Bob Dole, World War II Veteran, Senator And Presidential Nominee, Has Died At 98

Bob Dole has died astatine 98

Bob Dole has died astatine 98 03:14

Washington — Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the World War II seasoned who Republicans hoped would oust President Bill Clinton from the White House successful 1996, has died, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation said Sunday. He was 98. He had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer successful February 2021.

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation said Dole died aboriginal Sunday greeting successful his sleep. 

When Dole became the Republican statesmanlike nominee successful 1996, it was the precocious constituent of much than a half-century successful the nationalist spotlight arsenic a congressman, senator, vice-presidential candidate, 2 runs for the presidency, nationalist seat of the Republican Party and longtime person of Senate Republicans.

Dole was the past of the statesmanlike candidates who served successful World War II, and successful the '96 run helium offered himself arsenic a nexus to the alleged Greatest Generation and another, amended time.

"To those who accidental it was ne'er truthful that America was ne'er better, I accidental you're wrong, and I cognize due to the fact that I was there, and I person seen it and retrieve it," Dole said.

Retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kansas, is surrounded by staffers and well-wishers arsenic helium prepares to permission the U.S. Capitol successful Washington June 11, 1996. Dole ended his 35-year vocation successful the Senate successful bid to give his afloat attraction to his statesmanlike campaign. Richard Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

It didn't work. Bill Clinton called Dole a antheral of the past and Democrats a span to the future, and easy won reelection.

It was existent that Dole had travel of property successful an America that galore voters had lone heard about, but those days connected the Kansas prairie -- the Dust Bowl days, the Great Depression -- and the warfare defined him.

Once a prima precocious schoolhouse jock who had dreamed of becoming a doctor, helium went disconnected to a warfare that would alteration him forever. He came backmost severely wounded, and those wounds would outgo him the usage of 1 arm.

He disquieted that helium would upwind up successful a wheelchair selling pencils connected the street, and arsenic helium aboriginal told "60 Minutes" analogous Lesley Stahl his beingness became a surviving nightmare.

"They got maine retired of furniture 1 day, and the bath doorway was open," said Dole. "There was a reflector connected the acold partition connected the shaving cabinet. I couldn't judge that was Bob Dole. So I didn't look successful the mirror. I inactive don't look successful the mirror, but to shave."

Twice helium astir died, and helium mislaid a kidney to infection, but the radical of Russell, Kansas, collected wealth successful a cigar container to assistance wage for his rehabilitation, and his warfare grounds led to a spot successful Congress and aboriginal the Senate.

U.S. Republican statesmanlike campaigner Bob Dole looks backmost implicit his enarthrosis arsenic helium waits to beryllium introduced during a "GOP Unity" rally successful Savannah, Ga., connected Flag Day, June 14, 1996. David Ake/AFP/Getty Images

In 1976, hoping to triumph implicit dubious conservatives, President Gerald Ford chose him arsenic his vice-presidential moving mate, and erstwhile helium returned to Kansas to archer the homefolks astir it, helium broke down arsenic helium remembered the aboriginal days.

"I tin retrieve erstwhile I needed help, the radical of Russell helped, and I think--," helium said arsenic helium began to weep.

The summons mislaid to Jimmy Carter, and the run brought retired different broadside of Dole, the governmental gutfighter who accused Democrats of being warmongers.

"We added up the killed and wounded successful Democrat wars successful this century," Dole said. He was tagged that nighttime with a statement that would canine him the remainder of his life: hatchet man.

"I deliberation Senator Dole has richly earned his estimation arsenic a hatchet antheral contiguous by implying and stating that World War II and the Korean War were Democratic wars," Senator Walter Mondale, Carter's moving mate, said.

Dole went backmost to the Senate and resumed his governmental career, but erstwhile helium tried to tally for president connected his ain successful 1988, his temper again got the champion of him. In New Hampshire, helium called superior hostile George Bush a liar and more.

Once again, Dole returned to the Senate, rebuilding relationships with Democrats arsenic good arsenic Republicans that led to a agelong database of legislative accomplishments from Social Security betterment to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Dole told ABILITY Magazine that due to the fact that of his ain disability, helium knew helium "had to bash thing special" with his life. It "changes your full life, not conscionable your attitude," helium said. "Prior to my wounded I was a beauteous bully athlete, but afterwards I learned to use myself much and made bully grades for a change," helium said. Dole advocated for Americans with disabilities successful his maiden Senate code connected April 14, 1969 — the 24th day of the time helium was wounded successful WWII — and continued to bash truthful passim his career. 

"It is simply a radical who nary 1 joins by idiosyncratic prime — a radical whose requirements for rank are not based connected age, sex, wealth, education, tegument color, spiritual beliefs, governmental party, powerfulness oregon prestige," helium said connected the Senate floor. "As a minority, it has ever known exclusion; possibly not exclusion from the beforehand of the bus, but possibly from adjacent climbing aboard it; possibly not exclusion from pursuing precocious education, but possibly from experiencing immoderate ceremonial education; possibly not exclusion from day-to-day beingness itself, but possibly from an capable accidental to make and lend to his oregon her fullest capacity."

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark portion of civilian rights authorities prohibiting favoritism based connected dissability, was signed into instrumentality by President George H.W. Bush connected July 26, 1990. Dole said helium considered the enactment 1 of his proudest achievements.

When Republicans captured the bulk successful 1994, Dole became the Senate bulk leader. He held the almighty station until helium resigned successful melodramatic manner successful July of 1996 to absorption connected moving for president full-time.

"My clip to permission this bureau has come, and I volition question the presidency with thing to autumn backmost connected but the judgement of the people, and obscurity to spell but the White House oregon home," Dole said.

And truthful Senator Dole became Citizen Dole, but erstwhile helium mislaid the presidency to Bill Clinton helium didn't spell location to Kansas. He was a antheral of the Capitol, and helium came backmost to Washington to unfastened yet different section successful his agelong life.

He proudly watched arsenic his woman Elizabeth, a erstwhile Reagan and Bush Cabinet member, was elected to the Senate herself. And, successful a determination that amazed adjacent adjacent friends, helium became a TV pitchman -- doing a brushed portion commercialized with Britney Spears and, arsenic a prostate crab survivor, ads for Viagra arsenic well.

Dole received the Presidential Medal of Freedom successful 1997 and the Congressional Gold Medal successful 2018 for his lifelong dedication to nationalist service. He thanked his colleagues, "for without them, thing would person been accomplished." 

Bob Dole said helium was surviving impervious that America is simply a onshore with retired limits, and helium pushed those limits from the Kansas prairie of his younker to the large corridors of powerfulness wherever helium spent truthful overmuch of his beingness -- 1 of the past of that World War II procreation whose values and courageousness had truthful overmuch to bash with shaping the America of today.

Audrey McNamara contributed to this report.