J. Exon: “my few remarks about my friend Bob Dole and his announcement today will be devoid of any political motivations…”

“my few remarks about my friend Bob Dole and his announcement today will be devoid of any political motivations whatsoever. Bob Dole has been a friend of mine ever since I came into the Senate. We have differed frequently on many issues, but we have been together on many issues. The announcement today that we heard about this morning came as a considerable shock to this Senator because whatever the future holds, the Senate in my view has lost a tremendously dedicated individual, a talented leader on the Republican side of the aisle, a man I never hesitated a moment in going to on any subject. He has always been fair to this Senator. We have clashed from time to time on issues. But fairness and confidence and being a very capable Senator and a Senate leader has been the hallmark of Bob Dole. I simply say that we will miss him very much in the U.S. Senate, and I would have preferred that he not take the additional step that he announced today with regard to resigning from the Senate. I recognize that in running for President of the United States, it was most difficult to be here, to be a leader. However, I thought the announcement that I read in the papers this morning with regard to Senator Dole, recognizing that he could not do justice to his Presidential race and be a full-time leader of the Senate and the suggestion that he turn this over to other Members of the Republican majority, seemed to make sense to me.”