious eventually successful nomination voted confirm president clinton nominees considered qualified supreme_court despite differing judicial later explain constitution president key member chaired democrat fellow vietnam war veteran convened investigate vietnam war issue fate service personnel listed missing action vietnam war committee work included visits vietnam million pages relevant documents committee final report endorsed stated committee evidence suggesting possibility survived present information remains investigated time compelling evidence proves american remains alive captivity southeast_asia years actions developed respect admiration hearings actions committee designed allow improved ties countries goal shared large segment republicans pressed diplomatic relations vietnam partly time heal way ending war time partly saw national interest particular vietnam valuable regional china senate passed resolution sponsored called end existing trade vietnam intended way time committee afterward fraud traitor candidate activists believed large numbers american servicemen held southeast_asia angry share belief sought relations vietnam high profile vietnam issue cost friendship fellow independent presidential candidate helped wife carol husband captivity falling issue extended blasting return attacked saw exploiting families missing action response criticism committee findings said convinced vietnamese access records spent thousands hours trying find real fabricated evidence surviving americans push opposed leading senate republicans including senate majority leader president bill_clinton normalized diplomatic relations vietnam visible support announcement gave clinton came age vietnam serve military political cover actions piece attitude domestic reconciliation vietnam era unlike went vietnam best friends hold offered escort clinton speaking visit vietnam veterans memorial time veterans angrily challenging clinton moral right struck friendship anti war leader traveled anti american propaganda broadcast heard cell senator having survived scandal attacking saw influence big money american politics signature issue starting late worked democratic wisconsin senator campaign finance reform bill attempt limits soft money funds corporations unions organizations donate political parties political candidates hard money donation limits start efforts opposed interests targeted parties felt spending limits free political speech wanted power saw media bias hand garnered considerable sympathetic coverage national media republican label frequently applied stories term chapters memoir titled version introduced senate september came vote opposed military operations saying mission lacks objective american deaths introduced resolution bring forces home immediately defeated senate similarly opposed haiti initially opposed military involvement war voting administration resolution authorized demonstrations force conjunction operation provide promise humanitarian relief effort view changed massacre voted favor resolution authorizing nato bombing bosnia attacked saw pork barrel spending congress believing practice contribute greater national interest end instrumental pushing approval line item veto act gave president power veto individual expenditures biggest senate victories effect short lived ruled act unconstitutional symbolic attempt limit congressional privilege introduced amendment remove free parking members congress area airports annoyed colleagues rejected notion accused republican senator vote freedom farm act saying special interests representing true reform farm subsidies policy senators vote telecommunications act grounds economic interests corporations ahead consumers chairman hold position visibility increased publication received song joint biography graduates served vietnam subsequent public fame problems illuminated role vietnam military american life start presidential election served national campaign chairman highly unsuccessful republican nomination effort texas senator dropped endorsed eventual nominee senate majority leader short list possible vice presidential picks formed close bond based shared near death war experiences nominated republican national convention key friend advisor ultimately losing general election campaign chairman powerful criticized accepting funds corporations businesses committee responded saying literally business america falls restricted contributions big money nature campaign finance problem year time magazine named influential people america challenge tobacco industry proposing legislation increase cigarette taxes order fund anti smoking campaigns reduce number teenage increase research money health studies help states pay smoking related health care costs industry spent million national advertising response bill support clinton administration public health groups republican senators opposed stating create new bureaucracy bill failed gain twice seen bad political defeat revised version act came senate consideration addition banning soft money sought restrict issue ads run independent groups days election having majority support fiercely opposed senator free speech partisan threat grounds fell victim failed gain easily won election senate term november gaining percent vote percent democratic opponent environmental lawyer ranger motorcycle painted flag arizona political recently returned years working living mexico carried democratic stronghold percent won hispanic votes statewide percent took soft money campaign raised million bid saying needed case tobacco companies washington special interests mounted strong effort ranger campaigning points interested running president created presidential committee following month uncomfortable largely silent scandal partly personal life partly upcoming presidential nomination run restricted political options early bill_clinton voted convict president justice counts remarks senate floor said admit failures private life kept faith oath sworn country known men kept faith cost lives public opinion political considerations sake friendship agree expect president act came consideration time soft money prohibition features issue ads provision challenged specific senators corrupted existing campaign finance practices refused end failure gain legislation year shared profile courage award work trying enact campaign finance reform cited opposing party bill time trying win party presidential nomination april aspects presidential campaign underway stance war issues place context election results write notes 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House and Senate career of John McCain, until 2000