2 years ago
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By WILL WEISSERT and COLLEEN LONG
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bob Dole was honored Friday astatine Washington National Cathedral and the World War II monument helium helped make arsenic apical leaders from some parties saluted the longtime Kansas senator’s quality to signifier bare-knuckle authorities without compromising his civility.
Displaying a bipartisanship uncommon successful modern government, politicians successful bureau and retired came unneurotic to wage homage to Dole’s hard-scrabble emergence from wounded warfare seasoned to Senate stalwart to three-time, unsuccessful statesmanlike candidate.
“He could beryllium partisan, and that was fine,” said President Joe Biden. “Americans person been partisan since Jefferson and Hamilton squared disconnected successful George Washington’s Cabinet. But similar them, Bob Dole was a patriot.”
Joining Biden astatine the ceremonial work were members of Congress, Cabinet officials, 3 Republican erstwhile vice presidents and Bill Clinton, who bushed Dole to triumph reelection arsenic president successful 1996.
“There’s thing that connects that past and present, warfare clip and peace, past and now,” said Biden, who touched Dole’s casket earlier addressing the work and mentioned their 50 years of friendship. “The courage, the grit, the goodness and the grace of 2nd Lt. Bob Dole, who became Congressman Dole, Senator Dole, statesman, husband, father, friend, workfellow and — a connection that’s often overused, but not present — a genuine hero.”
Dole, who died Sunday astatine property 98, was severely wounded during World War II, served astir 36 years successful Congress and was GOP Senate person for much than a decade. Besides his sharp, often sarcastic tongue, among Dole’s best-known attributes were his pragmatism and self-deprecating wit — representing the consciousness of compromise of a bygone era.
While calling him a “giant of our clip and of each time,” Biden said Dole was disquieted astatine the extremity of his beingness astir American ideology being threatened by bitter governmental battles and had noted that infighting from some parties “grows much unacceptable time by day.”
Still, Democrats and Republicans coming unneurotic to praise Dole’s quality to enactment state and nationalist work implicit ideology was the overriding theme.
Biden offered vivid, visceral details during his eulogy, speaking astir Dole being calved a kid of the Dust Bowl, volunteering arsenic a young antheral for subject work and however helium came backmost to “painful” years recovering from his wounds.
“God, what courageousness Bob Dole had,” the president said.
Former Republican Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts said Dole utilized wit arsenic a governmental tool, delivering deadpan punchlines which helped fto “the aerial retired of the partisan balloons.” Dole’s daughter, Robin, work a missive her begetter wrote to his unit successful which helium said “I judge successful the aboriginal of the United States of America.”
After the ceremonial service, Dole’s casket traveled to the World War II Memorial connected the National Mall, which opened successful 2004 and which Roberts said would not person existed with Dole spending years spearheading the authorities that erected it.
“Bob Dole understood that it was conscionable not capable designation that this Greatest Generation deserved,” Roberts said. “It was reflection and renewal, and it was for the Greatest Generation to animate the adjacent generation.”
He besides recalled Dole often spending Saturday mornings astatine the memorial, greeting veterans visiting arsenic portion of trips helium helped organize. Dole was a longtime advocator for the Honor Flight Network, which arranges for veterans to question to Washington to spot memorials dedicated to their service.
Former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said Dole erstwhile told him helium thought astir being buried astatine the World War II memorial. Daschle besides said Dole’s consciousness of work extended beyond veterans, including erstwhile helium near the statesmanlike run way to be the 1996 graduation enactment of a miss paralyzed successful a car crash.
Addressing the assemblage astatine the memorial, histrion Tom Hanks asked, “How galore structures successful this metropolis beryllium but for the efforts of 1 man?”
“It was Bob Dole who willed this memorial into place,” said Hanks, who starred successful the World War II play “Saving Private Ryan.”
Dole suffered paralyzing, near-fatal wounds during World War II. Gen. Mark Milley, president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recalled how, aft Dole was deed amid warring successful the Italian mountains successful 1945, helium was dragged down a partition by a chap worker and “lay there, facing up successful the dirt. Not knowing if helium would unrecorded oregon die. Unable to determination arsenic the conflict raged astir him. And helium laic determination for 10 consecutive hours earlier medics were capable to scope him.”
“He served the army. He served the authorities of Kansas. He served his governmental party. But, supra all, helium served his state and helium served his chap Americans,” Milley said. “Bob Dole always, ever enactment his state first.”
The work ended with Milley escorting Dole’s wife, erstwhile North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, arsenic she and Robin touched a wreath successful his honor, past bowed their heads successful supplication arsenic taps was played.
Dole’s assemblage is besides traveling to Kansas, wherever play events see a nationalist viewing successful his hometown of Russell. He volition yet beryllium interred astatine Arlington National Cemetery.
Friday’s services followed Dole lying successful authorities connected Thursday nether the dome of the U.S. Capitol helium truthful loved. Dole served arsenic a Kansas authorities legislator earlier moving for Congress successful 1960, joining the House for 8 years past going connected to triumph the Senate seat.
Dole was aboriginal successful his vocation seen arsenic a GOP “hatchet man.” He was a mentee of Richard Nixon and president of the Republican National Committee during the Watergate era. During his Senate career, though, Dole grew to spot the worth of reaching crossed the aisle and secured his much lasting achievements.
Those included the Americans with Disabilities Act that to this time ensures a level of accessibility arsenic a civilian right. Dole besides fought to support Social Security benefits for aged Americans and supported civilian rights — adjacent if specified actions weren’t ever politically fashionable with everyone.
“Over the absorption of galore successful his enactment and immoderate successful mine, helium managed a measure to make a national vacation successful the sanction of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Biden said. “Bob Dole did that.”
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