Dole campaigns for Roberts in Kansas Senate race
A newly upholstered chair and an American flag dominated Village Square Mall on the west side of Dodge City, the Kansas hometown of Sen. Pat Roberts, who is seeking re-election. But the man who took the seat and who commanded the audience of more than 200 wasn't Roberts.
"He's your friend, my friend, Kansas' friend, and Kansas' greatest senator, Bob Dole," Roberts said.
The Monday campaign event for Roberts, who is locked in a suddenly tough re-election battle in typically Republican Kansas, was more an honor ceremony for Dole, the 91-year-old former Senate majority leader, World War II veteran and 1996 Republican presidential nominee.
Dole held court for nearly an hour, reminiscing about his 46 years in Congress, his effort to spearhead the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. and, now and then, Roberts.
"Pat and I have been friends for some time," said Dole. "When I had a problem in the House getting a bill passed, I'd call Pat."
But Dole's and Roberts' tones were distinct.
Dole hearkened back to his collaboration with the late Democratic Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan to ensure that Social Security remains solvent through 2027, recalling how they agreed: "We can't let this fail. There are 30 million Americans who rely on Social Security."
By contrast, Roberts argued that only a Republican majority could fix the Senate's impasse and referred to Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid as "a dictator."
"We have to get the Senate back so we can get things going again," Roberts said.
Republicans need to gain six seats to capture the majority and until this month, Roberts was not considered vulnerable.
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Dole campaigns for Roberts in Kansas Senate race