John McCain’s presence is felt at every corner of the Hilton Hotel in New York City; he’s in town for an appearance on Saturday Night Live. Secret Service agents line the hotel’s hallway, and aides stick their heads into our hotel suite, counting down the minutes to the candidate’s arrival for his interview with ESSENCE, his first with an African-American publication.

When the 71-year-old Arizona senator, wearing khaki pants and a dark blazer, finally walks into the suite where we are to conduct our interview, he seems every bit the military man he is—rigid in his bearing, gracious, serious, respectful. He thanks ESSENCE for taking the time to talk to him and stops me when I begin to tell him about our 8 million readers.

“I know the magazine well,” he says.

This has been one of the best and also one of the toughest weeks on the campaign trail for the senator. He gained ground with a speech earlier in the week in which he laid out his plans for his first term as president of the United States. But there were a few bumps along the way. Just one day before our meeting, Senator Barack Obama, 46, had come out swinging against McCain. The fierce exchange between the two was sparked by President Bush, who, during a speech before the Israeli parliament, seemed to criticize Obama, without calling him by name, for indicating a willingness to meet with leaders of Iran. Bush called the approach “the false comfort of appeasement.” Obama, who seemed to relish the chance to take on the President, quickly pulled the presumptive Republican nominee into the argument, yoking him to Bush and his policies. It was a move pundits predicted could hurt McCain, given the President’s record-low approval rating.

Then, just before sitting down with ESSENCE, McCain receives the news that Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy, 76, has just been rushed to the hospital. Minutes into our interview, McCain’s top aide rushes into the room and places her cell phone to the candidate’s ear. McCain mouths an apology to me and begins talking into the phone.

“This is John McCain—just heard the news,’’ he tells the person on the line. “I would just like to relay to Senator Kennedy my thoughts, prayers and my love are all with him. If there is ever any moment whenever it would be appropriate, I would like to speak to him. I just hope you relay that to him and to the family. Thanks for taking my call. I know you are very busy right now.” Then he hands the cell phone back to his aide, apologizing to me for the interruption. “Ted had a stroke,” he explains. [ The condition was initially thought to be a stroke but was later described as a seizure.] “That was his chief of staff. Ted is one of my dear friends. We are very close—very close, personal friends.”