nch8 congressman bob dole became senator bob dole. and his life in this body and his life in the mowps culminate -- house of representatives culminated in amazing achievements on the legislative battlefield. but when people ask me what do you remember or what made bob dole bob dole, my view is his service to america in world war ii. i think it made him more aware of people who were struggling, people who had disabilities. i think he saw the challenges that people from across the country faced as a result of their service. he saw the challenges that people in foreign countries experienced in world war ii. and when we look at his legislative achievements, we often think -- at least i think of three -- americans with disabilities act, food aid, what i call the dole-mcgovern bill but what many people call the mcgovern-dole bill that helps feed hungry people, particularly children around the world. and his service to other veterans. his work on this floor resulted in many americans and in fact many citizens of the world having a better sho

bob dole, every time. to the elevator operator, the person who drives the train, to the staff up and down the halls, bob dole was their favorite. i am delighted you are here, senator. there are many people who appreciate and long for the days in which bob dole and nancy were there senators. those were days of glory for kansas because we were represented so well. there's lots of dole alumni in this room, people whose lives were affected by the fact that they work for bob dole, they worked for kansans, they worked for americans, and they have done so many good things in their lives, and they come to pay respect to their mentor, the person who gave them a chance, who brought them from kansas to the nation's capital and changed their lives. chaplain black, i certainly appreciated what you said yesterday in the national cathedral. but what you said today at st. mary's, and russell, kansas is meaningful. this is a place in which you can preach the gospel, the gospel of salvation and people are receptive. elizabe

god bless the great bob dole." and from senator bernie sanders, "bob served his country with courage on the battlefield and dignity in the senate. we set our condolences to his family." mitt romney, saying, "when i think of the greatest generation, i think of bob dole, a man who dedicated his life to serving our country. rest in peace. we will be praying for his family and loved ones." other statements yesterday, from former president donald trump, "bob dole was an american war hero and a true patriot for our nation. he served kansas with honor. and the republican party was made stronger by his service. our prayers are with elizabeth and his family members." we will go through more reaction, more statements for you, throughout this first hour, but we want to also hear from you on our phone lines. and we have a special line for world war ii veterans and family members. that number is 202-748-8002. this is kurt in akron, ohio. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. um, my first election that i voted in,

so why, why did bob dole do it? why did bob dole raise his right hand in 1942 and swear an oath of allegiance to the constitution of the united states of america? and after being wounded, when he couldn't raise his right hand any longer, he raised his left hand to swear his oath. why? why, knowing the danger he could be wounded or killed? why knowing he will be criticized in the public arena as a politician? why? why did he raise his hand on 14 april 1945 and said i'll lead the attack on hill 913? why did bob dole have such a clear calling to serve? why did he refuse to be stopped by the enemy? he did it for an idea, an idea that is america. he swore an oath to a document, the constitution, not to a king or queen or dictator or tyrant. he swore an oath to an idea, an idea that says that no matter who you are, whether you're male or female, whether you're black, white, asian or indian, or no matter what the color of your skin, doesn't matter where you came from or whether you're catholic, protestant, jew, doesn't mat

bob dole, bob dole did that. he never forgot where he came from, and i've never forgot what he said to our colleagues about the effort from the king holiday. and i'll quote. he said no first class democracy can treat people like second class citizens. no first class democracy can treat people like second class citizens. bob didn't hate government. he knew the people that needed it most were the people most in need. he wanted government to work, to work for folks like him who came up the hard way, just give everybody a chance, joe. just a chance. during the depression bob's parents moved into the basement of their three-room, not three bedroom, but three-room home in russell, kansas so they could rent out the upstairs. bob understood hardship. he had known hardship. and he never forgot it. he never forgot the people as well who sent him to washington. people from russell and from kansas. bob was a man who always did his duty, who lived by a code of honor. almost seems strange to say that today, but he lived by a c

