Jim Inhofe: “while I was presiding, I listened to the accolades and the very warm remarks that have been aimed toward our leader, Bob…”

“while I was presiding, I listened to the accolades and the very warm remarks that have been aimed toward our leader, Bob Dole, and so richly deserved by Senator Dole. I could think of only two characteristics that have not been brought up yet. They came from two experiences that I had. One was back when I was a very fresh, new, freshman Senator. I happened to have been supporting Phil Gramm for President of the United States, who was a primary opponent of Bob Dole's, only to find that he and I had a trip to take together from Washington out to Independence, KS, since we had been active in getting a very significant product liability bill passed that put America back into making airplanes again. I got to thinking of traveling all the way with a guy when I was actually opposing him. I was very uncomfortable about it. I can tell you during the entire trip, you would have thought I was his, Bob Dole's, chairman. I have never seen a person so absolute in his forgiveness and understanding. Second, a couple of years ago I can remember when Bob Dole was coming in to do a fundraiser for me at 7:30 in the morning in Tulsa, OK. By coincidence, it happened to be the morning after the night they considered President Clinton's soft-on-crime bill. Bob Dole was really wrapped up in that. That was one of the disappointments he had. He lost it by one vote.”