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."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

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