by Dan Nowicki- The Arizona Republic
Jeff Flake is positioning himself as
Arizona's Republican
maverick for the future.
And Flake, 45, recently laid the preliminary groundwork to follow two other Arizona Republican mavericks - John McCain and Barry Goldwater - into the Senate if McCain decides to retire instead of seeking re-election in 2010 or Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., chooses not to run again in 2012.
In recent years, Flake has grown closer to McCain and is a loyal ally of the 2008 presidential candidate on priorities such as comprehensive
immigration reform and in the battle against pork-barrel politics. He also hasn't ruled out a possible 2010 run for governor."I don't think I'm heir apparent to anything, though," Flake said.
Flake is taking on a more prominent role in statewide politics, partly because he is dismayed by the single-minded obsession some of his fellow Republicans continue to have toward illegal immigration.
Like McCain, Flake is a strong supporter of a comprehensive reform approach that would include a temporary-worker program and the legalization of undocumented workers already in the country. That stance has drawn Flake the enmity of GOP immigration restrictionists.
"I've been concerned about where the state is going and our inability to attract votes statewide. My fear is the tone, particularly on immigration, is relegating us to minority status for a long time unless we change it," Flake said. "Unless we get off that kick, we're doomed as a party statewide. ."
GOP 'star power'
Flake would hardly be a shoo-in GOP successor to Kyl or McCain. Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., another McCain ally, also is interested in moving to the upper chamber, and other Republicans likely would consider entering a competitive primary for what would be the first open Senate seat in Arizona since 1994.
But some local Republicans already acknowledge the easy-going and good-humored Flake's "star power," or at least the potential for it.
"He embodies what a lot of people are looking for in Republican leadership right now," said Jaime Molera, a senior consultant to Kyl's successful 2006 bid for a third term and a McCain supporter. "Here's a guy who is incredibly intelligent, who brings a strong vision of a real conservative and who is just very charismatic. A lot of people have thought about Jeff as a gubernatorial candidate, as well."
Flake toyed with the idea of running for governor in 2004 and recently demonstrated an acute interest in state politics. Last month, Flake took the unusual step of inserting himself into the internal machinations of the state House Republican caucus. He made calls to GOP lawmakers lobbying for the election of state Rep. Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, as Arizona speaker of the House. Adams unexpectedly ousted incumbent House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix.
"We needed a change in focus and a change in tone and a change in just about everything," Flake said. "And I think that Kirk will do a better job."
In McCain's footsteps
Besides representing McCain's old congressional district (though hardly recognizable after two rounds of redistricting), Flake from the start of his congressional career displayed not only an independent streak reminiscent of McCain's but also similar reformist tendencies.
They have teamed up on McCain's long crusade to end the murky budget process known as earmarking, and they have united in the bipartisan push to revamp U.S. immigration policy.
More often, Flake has gone off on his own:
• He drew the ire of House GOP leadership and President Bush's White House with his vocal opposition to the decades-old ban on U.S. travel to Cuba. A free-trader, Flake still wants to dismantle the economic embargo on Cuba and hopes President-elect Barack Obama will take a fresh look at U.S.-Cuba relations.
• In 2006, he was instrumental in stopping disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, from returning to his leadership post.
• Flake sharply criticized McCain on campaign-finance reform, and McCain foes within the party tried to draft Flake to take on McCain in his 2004 Senate primary.
By constantly blowing the whistle on dubious spending projects and refusing to pursue any for his own constituents, Flake has long annoyed and even angered GOP appropriators and other colleagues who believe bringing home the bacon is a way to ensure re-election.
Flake is continuing to rattle with another request for assignment to the House Appropriations Committee, arguing that Republicans have become "indistinguishable" from Democrats on federal spending and "voters simply no longer associate us with limited government."
"With the executive and legislative branches under Democratic control, the primary focus of Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee needs to be on the oversight of federal expenditures, rather than merely the dispensation of them," Flake wrote in a letter to House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "Wouldn't it make sense to have at least one member on the Committee who doesn't seek earmarks?"
Fiscally conservative activists and bloggers are championing Flake's cause, but few seriously expect him to get a seat when new committee assignments are announced in January.
Flake's needling of the big spenders could help distinguish him in a future race.
"Not being well-liked by appropriators isn't a bad thing in a GOP primary," said Jennifer Duffy, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report's senior editor.
A new media darling?
It also didn't take Flake long to learn from McCain's example that there is always media demand for a Republican who takes on his own party's leaders.
For Flake, it's paying off.
In its November issue, Esquire magazine named Flake one of the 10 best elected officials in Washington.
"A true conservative, Flake is as rare as the dodo. Republicans should learn from him, and liberals and libertarians will find in him a strong privacy-rights ally," Esquire said. On Nov. 5, the day after McCain lost the White House and the Republican Party lost multiple Senate and House seats, the Washington Post published an opinion essay by Flake in which he called for fresh House Republican leadership and a return to the principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility and free markets. Its headline was, "A way out of the wilderness."
Flake said he was disappointed with the re-election of Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, as House GOP leader.
"I said in 2006 that it's not impossible that the same leadership will have an epiphany and know where we've gone wrong but that it's highly implausible that you'd see the same leadership go in a different direction. And that's proven to be the case," Flake said. "Let's face it, we've really not run on a message for years."
Making fans, enemies
Like McCain, Flake's maverickism has drawn criticism from local Republican factions, particularly those who consider his support for a guest-worker program and other immigration reforms as too liberal.
"Jeff has not been one of my favorite people because of his stand on illegal immigration, which I think would hurt him around the state unless he decides to change that," said retiring veteran state Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa.
Flake's anti-pork stand and vote against the economic bailout legislation could help him with some conservative activists, while his support for international free trade agreements could hurt him with others, Johnson said.
"That, to me, is sovereignty-destroying stuff. He continues to get re-elected, but I oftentimes think it's because he has never had anybody of real substance run against him," Johnson said.
Flake's public persona has taken some dings, as well.
He originally ran for Congress with a promise to limit himself to serving only three consecutive terms but broke that pledge since taking office. "As much as I hate to admit making a mistake, I made a big one here," Flake said in announcing his bid for a fourth term. Flake faced no retribution from voters; he didn't even have a Democratic challenger in the general election in 2006.
Test driving the Web
This year, faced with a weak Democratic opponent, Flake had the luxury to experiment with advertising on political-junkie Web sites such as the Drudge Report, RealClearPolitics.com and Townhall.com. He also advertised on the Web sites of the Tucson-based Arizona Daily Star and other newspapers, putting his name and face in front of potential voters far outside his congressional district.
Those people who contributed money or signed up for additional information would become part of a fundraising base for a statewide run.
"I tell you, that's one area where we (Republicans) just got slaughtered in this election: technology," Flake said. "We have so far to go. I thought it would be better to spend money actually building the infrastructure to take advantage of that. A lot of it was testing it, too, to see how we did. We're pleased with the response."
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