Former Senator Bob Dole, a former World War II combatant and repeatedly unfortunate candidate for the White House, died Sunday morning at the age of 98 , sparking a wave of tributes for this iconic figure in US politics.
Shortly after the announcement of his death by the founding of his wife Elizabeth Dole, President Joe Biden praised an ” American statesman unlike any other in our history, ” a ” war hero “, but also a “friend” with a “sense of purpose. of integrity and infallible honor “.
” America lost one of its heroes, our family lost its rock, ” the Dole family said in a statement.
In February, he announced that he had advanced lung cancer.
A three-time candidate for the Republican candidacy for the White House, Dole was defeated in the party internals by Ronald Reagan in 1980 , then by George Bush in 1988, before being the standard-bearer in 1996.
But Democrat Bill Clinton easily defeated this then 73-year-old politician who seemed outdone by the era of televised politics.
Twenty years earlier Gerald Ford had chosen him as their vice presidential candidate , but the Republican duo lost to Democrats Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale .
The entire American political world paid tribute to a man who, according to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, “believed in the uniqueness of America with all his heart.”
” Everyone who saw Bob Dole in action admired his character and his deep patriotism, ” said Senate Republican Chief Mitch McConnell.
For former President Donald Trump, Dole was ” an American war hero and a true patriot, ” who ” served the great state of Kansas with honor and made the Republican party stronger .”
Mike Pence, who was vice president during the Trump administration, called him ” a great man who lived an extraordinary life in the service of America .”
On the other side of the political spectrum, former president Barack Obama wrote on Twitter that he was a ” war hero, a political leader and a statesman “, whose generation put “the country above the party.”
Senator Bernie Sanders, a figure on the left wing of the Democratic Party, greeted a man who had ” served his country with courage on the battlefield and with dignity in the Senate .”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, ordered that the flags of the Capitol fly at half mast in honor of this ” man of his word ” who “embodied courage and excellence in public service.”