as a current legislator, i never got to serve with bob dole, you know, i'm sure the bob dole we would have things to disagree on. he wouldn't have called him a communist and i would not have called him a fascist and the language on capitol hill today, that was not there when bob dole was a senator and that has to do with the person that he is or was and i just hope that the place that i work can get back to that, we are going to disagree but we will do it constructively and civilly because we recognize that we are americans and even if we see the world differently, we are blessed to have americans and we should treat each other that day. mike: well said, congressman jim himes from the great state of connecticut. now joined from the other side of the aisle, let's bring tony gonzales, member of house appropriations committee. congressman, your thoughts today on the passing of senator dole, let's start there? >> yeah, no, senator dole, elizabeth and the dole family are patriots and they have given so much to this country and the way which he led is something that we need to reflect on to

bob dole, bob dole did that. he never forgot where he came from and i never forgot what he said to our colleagues about the effort for the king holiday. i will quote. he said no first class democracy can treat people like second-class citizens. no first class democracy can treat people like second-class citizens. bob didn't hate government. he knew the people most in need. he wanted government to work, to work for folks like him, who came up the hard way. just give everybody a chance, joe, just a chance. during the depression, bob's parents moved into the basement of their three-room -- not three bedroom, their three-room home in russell, kansas, so they could rent out the upstairs. bob understood hardship. he had known hardship. he never forgot it. he never forgot the people as well who sent him to washington people from russell and from kansas. bob was a man who always did his duty, who lived bay code of honor. almost seems strange to say that today but he lived by a code of honor and he meant it. just as his c

i quote bob dole. "i cannot pretend that i have not been a loyal champion of my party but have always served my country best when i did it so first and foremost as an american or prioritized principles over party, humanity over personal legacy. we do, that we accomplish far more as a nation. by leading with shared faith in each other, we become america at its best." he went on to say, "a beacon of hope, a source of comfort and crisis, a shield against those who threaten freedom, our nation has certainly faced periods of division. but at the end of the day, we've always found ways to come together. we can find that unity again." and the message said, "end of message." my fellow americans, america has lost one of our greatest patriots. we may follow his wisdom, i hope, and his time of truth. but the truth of the matter is, as divided as we are, the only way forward for democracy is unity, consensus. the only way. may we follow his wisdom and his timeless truth and reach consensus on the basic fundamental

i like bob dole. bob dole was fair. we need more bob dole's in the world. we need to get better gun laws for things that won't happen like that shooter was with these kids. that's all i wanted to say. host: timothy in pennsylvania. morning. caller: good morning. i just wanted to mention in 2015, my wife and i were visiting washington. we visited the world war ii memorial the day after thanksgiving. as you said earlier, bob dole was there. he had an aide with him. we got to spend about 10 minutes with him. he was very generous with his time. he was very easy to talk with. i mentioned to him, my father served in italy. my father served in headquarters company. when i told him that, we asked a lot about my dad. my dad passed away in 2008. he was very compassionate and very inquisitive in asking about my father in the family. we had a lot of grit and determination, as did most of the people of that greatest generation. we appreciated the time that they gave us. he had a wonderful life, accomplished a lot considering what happened to him as a very young man. hos

dole, to express the value of the life of bob dole. so, this afternoon, it's not a conclusion but it is an ending of these remarks i think senator dole for being a kansan with a lot ofom common sense. i thank him for his willingness to serve, to serve the nation, put on the uniform and go through the experience of his injuries into rehabilitation, theth kansans that helped him through that experience. most of my life i've heard the story of bob dole's hometown of russell, kansas. again i grew up within 15 miles of russell. and upon his return from the va hospital to his hometown, the community rallied to the survival and success of his rehabilitation. the story of cigar boxes in the drugstore where he worked in high school, the businessmen, women, farmers and laborers, the workers that put nickels and dimes, a few dollars here and there into the cigar boxes around town to make sure bob dole he and his mom and dad havd the resources to recover. maybe it takes us back to that e value of coming from a small town where people know each oth

