Monday, October 28, 1996
CHARACTER:
Bob Dole’s ‘integrity’ falls short under scrutinyBy Carl
Irving
New York Times
Bob Dole talks a lot about Bill Clinton’s character. He claims
that you can’t trust the president, and Dole’s surrogates do worse
than that. For lack of other fodder, too many reporters oblige by
sucking up and spitting out a stream of insinuations, unproved
rumors and outright slanders.
Whom do you trust? The deep, firm tones of Bob Dole’s voice
convey only one answer: He’s an All-American hero. He bled for us
in World War II and then led a true-blue life. Beloved among his
fellow Kansans, he moved on to lead and inspire the U.S.
Senate.
Some of us question whether it’s all so simple: An honest and
unblemished warrior with a heart against a devious opponent who was
never a warrior. And that we needn’t discuss the details, just take
Dole’s word for it.
Did Dole show "character" by leaving his wife and a young
daughter in Kansas in favor of a much more glamorous, intelligent
wife in Washington? And did he show character by accepting large
amounts of lobbyists’ money to obtain a luxurious Florida condo for
himself and his new bride?
He grew up in Russell, western Kansas, where most people praise
him. But in 1988, when I spent a day and a night there for his
campaign kickoff against George Bush, some residents who knew him
well called him a nasty opportunist  but only after being
assured that they would not be identified by name.
The same label was attached to Bob Dole in 1974, when he almost
lost his Senate re-election campaign to a moderate Democrat who
happened to be a doctor. Dole successfully  and untruthfully
 hung on his opponent the label of "abortionist."
There’s another way at approaching this question of character:
Dole expresses unhappiness at the way Clinton conducts American
foreign policy. He infers that it’s due to weak thinking and the
president’s lack of trustworthy character.
This fall, Dole persuaded his successor, GOP Senate Majority
Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi, to block bipartisan approval of
the long-sought international treaty to ban chemical weapons. He
didn’t want Clinton to enjoy the political benefits that accompany
the signing ceremony.
Does that show character? This is not a partisan issue. George
Bush told me during a campaign interview in 1992 that above all, he
wanted to succeed in gaining passage of such a treaty.
If Dole’s capable of such maneuvers, what does that say about
his character? As a senator, Dole had a widely acknowledged
reputation for his inability to keep on top of relatively small
administrative matters.
And as to campaign tactics: A year ago, Dole said in public he
would be Ronald Reagan or whatever was required to win the
election. Does that show character?