Sen. John McCain was a national figure with local ties to many communities, including Greater Cincinnati, where he campaigned in 2000 and 2008.No one on the local or regional map logged more miles or down time with McCain than Jonathon Frierson, dubbed "Fry" by the senator. "A down-to-earth man, very approachable," Frierson recalled between stops. He drove the Straight Talk Express, what McCain hoped would be his transport to the White House. Frierson called it the greatest experience of his career, estimating he put more than 70,000 miles on the old machine while crisscrossing the country with then-candidate McCain. He remembered how the senator never tired. After a full day of traveling and campaigning, the advance team, the support staff and everyone else were ready to pack it in for the night. "We were all tired and Sen. McCain was like the Energizer Bunny," laughed Frierson. "He just kept on going and going and going." Veteran political reporter Howard Wilkinson, of WVXU radio, traveled on the Straight Talk, interviewed McCain at length at least a dozen times and recalled his humor that zinged without being mean. "He'd give you this wry look and say, 바카라 게임 웹사이트�Well, that's a dumb question,바카라 게임 웹사이트�" recounted Wilkinson with a gravelly chuckle. "And I'd say, 바카라 게임 웹사이트�Well, yeah Senator, I guess it was. Let me try that again.바카라 게임 웹사이트�" Wilkinson spoke of McCain's principled, pleasant manner, telling us he was mightily impressed with the man's steely spine, how it just wasn't possible to threaten or intimidate him. "His word was his bond and people knew that," said Wilkinson. "If you had been a prisoner-of-war in Vietnam and tortured within an inch of your life, you weren't scared of anybody -- and that was John McCain." Others who knew the senator from his past campaigns noted his ability to work in bipartisan fashion. McCain, a conservative Republican, was friends with Democrats like senators Ted Kennedy, John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum. "Civility, patriotism, heroism, love of country,바카라 게임 웹사이트� those were the attributes George Vincent ascribed to McCain. Vincent was the Hamilton County Republican Party chairman from 2005 to 2008. He was succeeded by Alex Triantafilou, who also spoke fondly of McCain. "We spent some time riding in a bus together and he was in a pair of khakis and a golf shirt, very relaxed," remembered Triantafilou. "We even talked a little Reds baseball at the time. Very personable, very easy to talk to." Fry has a binder of photo memories of his road trips with McCain, recalling how the senator got a charge out of the easy banter with the traveling press. "Plus, he always had snacks,바카라 게임 웹사이트� said Wilkinson. "He loved snacks and he was always passing snacks around the bus." Frierson remembered the doughnuts and coffee that were required on the Express at the start of the campaign day. Frierson won McCain's confidence by maneuvering that bus through tight spots like the snows of New Hampshire. "He told me, 바카라 게임 웹사이트�Fry, you're one helluva driver.바카라 게임 웹사이트� Those were his exact words," he said. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who said he wrote McCain's name on his 2016 ballot as a protest vote, ordered flags on public buildings to be flown at half-staff. The White House flag returned to full staff late Sunday, which some viewed as a presidential swipe at honoring McCain. But by Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump had signed a proclamation to fly the flag at half-staff until the day of McCain's interment. The president and McCain were frequently at odds. As a candidate, Trump delivered a stinging assessment of McCain by casting doubt on his status as a war hero, saying he admired soldiers who were not captured. We asked Triantafilou, who supports the president and his agenda, if the comment bothers him as the nation honors and mourns McCain. "It's politics," said Triantafilou. He (Trump) was running and it's time to put all that aside and honor the legacy of the man," Triantafilou said. Frierson, who has remained in touch with the McCain family, described him as a true warrior in every sense of the phrase. "Whether you agreed with him or not, you had to respect him," he said.