Bob Dole Embodied ‘Shared Values’ in Washington

WASHINGTON — When Bob Dole was the Senate bulk leader, successful the days erstwhile Republicans and Democrats astatine slightest tried to enactment together, helium routinely walked crossed the 2nd level of the Capitol to conscionable the number leader, Tom Daschle, successful Mr. Daschle’s office.

The reversal of protocol struck Mr. Daschle, who was caller successful the job, arsenic gracious.

“I said, ‘Bob, I’m truly humbled that you importune connected coming to my office; I’m the inferior guy, truthful I should travel to your office,’” Mr. Daschle, a Democrat from South Dakota, recalled successful an interrogation connected Sunday aft learning that Mr. Dole, 98, had died. “And helium said, ‘No, erstwhile I travel to your office, I tin ever determine erstwhile the gathering is over.’”

The remark was classical Bob Dole — witty and consecutive to the point. And the communicative is simply a reminder of Bob Dole’s Washington.

Mr. Dole, a Kansas Republican who overcame the poorness of the Great Depression and grievous injuries sustained during World War II, brought his prairie values and no-nonsense mode erstwhile helium arrived successful Washington successful 1961. Over the adjacent 35 years — done 8 years successful the House, 27 successful the Senate and 3 failed attempts to triumph the presidency — helium operated successful a metropolis that was conducive to his instincts arsenic a woody maker.

It is possibly trite to reminisce astir and romanticize a “bygone era” successful Washington, erstwhile politicians of opposing parties fought by time and socialized with 1 different astatine night. There was plentifulness of partisanship — immoderate of it each spot arsenic bitter arsenic what exists contiguous — during Mr. Dole’s clip successful the Capitol.

But determination besides is nary denying that the clime was different, and the facts talk for themselves: Both arsenic a legislator and arsenic the Republican leader, a occupation helium held from 1985 until 1996, Mr. Dole reached crossed the aisle to assistance propulsion done a drawstring of bipartisan legislation, specified arsenic a measure to rescue Social Security, the Americans With Disabilities Act and a measurement to overhaul the payment system.

Among his proudest accomplishments was teaming up with George McGovern, the wide Democrat from South Dakota, to wholly revamp the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called nutrient stamps. They continued to enactment unneurotic connected nutrition issues aft they some near the Senate.

“People believed successful moving with each other, and they kept their word,” Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who counted Mr. Dole arsenic a friend, said successful an interrogation connected Sunday. He recalled the adjacent ties betwixt George J. Mitchell Jr., the Maine legislator who preceded Mr. Daschle arsenic the Democratic leader, and Mr. Dole.

“When George Mitchell was leader, he’d spell down to Dole’s bureau 2 and 3 times a time and vice versa,” Mr. Leahy said. “And I callback they some said the aforesaid happening astir the other: ‘He ne'er amazed me.’ You don’t spot that hap today.”

Not lone that, Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Dole had dedicated telephone lines connected their desks that fto them pass straight with the interaction of a button, 1 adjutant recalled.

The fastener came successful useful successful November 1994, erstwhile Republicans won backmost the majority. Mr. Mitchell, who had not sought re-election, asked that Mr. Dole beryllium alerted that helium was coming to his bureau to congratulate him. Mr. Dole sent a speedy connection backmost that helium didn’t privation Mr. Mitchell to marque the humbling trek and that Mr. Dole would alternatively spell to his office, a motion that Mr. Mitchell and his squad regarded arsenic decent and thoughtful.

“He operated successful a antithetic era, erstwhile the thought of bipartisanship was precise overmuch successful vogue and politicians understood that successful a ideology you simply person to work, not conscionable with your chap enactment members, but with radical from the other broadside oregon the different broadside of the aisle,” said Robert Dallek, the statesmanlike historian. “He was masterful astatine that.”

That is not to accidental that Mr. Dole lacked crisp elbows oregon blimpish ideology. Newt Gingrich, the erstwhile Republican talker of the House who is wide credited with ushering successful Washington’s epoch of partisan warfare, said helium worked intimately with Mr. Dole to propulsion done taxation cuts and to decision President Bill Clinton’s program for cosmopolitan wellness care.

In an interrogation connected Sunday, Mr. Gingrich likened Mr. Dole to the existent Republican leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, an entity of loathing for Democrats.

“I deliberation there’s a batch of parallels betwixt Dole and McConnell,” Mr. Gingrich said. “They’re some creatures of the Senate; they’re some very, precise bully tactically. They some recognize however to halt things, and they recognize however to get things done.”

Despite their partnership, Mr. Dole could not clasp Mr. Gingrich’s bomb-throwing style. When Mr. Gingrich and House Republicans refused to walk national spending bills, forcing the authorities to unopen down successful 1995, Mr. Dole took to the Senate level to state that helium had had enough.

“We ought to extremity this,” Mr. Dole said astatine the time. “I mean, it’s gotten to the constituent wherever it’s a small ridiculous arsenic acold arsenic this legislator is concerned.”

In Washington, Mr. Dole and his wife, Elizabeth Dole — who aboriginal became a legislator and ran for president herself — were seen arsenic a powerfulness couple, the embodiment of the city’s institutions. Mr. Dole came to basal for World War II and the Greatest Generation, and an earlier epoch of dignity and honor. He was the driving unit down the World War II Memorial connected the National Mall, and could often beryllium recovered greeting veterans there.

“He was successful a consciousness Mr. America,” said Mr. Dallek, the historian. “He came from the heartland, and helium stood for a benignant of shared values.”

In 1996, Mr. Dole near the Senate — an instauration successful which helium had served for much than a 4th period — to tally for president. Washington was changing. Mr. Gingrich was astatine the tallness of his power. Mr. Clinton would aboriginal beryllium impeached implicit his matter with an intern, Monica Lewinsky, exacerbating the increasing partisan tensions.

But erstwhile Mr. Dole, who astatine that constituent was the Senate’s longest-serving Republican leader, went to the enclosure to present a code announcing his departure, the aged ways of the Capitol were inactive intact.

“That time helium announced helium was leaving the Senate, astir each Democratic legislator was connected the floor,” Mr. Leahy said. “Now, helium was going to spell retired to tally against Bill Clinton. And erstwhile helium finished speaking, we each stood and applauded and applauded.”

Carl Hulse contributed reporting.