Remembering Sen. Bob Dole
Robert “Bob” Dole, who led the Republican Party in the Senate for decades and was a presidential candidate, died on Sunday at the age of 98. He announced in February 2021 that he had been diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. A U.S. Army veteran who was injured in World War II, and a politician for more than 50 years, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997, as well as the Congressional Gold Medal in 2018. Known for his bipartisan abilities, he helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
I had the pleasure of meeting Senator Dole in 1993 in his office for about 30 minutes. In his office, he had a photo of a sign, which caught my eye that read,”1 Kansas Farmer feeds 55 people and you”. Senator Dole never forgot his Kansas agricultural roots.
Senator Dole was a class act, unlike many Senators who have run for President since. He resigned from his Senate seat to run for President in 1996. The 1996 Republican National Convention was held in San Diego, California where the GOP officially nominated Sen. Dole and Jack Kemp to take on Clinton. The election didn’t go our way, but that didn’t stop Senator Dole from continuing to be an active member of the Republican Party for many more years while his health allowed him to. He will missed, but never forgotten!