Johnny Isakson, former senator from Georgia, has died. He was a beacon of friendly politics.

His openness and concern for people has sometimes taken him to places where other Republicans might not be as comfortable as the pulpit of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta for the Martin Luther King celebration. Jr. annual. During those Ebenezer visits, Isakson befriended the pastor, Raphael G. Warnock, who now holds his former Senate seat. “He is an excellent elected official and an even better man,” Warnock, a Democrat, said in a statement. “I’ll miss him.”