bob dole, bob dole did that. he never forgot where he came from and i never forgot what he said to our colleagues about the effort for the king holiday. and i'll quote. he said no first class democracy can treat people like second class citizens. no first class democracy can treat people like second class citizens. bob didn't hate government. he knew the people that needed him most were the people most in need. he wanted government to work. to work for folks like him would came up the hard way. just give everybody a chance, joe. just a chance. during the depression, bob's parents moved into the basement of their three-room -- not three bedroom, their three-room home in russell, kansas, so they could rent out the upstairs. bob understood hardship. he had known hardship. and he never forgot it. he never forgot the people, as well, who sent him to washington. people from russell, from kansas. bob was a man who always did his duty, who lived by a code of honor. almost seems strange to say that today, but he lived by

bob dole. he died on sunday. this is one hour. president biden: reverend clergy, distinguished guests, among the many memories from 50 years of friendship this one especially captures what bob dole was as a man and in my view as a patriot. we were on our way to the 50th anniversary of d-day in normandy. we started in italy. much has been written about his time in italy. but to be there with him felt significantly different. he was on a mission in the mountains, nazi gunfire and morr fire was thick, men were dying, facing a hail of bullets, second lieutenant robert joseph dole hurled a grenade into an empty gun northwest. he was trying to help a fallen comrade, his platoon radioman, when everything changed. and i mean everything changed. his spine was damaged because fire tore across the hills, shattering his body. grievously wounded, he was paralyzed. dragged behind a wall bob would pass in and out of consciousness, dreaming of home as he laid bleeding in a foxhole for nearly nine hours. he was

he and bob dole, turned out, were very good friends. also, when brooke lost his reelection bid in 1978, he talked to dole, who was looking for a speechwriter. an appointment was made. i went down to washington. we met for the first time and talked for maybe 15, 20 minutes. and i went downstairs to the cafeteria and 10 minutes later, they found me there and said he wants to hire you. i would not have predicted at that point, to be perfectly honest with you, given my own political feelings at the time, that it would have been the start of a 42-year friendship, both professional and personal. but i had the opportunity to see dole evolve, and especially -- remember, republicans took the senate for the first time since 1953, and suddenly, dole one from being in opposition figure who was releasing press releases to someone who was responsible for actual policymaking. and i think, in some ways, the 1980's for almost his best decade. i mean, social security was preserved through the device of a bipartisan commission because, needless to say, it

so god bless bob dole. we'll miss him and he was a great american. eric: god bless bob dole. you talk about his how more. that kind of was counter to his critics' image of him as this tough, bluff type of guy. tell us about the personal bob dole that you knew and his humor. >> you know, i tell you, it wasn't a lot different than john mccain's. john, again, had the reputation for being very tough and he was and so was bob in that regard but on the other hand, they could always see the light side of things. usually a little dose of humor has an ability to get you through something that might be a lot tougher without it and both of them, both john and bob were -- and maybe it was their military background in world war ii that did it. i don't know. both of them were great joke tellers and -- but like i said, just in ordinary conversation, bits of dry humor was not lost on them at all. eric: he had friends on both sides of the aisle. so well liked. you could disagree with him politically but not personally. he was so well liked. don't we need that more in washington, that could be

this service for bob dole. some unforgettable memorial eulogies, president biden saying that senator dole had courage, grit, goodness and grace through his years of service in the military. in congress, to his friends and his family, adding that in their 25 years of service together in the senate, they disagreed but were never disagreeable to each other. at one point ad libbing, god, i loved the guy. senator dole's casket will be driven to the memorial he helped create, open to the public, to hear tributes to come from joint chief chairmans mark milley who escorted elizabeth dole, tom hanks, of course, the actor from "saving private ryan" and a supporter of the world war ii memorial and producer of band of brothers. and our own savannah guthrie, a close friend of the dole family who had been with him for his 98th birthday just this summer. dole's casket will be flown from andrew's joint force base with his family to kansas. his hometown of russell, kansas for services there. joining us now, nbc news presidentia

