The big stories come across on my phone these days. Such was the case yesterday. Senator Bob Dole had died.
How do you even start with this one? A war hero. A United States Senator. A presidential candidate. A great American.
Bob Dole has been out of the picture for a long time. Still, what he did as a soldier, a politician and an American are worth noting.
President Biden said of Bob Dole, “A man to be admired by Americans. He had an unerring sense of integrity and honor.”
The quotes about Bob Dole from former presidents tell his story. They are compiled in the New York Times.
President Obama said his leadership and demeanor harked “back to a day when members of the Greatest Generation abided by a certain code, putting country over party.”
President Bush said, “This good man represented the finest of American values.”
President Clinton, who was Bob Dole’s opponent in the 1996 presidential election said of him, he dedicated his life to serving the American people: “From his heroism in World War Two to 35 years spent in Congress.”
President Trump said Bob Dole was a “true patriot.” He went on to say, “Our nation mourns his passing.”
Bob Dole survived terrible injuries in World War Two. They stayed with him for the rest of his life. None of them kept him from becoming a U.S. Senator and a presidential nominee.
Forty years of public service. Public service. Not self service. That defined who Bob Dole was. You may not have agreed with his politics, but you admired the man.
Tom Brokaw defined Bob Dole’s generation as The Greatest Generation. Those Americans that fought a war… won it… came home… and built a new America.
Bob Dole will be remembered in many ways over the next few days. He deserves all the respect he will get.