Sen. Jeff Flake says John McCain was 'the conscience of the Senate'

The late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) "had an outsized impact on Congress his entire time there, particularly in the last several years," McCain's fellow Arizonan, Sen. Jeff Flake (R), said on Face the Nation Sunday.

"He was the conscience of the Senate," Flake continued. "He really was. And so I don't think you can overstate the importance or impact."

Flake said McCain's invitation to two former campaign rivals — former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama — to speak at his funeral "says all you need to know about John McCain." "He was quick to forgive," Flake said, and "certainly put the good of the country above himself."

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See a clip of Flake's Face the Nation comments below, as well as an excerpt of his appearance, also discussing McCain's life and death, on Meet the Press. Bonnie Kristian