. >> say bob dole. >> bob dole. >> bob dole. >> who? bob dole? who is it, elizabeth? >> bob dole. >> bob dole. it's the perfect baby name. it's just, i mean, it couldn't be easier. >> that is so much better than donut. did you at one point say to her bring bob dole to daddy? >> that is correct. that is tonight's most important line in the show. bring bob dole to daddy, which she did. >> wow. i don't care what else you do on the show you just have to keep playing that in a loop for an hour and it'll be your highest rated show in a very long time. i could watch that 4,000 more times. >> i think i have watched it about a thousand times since yesterday. it will be tweeted. >> fantastic. >> thank you, rachel. >> well done. >> thank you. >>> last week the democratic party was thrilled with the news that stacey abrams has decided to run for governor of georgia again. when she ran in 2018 stacey abrams lost to republican brian kemp by about 1.5% of the vote, but that was before stacey abrams led the massive voter registration drive in georgia that helped deliver democratic vi

. >> say bob dole. >> bob dole. >> say it again. >> bob dole? >> who is it? >> bob dole. >> bob dole. it's the perfect baby name. it's just, i mean, it couldn't be easier. >> that is so much better than donut. >> did you hear her say, at one point, brig bob dole to daddy? >> yes. that is tonight's most important line. bring bob dole to daddy. which, she did. >> i don't care whatever you do on the show, but keep playing that for an hour, and it will be your high official rating for a very long time. i could watch that 4000 more times. >> i think i watched it about 1000 times yesterday. it will be tweeted. >> well done. >> thank you. well last week, the democratic party was thrilled with the news that stacey abrams has decided to run for governor of georgia, again. when she ran in 2018, stacey abrams lost to republican brian kemp, by about one and a half percent of the vote. but that was before stacey abrams led the massive voter registration drive in georgia that helped deliver democratic victories in two statewide united states senate campaigns in georgia thi

bob dole. dean and the clergy officiating today's service, president clinton, vice president harris, vice president pence, and cheney, and quail, speaker pelosi, leader schumer, leader mcconnell, members of congress of both parties past and present, members of the cabinet, general millie, leaders of our military, distinguished guests, most of all, the dole family, elizabeth, it's been said that memory is the power to gather roses in winter. bob left you with 45 years' worth of roses. a love built and shared that's going to guide you through the difficult days ahead. jill and i will always be there for you, as many others in this church will be. as you and bob were always there for us in ways nobody knows. and, robin, you carry your father's pride, grace, and character. he'll always be with you. as the old saying goes, you are your father's daughter. you are your father's daughter. bob dole's story is a very american one. born and raised in the three room house through the dust bowl of the great

bob dole never forgot them. never. and if he was here today, the mention of those coins in a cigar box would reduce him to tears. there are many great lessons to take away from bob dole's life. go to the other guy's office so you could decide when the meeting is over and get up and walk out. speak straight, even when it gets you in trouble, because it will. but at least everyone will know how you stand and what you stand for. and always plan, not just to win, but win big. yes, you may try and fail, but you will not fail to try. and always, always remember how many structures in this city exist but for the efforts of one man. the national world war ii memorial was built over two white house administrations with a contributions of americans life you. but it was bob dole who willed this memorial into place. he pushed the idea, he corralled the votes, he made the phone calls, he enlisted allies, all of us in the cause, and he raised the money. he did all but mix the concrete himself, which he may have done had he had the u

i quote bob dole. "i cannot pretend that i have not been a loyal champion of my party, but i've always served my country best when i did it so first and foremost as an american, prioritize principles over party, humanity over personal legacy. we do that, we accomplish far more as a nation. by leading, we shared faith in each other. we become america at its best he went on to say a beacon of hope, a source of comfort and crisis, a shield against those who threaten freedom, our nation has certainly faced periods of division, but at the end of the day, we've always found ways to come together. we can find that unity again" and the message said, "end of message." my fellow americans, america has lost one of our greatest patriots. we may follow his wisdom, i hope, and its timeless truth. the truth of the matter is divided as we are, the only way forward for democracy is unity, consensus, the only way. may we follow his wisdom and his timeless truth and reach consensus, the basic fundamental principles we al

