[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 11, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6066]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO BOB DOLE

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to our friend, Bob 
Dole. It has been my pleasure over the years to hold over 30 joint 
meetings with him in my State, in my time as a Congressman and as a 
Senator and when he was running for South Dakota's early primary. There 
were at least 30 meetings. I learned a great deal from Bob's service, 
and I learned that his tireless energy was always an inspiration to me. 
In fact, he would always shake hands with everybody at the end of those 
meetings, regardless of how long it took. But he offered a great deal 
of substance when somebody asked him a complicated question. He would 
give the full Senate answer, so to speak. I believe that he will go 
down as one of the great Members of this Chamber, in terms of 
legislative accomplishments and contributions.

  I was one of the first Senators to commit to him for majority leader 
or minority leader--whichever was the case, because at the time we did 
not know for sure. I was one of the first Senators to endorse him for 
President. I think his career in the Senate represents the best of 
Senate life. I guess everybody knows about his wit and his 
determination. I could never believe or comprehend how he had so much 
energy. He literally went 7 days a week. He would be as energetic on 
Sunday night when he was coming back to Washington.
  I also visited at least 15 States with him during the time he was a 
Presidential candidate or chairman of the party or when I was a 
Congressman, and he did the same thing there, too. He was not a golfer 
or a tennis player. He just worked all the time. I have never seen 
anything like it. He would fill up the whole weekend with work and 
visits. To him, it was service. I just would not have that much energy 
because I need a day off now and then. I pay tribute to him because he 
is one of the great Members of this Chamber that I have served with, 
and it has been my pleasure to work side by side with him.
  I have a number of other reminiscences, which I will place in the 
Record. During this short time, let me also say that I have felt a 
great deal of friendship and still feel a great deal of friendship with 
Bob Dole. He is a person with whom I could always talk to if I was 
struggling in some of my campaigns, or whatever. He would always be 
there to help. Just recently, he invited me along on four stops in 
several States with him. His energy is as great as it has ever been.
  Bob Dole is a great man. He will be a great President, and I will 
miss him very much here in the Senate. It feels lonely around here 
without him already, without his quips, and so forth. I came in a 
little late at lunch today and he said, ``You are late, Pressler. We 
are going to count you late.'' He was full of quips all the time. I pay 
tribute to my friend, Bob Dole, a great U.S. Senator, who will be a 
great President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky is recognized.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we witnessed today the departure from 
the Senate of one of the giants of American history. On a day like 
this, obviously, all of your memories come back to you. I remember the 
first time I met Bob Dole. It was in this room in the early part of 
1969. I was a fuzzy-cheeked staffer back here on what was then these 
big stuffed couches. Bob Dole was a freshman Senator. Since desks on 
the floor of the Senate were assigned on the basis of seniority, he sat 
near the back. I remember him as being the most popular of the freshman 
Republicans with the staff. Why? Because he was nice to us. This is a 
place where, as many know, some Senators are a little full of 
themselves and frequently are not all that nice to staff. Bob Dole was 
not only nice to us, his humor was often practiced on us before he 
related some of it on the floor.
  In short, you could sense from the beginning, from the day Bob Dole 
walked in here, that he was something special, that he was not going to 
be just your average Senator. So like everybody else, I watched his 
development over the years. I left as a staffer and went back home to 
do my own thing. My next recollection of Bob Dole was in 1980, his 
first campaign for President, which was not conspicuously successful. I 
remember picking him up one day in Kentucky and taking him to a meeting 
and watching him tirelessly work the crowd. He had to have a sense that 
his campaign was failing. But as Woody Allen said, ``Eighty percent of 
life is showing up.'' Bob Dole was driven. He always showed up. He 
continued to push.
  The next time I saw him was in 1984, 3 days before the Senate race in 
Kentucky. All of a sudden, the word had spread around that this 
challenger in the Senate race in Kentucky might have a shot. Bob and 
Elizabeth Dole came in, and we wheeled around the State in their plane, 
and they gave me the boost I needed at the end to get over the finish 
line.
  In short, like everybody else here, I have had a number of 
reminiscences of this great American. On a day like this, they all come 
back. It seems like there is a giant sort of gap here in the Senate 
with his departure. Today was a bittersweet day for all of us. I think 
it is kind of a mixture of exhilaration for him that he goes out on 
this new challenge, undeterred by all of the restraints that are 
obvious here, but at the same time he regretted his departure. I only 
add: Godspeed, Bob Dole. I think we will be seeing you in Government 
once again.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senator from 
Massachusetts is recognized.
  Mr. EXON. I yield to the Senator from Massachusetts whatever time he 
needs off of our 5 hours.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I thank the Senator from Nebraska. I see the Senator 
from Kansas on the floor, who was here earlier than I was. She has 
indicated that she has just a short comment to make. I am glad, if it 
is agreeable with the Senator from Nebraska, to yield to her to speak 
briefly.
  Mr. EXON. I will yield whatever time she needs from our time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.

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