The Lasting Friendship Of John McCain And Lindsey Graham

(CBS) -- It all started years ago, during the push for then-President Bill Clinton's impeachment, when Lindsey Graham, then a House member, was presenting the case to senators, including Arizona's Sen. John McCain.

"Congressman Graham, on the most solemn occasion, said, 'You know, where I come from, any man calling a woman at 2 a.m. is up to no good,'" McCain said in March of 2017, explaining the history of their friendship on CNN. "I knew right then that Lindsey Graham was a guy I wanted to spend time with."

It was a friendship that would remain strong to the very end. McCain died on Saturday at 81.

"America and Freedom have lost one of her greatest champions," Graham tweeted Saturday night. "….And I've lost one of my dearest friends and mentor."

"I will need some time to absorb this, but I want Cindy —and the entire McCain family — to know they are in my prayers."