nch8 congressman bob dole became senator bob dole. and his life in this body and his life in the mowps culminate -- house of representatives culminated in amazing achievements on the legislative battlefield. but when people ask me what do you remember or what made bob dole bob dole, my view is his service to america in world war ii. i think it made him more aware of people who were struggling, people who had disabilities. i think he saw the challenges that people from across the country faced as a result of their service. he saw the challenges that people in foreign countries experienced in world war ii. and when we look at his legislative achievements, we often think -- at least i think of three -- americans with disabilities act, food aid, what i call the dole-mcgovern bill but what many people call the mcgovern-dole bill that helps feed hungry people, particularly children around the world. and his service to other veterans. his work on this floor resulted in many americans and in fact many citizens of the world having a better sho

with bob dole what you saw is what you got. to his constituents in kansas, to the whole senate and the entire country, what we got was extraordinary. i cannot summarize in one speech the full life or legacy of our friend bob dole. there are battlefield heroics, the hospital bed friendships and the best a bridge player dan hanna where there is the policy legacy that endures to this day. these remembrances will take congress this whole week and they will occupy historians for decades to come. bob dole had the same chief hero for his entire adult life. a general and then a a president, dwight eisenhower, bob did not dress like ike, who is a farewell speech in 1996, he saved the second to last quotation for his hero from abilene kansas. he kept his foot personally on the gas pedal for the eisenhower memorial here in washington well into his 90s but he invoked and praised ike constantly throughout his career. when education is late 1979 an event was held at eisenhower's boyhood home, presidential library and the gravesite in abilene

bob dole loved this capitol. it's where he served the nation shaped by the figures that surround us. washington and jefferson who set us on our path. abraham lincoln, another man who in the heartland of the country from which he came. bob's hero, dwight david eisenhower. martin luther king jr., who bob helped pass legislation honoring the great civil rights leader with a federal holiday. bob stood up and got that done. gerald ford, who served here and with whom bob sought the vice president of the united states. bob belongs here. he, too, was a giant of our history. that's not hyperbole. it's real. of wit and grace, of principle and persistence, of courage and conviction. i had the great honor of serving with bob, as many you around this casket have, i served with him for 25 years. he did have great wit. they once asked him, why in god's name did he vote to continue to fund amtrak? he said, because if he didn't biden would stay overnight and cause more trouble. [laughter] i commuted every day. true story. he was

do you think bob dole ever regretted leaving the senate to run in 1996? >> i will tell you what he told me. he said later on that he should have never run in 96. his view was in 88. people forget because he won the iowa caucuses and for a few days before the new hampshire primary, it looked like bob dole was going to be the republican presidential candidate. itit all collapsed over 48, 72 hours and new hampshire basically undid his hopes. i think that he missed the senate to be sure. i think he loved the senate. it was very different though, you have to remember. i remember the first time we met, i had been working for the kind of republican you wouldn't find today. he was a classic rockefeller republican and he and bob dole it turned out were very good friends enough so that when he lost the bid in 78 he talked to dole and anna appointment was made. we met for the first time and i went downstairs to the cafeteria and a ten minutes later i would have given, to be honest, my own political feelings at the time. it would've been the start of a 43 year friend

and i quote bob dole. i cannot pretend that i have not been a loyal champion of my party but have always served my country best when i did it so first and foremost as an american. prioritized principles over party, humanity over personal legacy. when we do that we accomplish far more as a nation. by leading we shared faith in each other, we become america at its best. he went on to say a beacon of hope, a source of comfort in crisis, a shield against those who threaten freedom, our nation has certainly faced periods of division, but at the end of the day we have always found ways to come together. we can find that unity again and the message said, end of message. my fellow americans, america has lost one of our greatest patriots. we may follow his wisdom, i hope, and the timeless truth that the truth of the matter is as divided as we are the only way forward for democracy is unity, consensus, the only way. may we follow his wisdom and his timeless truth and reach consensus, the basic fundamental principles

