I wanted to note the passing of former Senator Robert "Bob" Dole on December 5, 2021, age 98. I am not on the politics thread here, and don't want to be. If this post is shut down or moved, so be it. I just thought Senator Dole's life, and death, should be noted. His generation is largely passing from the scene.
After his severe wounding in combat in 1945, only weeks before the war in Europe ended, Dole spent the rest of his life with a crippled right arm, but he did not let those terrible wounds define him. He had a remarkable political career. His quest for the presidency was unsuccessful, and he may not have been suited to that position. By temperament, he was probably better suited for the Senate, where he served as majority leader. He had a sharp but sometimes acidic wit.
My two favorite memories of him come from after he retired. The first occurred shortly after his loss to Bill Clinton in the 1996 presidential campaign. President Clinton, in a moment of grace, presented Dole with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 1997. When Dole accepted the medal and began to say a few words, he started: "I, Robert J. Dole, do solemnly swear....." as if he was taking the presidential oath. He then stopped and cracked: "Sorry, wrong speech." The audience, including President Clinton, roared with laughter.
The second memory comes from the funeral of President George H.W. Bush in 2018. Dole and Bush had been rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in 1988. After Bush defeated Dole in the New Hampshire primary, an angry Dole growled to Bush on camera "stop lying about my record." However, at the Bush funeral 30 years later, a frail and crippled Dole was helped by an aide to his feet from a wheelchair, where Dole gave a final salute to his fellow combat veteran.
R.I.P.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Redsfaithful
