Hailed on right and left

Tributes from across the political spectrum — including from President Biden and former President George W. Bush — poured in for former Sen. Bob Dole on Sunday after the news of his death.

“He never hesitated to work with me or other Democrats when it mattered most,” Biden said in a statement.

“This work, for Bob, was about more than passing laws. It was written on his heart.”

Bush said that Dole “represented the finest of American values” as he recalled Dole’s tribute to Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush, after the former commander-in-chief’s death in 2018. The then-95year-old Dole poignantly stood with the help of an aide to give the elder Bush, a fellow World War II veteran, a proper military salute.

“He defended them in uniform during World War II. He advanced them in the United States Senate. And he lived them out as a father, husband and friend,” the younger Bush said. “I will always remember Bob’s salute to my late dad at the Capitol, and now we Bushes salute Bob and give thanks for his life of principled service.”

Dole’s fellow former GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney tweeted, “When I think of the greatest generation, I think of Senator Bob Dole — a man who dedicated his life to serving our country.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence tweeted, “Senator Bob Dole was a truly great man who lived an extraordinary life of service to America and he will be deeply missed by all of us who had the privilege to know him.

“His courageous service in World War II, his heroic recovery, his service in the House and in the Senate where he served as Majority Leader and his service on two national tickets, including as Republican nominee for President in 1996, were all driven by a love of country and patriotism synonymous with the Greatest Generation.”

Cindy McCain, whose husband, John McCain, was a close collaborator of Dole’s, called him “the last of the lions of the Senate.”

Dole was also remembered for his advocacy for people with disabilities, and the role he played as a bipartisan consensus-builder.

“Bob Dole helped create a world that allowed people like me to live,” columnist Eric Michael Garcia, who has autism and writes about disability rights, shared.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) tweeted, “Barbara & I are sad to hear of passing of war hero/Senate Majority Ldr /presidential nominee Bob Dole.”