bob dole. bob dole did that. he never forgot where he came from and never forgot what he said to our colleagues about the effort for the king holiday. i'll quote. he said, "no first-class democracy can treat people like second-class citizens." no first-class democracy can treat people like second-class citizens. bob didn't hate government. knew people needed it most were the people most in need. he wanted government to work, to work for folks like him, who came up the hard way. just give everybody a chance, joe. just a chance. during the depression, bob's parents moved into the basement of their three-room, not three-bedroom, their three-room home in russell, kansas, so they could rent out the upstairs. bob understood hardship. he had known hardship. he never forgot it. he never forgot the people, as well, who sent him to washington, people from russell, from kansas. bob was a man who always did his duty, who lived by a cold of honor. almost seems strange to say that today, but he lived by a code of honor and he

dole, because bob dole could be strong but he was also witty. as a vice presidential candidate, he didn't tend to be very witty, just attack. i don't think he was comfortable. senator grant -- host: senator grassley, what do you think about him getting the honor of lying in state? guest: i think for several reasons but most importantly being wounded, a war hero, defending our country and freedom and liberties, and outstanding public servant, attribute as he was somewhat disabled, a tribute to what he did to help disabled people through the disability acts of 1991 or whatever it was past -- whenever it was passed. he came up from a life of poverty and was helping people with food stamps, medicaid, downtrodden. he knew their life and respected that and founded public policies that would lead to better life for people that are lower income or in poverty. he never forgot his roots. if i was to honor him, put him in state like he's going to lie in state today, those are some of the things i would think are right for doing it. in this day of so much p

this week we pay tribute to bob dole. not only a decorated war hero who exemplified the very best what have it means to be an american, but also someone who set an example for others with a commitment to pragmatism, bipartisanship and governing in the best interests of the american people. after being after being wounded in combat, bob dole recuperated in our district in michigan at the percy jones army hospital. that facility no longer exists in that form, and i'm proud to say today it is the hart-dole-inouye federal center, a long lasting testament to not only his wartime service but also his connection to west michigan whereas my colleague, mr. laturner mentioned, his survival was questioned and his recuperation was long and lengthy, but also where he built friendships and ties, especially with mr. inouye, that would go on to last for over a half century. during those nearly three decades that he spent in the united states senate, senator dole was a voice for the veterans' community. his career-long efforts to help the

capitol, attribute to bob dole. senator dole served in the senate for 27 years including 11 years as republican leader before leaving in 1996. he passed away december 5, 2021. this is one hour and 20 minutes. kansas senator bob dole. president joe biden and mitch mcconnell are among the speakers. senator dole served in the senate for 27 years, including 11 years as republican leader before leaving in 1996 to run for president. he passed away december 5, 2021. this is an hour and 20 minutes. >> ten hut. >> march. march. march. >> present arms. >> ready, step. >> present arms. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step, ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready,

with bob dole what you saw is what you got. from his comrades in t the tenth division to his constituents in kansas to thee whole senate in the entire country what we got wasrd extraordinary. i cannot summarize in one speech the full life or legacy of our friend bob dole. there is a battlefield heroics the hospital bed friendships follow future senators and the best bridge player at percy jones hospital. there is a policy legacy that endures to this day. these remembrances will take congress this whole week and they will occupy historians for decades to come. bob dole had the same chief hero for his entire adult life. his fellow son of kansas, general verna president, dwight eisenhower. bob did not just like him he idolized him and senator speech in 1996, he saved the second to last quotation for his hero from abilene kansas. he kept his foot on the gas pedal for the eisenhower memorial in washington well into hehis 90s. he invoked in praised i constantly throughout his career. one altercation was in late 1979 an event was held

dole, senator dole and bob dole had an impact on our nation. i love hearing the stories about him and ms. schumer, that is something that people will remember and also the work that he did and senator elizabeth dole also for our nation's veterans. in one of the things when you talk about bob dole in his leadership is asked to have the opportunity to be attached or some way volunteer for the presidential race and 96. it was his desire to see people do things that were bigger than themselves. much of that came from his desire from publix service to get back and defend freedom and to make certain that we remain in the home of the brave in his commitment to that throughout his military career and his career in public service in the senate. >> he mentioned his role, a very good friend who took his family to see the memorial and lo and behold sitting there at the entrance in his wheelchair, this is some years ago was bob dole. he was out of office, he had campaign for the presidency and he would spend many of his days as ice understand the world war

