Hamilton Jordan has battled six different types of cancer the past 20 years.

Jimmy Carter's former White House chief of staff still finds time to talk about one of his life's greatest passions: politics.

On Sen. Hillary Clinton in the White House: "God forbid."

On Sen. John McCain: "He's too ready to go to war."

On Sen. Barack Obama: "This guy has something very special."

Jordan, 63, spoke to the Atlanta Press Club on Wednesday during a luncheon that drew more than 150 people. He deftly used in his sharp wit and slightly raunchy humor to recount his harrowing battle with cancer over the years.

He was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1985 —- only a few years after he and his wife, Dorothy, founded Camp Sunshine, a Morgan County facility for sick children.

Since that first bout with lymphoma, Jordan has battled with the disease five more times in various forms, such as skin cancer. His experiences have made him a fierce advocate for cancer awareness and research funding.

"Having all of these life experiences gives him the bully pulpit to make the statements he does about the future and direction of cancer research," said William Todd, president and CEO of the Georgia Cancer Coalition. "He has learned a lot because of what he's been through. On top of that, he knows the public policy world."

Jordan said he relied on the support of his family and the spirit of other cancer survivors —- particularly a Camp Sunshine teenager who lived for more than a year after doctors told him he would die —- to get through his darkest moments.

He also said he has had many tough years, despite the title of his 2000 best-selling memoir, "No Such Thing As A Bad Day."

"I've learned a lot about myself," Jordan said. "I've been to the edge of life. I've had to face my own mortality. I've been depressed. I've been scared at times. But I'm here to tell you, I'm not through yet."

Jordan was born in Charlotte but his family soon moved to Albany, where he grew up. Some of his earliest political views were shaped by the tense racial climate of the time.

When he was a student at the University of Georgia, he worked one summer in the Washington office of the late Sen. Richard B. Russell, who was opposed to school integration.

But Jordan's views on race eventually changed, especially after he met an aspiring politician from nearby Plains named Jimmy Carter in 1966. After serving in the Vietnam War as a civilian volunteer, Jordan returned to Georgia and signed on as Carter's campaign manager in his successful 1970 bid for governor.

Six years later, Jordan helped Carter win the United States presidency. He became one of the youngest chiefs of staff ever at age 35.

Since then, Jordan has kept tabs on the political world, but much of his time and energy have been devoted to battling cancer and helping others who have the disease.

"Hamilton is the best," said former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, who attended Wednesday's luncheon. "He's courageous. He's smart. He's an inspiration to all of us."