Flake on Honoring McCain’s Legacy: ‘By Seeing The Good In Our Opponents’

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST, ABC: (IN PROGRESS) — for joining us. We just heard Senator McCain talk about being a bit player in American history, expressed his gratitude. You had a lovely piece in the Washington Post this morning expressing your gratitude for John McCain.

SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R), AZ: Right, well it was tough to write. As I mentioned, I – I’ve been meaning to do it for a while and couldn’t bring myself to do it, thinking that the longer I held off maybe the longer he’d be with us.

But it was very heartfelt.

STEPHANOPOULOS: What’s the greatest lesson you learned from him?

FLAKE: Oh, to forgive. You know, his people talk about he had a temper, it was passionate, that’s certainly the case. But he would quickly forgive and move on and to see the good in his opponents, that is something that particularly these days we could use a lot more of.

That’s a lesson that he taught everyone.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You said you’ve never known a Washington event (ph) without Senator John McCain and that you’ll always be known as the other Senator from Arizona.

I love the story you tell about how his fighting nature and how he encouraged you to fight.

FLAKE: Right, we are – we were (ph) on a plane ride back to Arizona when I had just joined the House in 2001. I was getting beat up at home by the press and by local elected officials for challenging spending and John McCain made his way back to me on the plane and I thought oh no, he’s going to go after me too.

And he put his finger in my chest and just said don’t back down. He said you’re in the right and they’ll come around. And it was all that I needed and from that time forward, I really appreciated him and his friendship and his advice.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, it’s no secret that he was sickened by our politics today, and I know you had the chance to visit with him recently, and that he was optimistic about our future.

FLAKE: Right, back in – it was February of this year. We sat out on his deck and watched Oak Creek roll by. And for about an hour, talked about Arizona and its past and the personalities that he knew and admired, particularly those who put – who put politics aside, Democrats and Republicans.

He had a huge fondness for Mo Udall, Democrat from Arizona. And he did express optimism that – that people would rise to the fore in the future, who would put, you know, put the – the good of the country above the party.

And so he was optimistic there, but it’s tough to see right now how that’s going to happen.

STEPHANOPOULOS: How do we honor his legacy?

FLAKE: Oh, I think by seeing the good in our opponents, by being quick to forgive, by realizing that there’s something more important than ourselves, to put service, you know, over and above our self interest, as he often said.

And – and as he lived, I think that that’s how we honor him.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Flake, thank you for your time this morning and your tribute.

FLAKE: Thank you.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Thank you, Senator.