The long, sad decline of Bob Dole…first Viagra, then Part D, now fronting for a Commander-in-Chief who doesn’t know the territory

By Daniel Hines
Publisher
www.TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com

I can remember the first time I got to see Bob Dole up close and personal.  It was in 1992 at a reception in Washington at which he and then-Senator Tom Daschle were being honored by agricultural groups for their support of renewable energies, based upon ethanol, biodiesel. 

The Senator from Kansas was known then as a man of integrity, even by those who didn’t agree with him, 

He was a war hero who had one of the best senses of humor in the Capitol, a man of immense personal charm which only showed forth with one-on-one encounters but never came through in dealing with the general public through mass media. 

Now, he reminds us of Grizabella, the battered and disreputable ‘Glamor Cat’ of the Broadway play, “Cats.” 

While, unlike Grizabella, he is neither battered nor poor, like her, he is hardly an image of what he once was. 

And, unlike Grizabella, he doesn’t have to ask anyone to ‘touch him.’  He has been touched for years by large special money interests in the U.S., fronting for a number of organizations that have tainted the memory that many might have had of him.  

The first one to get to him was large pharma, when Dole was the first to go public with his erectile function, and thanking Viagra for restoring his sexual vigor.  Little did we know at the time that this was to lay the groundwork and establish a comfort level for the Senator with drug companies in a future role when he traveled the nation extolling the benefits of the flawed and rejected Medicare Prescription Drug Card Part D.   

There was a time that the former Senator would have been a leader to make sure that  was done that was possible to prevent this expensive train wreck. 

But, it is the most recent example of allowing himself to be a lobbyist for the potentially disastrous port control fiasco that is most disappointing.  He is representing the interests of the UAE, which the Bush Administration claims is an ally in the ‘war against terror’, even while admitting that he (the President) knew nothing of the deal until it was completed.   

That, of course, is just another example of the long series of George 43 being in the dark and not informed what is going on—somewhat like Mel Brooks’ portrayal of a western Governor in ‘Blazing Saddles’.  

So who better than using a war hero, a former U.S. Senator, a man who was a Presidential candidate for the GOP to calm the fears of the nation, starting with the hallowed Senate halls where Dole once served. 

Of course, it might not be as easy as he suspects. There is a rising tide of anger over yet another example of the incompetence of the Bush Administration by Senators and Congressmen of both parties. 

As a matter of fact, Dole might find that his joy at discovering the wonders of Viagra are short-lived.  Consider this report on how wife Senator Elizabeth Dole is reported to be feeling about the surrender of the ports to a terrorist nation:

“…Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., said she was "deeply concerned" about the deal (the UAE takeover)  even as it was announced that her husband, former Sen. Bob Dole, had been hired as a lobbyist for the United Arab Emirates -- the Middle Eastern country that owns the company that would run six U.S. ports unless the deal is blocked.

Mike Marshall, a spokesman for Bob Dole, said the former senator will be involved in lobbying Congress on the deal, but would not be lobbying his wife.

Alston & Bird, the law firm that employs Bob Dole, has been advising Dubai Ports World for months. Marshall said the contract with the company has been extended to include Bob Dole, who is a former Senate majority leader.

“Lindsay Mabry -- a spokeswoman for Sen. Dole -- said: "Senator Elizabeth Dole's decisions are made independently of Bob Dole. Her No. 1 priority is the constituents she represents." 

Ummm…does this mean there could be trouble in the Dole household?  Perhaps, like Grizabella, Senator Robert Dole might be singing ‘Touch Me’ after all.