Bob Dole, a man of war, power, zingers and denied ambition
By CONNIE CASS and CALVIN WOODWARD
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are remembering Bob Dole, a man who defied the odds in war, only to fall short of his ultimate goal in politics. Dole died Sunday. He was 98. After paralyzing wounds in World War II, Dole willed himself to walk again, and ran for Congress with a right arm too damaged to shake hands. He rose through the Senate ranks to become a long-serving Republican leader and tireless champion of his party. But the prize of the presidency eluded him. He tried three times, and came closest in his final race, securing the 1996 Republican nomination only to be steamrolled by President Bill Clinton’s reelection machine.