One of the most remarkable moments in the days before former President George HW Bush’s funeral was when former Sen. Bob Dole arrived to pay tribute to him. Dole, like the elder Bush, was a World War II veteran.
The two men fought bitterly for the Republican nomination in the 1988 presidential primary cycle. It was rough and they both later admitted that they had beat each other up pretty badly and needlessly. But after the election, they buried the hatchet and eventually became very good friends.
It’s reminiscent of 2016 and the way that Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul are now two of President Trump’s biggest defenders on some issues. Republicans have always been better at patching things up and moving on for the good of the country. (Poor Bernie Sanders has to check his brakes every day because of you-know-who!)
Bush and Dole, along with their wives, maintained a friendship that has lasted decades after they left Washington and the public light. Ahh, the good old days when presidents would retire from office and be quiet. Hint, hint.
Senator Dole was pushed into the Capitol Rotunda in a wheelchair to say goodbye to an old friend, but what happened next was truly amazing. It was a moment when one warrior said goodbye to another, and it stunned not only the Bush family, but everyone who saw it. Watch for yourself in the video below to see this iconic moment in American history.
