Views
Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
Two outstanding political leaders died earlier this year. They were Bob Dole, a Republican, and Dennis Moore, a Democrat. Those serving in Congress today could take a lesson from these men when it comes to leadership and true public service.
I was privileged to know both of these men. Dennis Moore, who was U.S. representative from the 3rd District in Kansas, often said that 90 percent of what is done in Congress doesn’t have anything to do with partisan politics.
I recall the first time I met Moore; it was at a fund-raiser when he was running for Kansas attorney general; he was serving as Johnson County district attorney. He lost that race but went on to be elected to Congress, defeating the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Vince Snowbarger, an ultra-conservative Republican. Moore would go on to serve six terms.
As Johnson County attorney, he was considered a “tough, but fair prosecutor”; he was elected three times serving 12 years.
While serving in Congress, he was a member of the U.S. House Budget and Financial Services and Small Business committees. He was also a member of the “Blue Dog Coalition,” a group of moderate and conservative Democrats who favored fiscal responsibility.
I met with Moore in the spring of 2004. I was part of a Kansas delegation that was calling on Congressional members in Washington on behalf of the National Newspaper Association. It was a Friday afternoon and Moore was preparing to catch a flight to Kansas City. He admitted that there was a serious strain he had to endure, because he wasn’t from a “safe district”” where re-election would be relatively easy.
Dennis Moore died Nov. 2, 2021, after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 75 years old.
I first met Bob Dole in the summer of 1968 when the Congressman from the First District of Kansas was running for the U.S. Senate, hoping to succeed U.S. Sen. Frank Carlson. The League of Women Voters was sponsoring a “Meet the Candidates” event at what was then Trinity United Methodist Church. Dole won in the primary and general elections that year.
The next time I met Dole was early one morning in the spring of 1986. I was a delegate to the Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. Dole spotted me when I was leaving the Washington Hilton hotel. We visited briefly and he said “Welcome to Washington.” An aide was with him, holding a long list of appointments for the day.
Later that year, Dole visited Republican headquarters in Wyandotte County, a sparse Minnesota Avenue storefront downtown. A young political science student from the University of Kansas at Lawrence was among a crowd that anxiously awaited the senator’s arrival. He asked me what to expect.
“Well, I’ll tell you what will happen,” I said.”Sen. Dole will arrive about five to ten minutes late with a sizable group of well-wishers. He will step into the room and all eyes will be on the Senator.”
That was exactly what happened. He cracked one of his signature jokes.
“Do you know what the difference between New York and North Dakota is,” the Senator asked. “In New York, 100,000 dollars will get you 20 TV spots,” he said. “In North Dakota, 100,000 dollars will buy you the TV station.” He also praised all those running for public office.
Bob Dole was a hero who nearly lost his life while serving in Italy during World War II. The support he received from his hometown of Russell, Kansas, was legendary. A cigar box at Dawson’s drugstore collected funds to help pay for his medical expenses during his long rehabilitation road. Later on, that same cigar box was used to collect $100,000 for Dole’s run for the presidency.
Although a conservative, Dole understood the art of the compromise when it was necessary to get legislation passed. One of the Washington legends tells of how Sen. Dole would promote partisan views during the day, but then would go to the White House to meet at night for dinner with President Ronald Reagan and U.S. Rep. Tip O’Neill (a Democrat) to get things done.
Bob Dole. 98, died Dec. 5, 2021. He suffered from lung cancer.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.