a long time later maybe he apologized and it typically bob dole because bob dole would be strong but was also witty. as a vice presidential candidate he would not attend to be witty he would attack, attack, attack, i don't think he is comfortable in that period worked saturday when he think about him during the honor today of lying in state in the nation's capitol? >> i think for several reasons but most importantly remembered as a war hero, he defended our freedoms and liberties, and outstanding public servants, a tribute as he was somewhat disabled. attribute to what he did to help disabled people with disabilities act of 1991, or whenever it was passed. i think he came up from a life of poverty and was helping people with food stamps and medicaid. people who were downtrodden he knew their life. he respected that would lead to better life for people with lower income or in poverty. if honoring lying in state like he is going to lie in state today those are the some things i would think would be a rationale for doing it. maybe the most important thing in this day is so much partisan

fifty-one years ago, during a fierce fight in italy second lieutenant bob dole went to the aid of a fallen comrade when a shell struck him down in their to bear the burden of that terrible injury from that day forward his recuperation was long and uncertain he turned adversity to advantage and pain to embody the model of the state that he loved went on to serve so well. to the stars through difficulties. citizen and soldier and legislature. he understands american people their struggles and triumphs in their dreams. those taking from the county attorney to senate majority leader and a longest-serving leader of his party in history he never forgot his roots he stood up for what he believes champion the interest of states hard-working farmers helping the disabled leading the american disabilities act playing a key role in the national commission on social security reform and always , always supporting the leadership of our country first throughout the long twilight struggle of the cold war and now with this new era we asserting indispensable roles for peace and freedom and security and prosp

barbara, what should people remember about bob dole? >> they should remember that he served his country with great distinction and courage starting in world war ii, where he was nearly killed in the 10th mountain division and fighting north of florence in thetalian theater of war, was really left for dead with such as grievous wound, but came back to the united states, went through months and years of surgeries and rehabilitation, from paralysis to a right arm and shoulder that were left virtually useless, and then carried on to go on into politics. he had hoped to be a surgeon, but instead he was actually going under the surgeon's knife rather than being the surgeon. so he decided on law school, went into the kansas legislature, then on into congress and ran for vice president and president unsuccessfully. but he should certainly be remembered for this long, long record of service to the country. >> sreenivasan: one of the things that comes up about his career in congress is his ability to find bipartisan solutions and, to me, one of t

allow me one example of bob dole's comedic talent. in january of 1997 just after president clinton had defeated bob and won his reelection, the president graciously bestowed on bob the presidential medal of freedom. there they were in mid january, just three days before the day bob had spent months hoping he'd be inaugurated, but president clinton would be reinaugurated instead. it was a gracious gesture and a warm event all around. the time comes for bob's remarks. walks up to the podium, looks around, and he begins, i, robert j. dole, the crowd is cracking up, do solemnly swear and then a theatrical pause. oh, sorry, wrong speech. once the laughs began to die down there became the self-deprecating punchline, i thought i'd be here this historic week receiving something from the president, i thought it would be the front door key. the thing is, madam president, there was no contradiction in all of it, no paradox, bob's life and career were very, very consistent. the virtues and the values that led bob dole to raise his right hand, enl

bob dole was a combination of many things, as a human being. he was certainly a partisan, a partisan republican, but as a senator, he knew that the role of people in politics was to try to make life better for people who needed that and he was prepared to work across the lines of politics in order to get those things done. and that is quality that is missing. and on a day that we remember bob dole's service, not just as a presidential candidate, but as a veteran, it behooves us all to think about whether there is a way to get some of that back that we have lost. susan page, what does this mean to the man who returned to ruffle, kansas. he had been, as tom brokaw described him in "the washington post" today, an adonis, a high school athlete, a star, wanted to become a surgeon, and then, of course, disabled for life, two weeks before the end of the war in europe. and finding himself alongside a bed in the veterans hospital with danny inouye, who later became senators. >> a great honor to be this -- to have this service at the cathedral, as it was