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November 14, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10909 Helen will always be remembered as stage of life we both adhere to the wisdom of as military. It was met by 16 million citizen a champion of the individual—the rug- W.C. Fields, who expressed his philosophy as soldiers, backed by millions more on the ged, self-reliant American that is in all follows: If at first you don’t succeed, try, home front. All of them heroes in the age old try, again. Then give up. No use being a struggle for popular government. of us—and I thank her for that. damn fool about it. The word hero gets thrown around a lot. f Of course, in all that truly matters, George It’s a lot easier to be a hero if someone is has never given up. Neither has his beloved shooting at you, as happened to me on an BOB DOLE ON GEORGE MCGOVERN Eleanor. Sixty-six years after they enrolled Italian hillside—or attempting to shoot Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, civil- as undergraduates on this campus, sixty- down your plane, as George will recall from ity is alive and well in the great State three years after they declared their mar- 35 missions with his fellow B–24 bomber pi- of South Dakota. riage vows, the McGoverns of Mitchell are lots. Nor was it any accident that he named During the recess, there was an ex- still making a difference, still living every his plane the Dakota Queen—for the young traordinary, bipartisan celebration day in the spirit of this school’s motto: sac- bride to whom he would return after the war, honoring our former colleague, Senator rifice or service. with a Distinguished Flying Cross pinned to Having been both a candidate and a can- his uniform. When in another context George George McGovern. The occasion was didate’s spouse, I speak from experience said, ‘‘Come home, America,’’ I think it was the dedication of the George and Elea- when I say that for spouses it isn’t sacrifice that America to which he referred—a coun- nor McGovern Library at Dakota Wes- or service, it’s sacrifice and service. But then try that in every generation has produced leyan University in Mitchell, SD. Eleanor McGovern has always been a leader heroes, and is, in turn, a land fit for heroes The dedication brought together and humanitarian in her own right. What to come home to. former President Bill Clinton, former ever else you can say about us, it’s pretty In this America we fight as one, though we majority leader Bob Dole, former ma- clear that both George and I married above vote and pray and speak as many. One of the ourselves. unfortunate aspects of modern politics is our jority leader Tom Daschle, Senator That’s not all we have in common. ‘‘There tendency to label, dehumanize and even de- JOHN THUNE, Representative STEPHANIE is a wholesomeness about life in a rural monize opponents who are, after all, oppo- HERSETH, Governor Mike Rounds, and state. .life tends to be more authentic and nents—not enemies. George McGovern is a 5,000 of Senator McGovern’s closest less artificial.’’ The words are George’s but leader, not a label. The man we honor this friends and admirers. the sentiment applies as much to Russell, evening is a proud liberal who nevertheless Governor Rounds noted that Senator Kansas as to Mitchell, South Dakota. We found much to admire in such common sense McGovern was a ‘‘patriot’’ and that both can attest to the fact that small towns conservatives as Bob Taft and Barry Gold- ‘‘all of us gathered here today have a nurture large dreams, and a generosity water. A Methodist preacher’s son, raised in unbounded as the Great Plains. Generosity is whole lot more in common than what a republican household, he cast his first vote what this evening’s all about—the generosity for Henry Wallace. As a young activist he divides us as Americans.’’ Senator of donors, and of those who seek their dona- was spellbound by the eloquence of Adlai THUNE noted that his father always tions. I want to congratulate Ambassador Stevenson. But in later years he would voted for George McGovern, even as Kimmelman and President Duffett as well as praise my hero, Dwight Eisenhower, for his the children urged him to vote Repub- the trustees and the campaign committee statesmanship and restraint while in the lican, because George was a decorated and every single individual whose generosity White House. WWII fighter pilot. Perhaps it was Sen- has helped to realize a dream called the George got to Congress ahead of me. By ator Dole, with his characteristic McGovern Library and Center for Leadership the time we served in the Senate, it’s a safe and Public Service. bet that our votes usually cancelled each humor, who best captured the signifi- Since we’re all being so generous, maybe other out. As fate would have it, I was Re- cance of Senator McGovern’s inspiring george would let me borrow his fundraising publican national chairman in 1972, the year career. team. We could use your help at KU. I can’t George ran against President Nixon. In poli- I ask unanimous consent that the re- imagine a more appropriate tribute to the tics, as earlier, I tried to be a good soldier. marks of Senator Dole be printed in McGoverns than a library, and not just be- but there are times when party loyalty asks the RECORD. cause George taught here at Wesleyan before too much. More than once I returned speech There being no objection, the mate- he put classroom theory to the test in a pub- drafts objecting to the official line against rial was ordered to be printed in the lic career that spans half a century. In fact, the Democratic nominee for President. By he and Eleanor are both educators at heart. election day, I think I had upset more people RECORD, as follows: They understand, for they personify, the es- around the White House than George did. Thank you very much for that generous in- sential truth of education—that so long as enough, anyway, so that I became expend- troduction, and for the honor of receiving books are kept open, then minds can never able once the votes were counted. the first McGovern Prize for Leadership and be closed. In years to come, this place will be Come to think of it, George, there’s an- Public Service. It is something that I will an incubator of informed Citizenship. What other thing we have in common. We were cherish, not least of all because of its name- more could any teacher ask for? both left unemployed by the Nixon White sakes who have set the standard—in friend- Generosity takes many forms. In the case House. ship as well as in leadership. This week’s of the McGoverns, it means a lifetime of If ever a candidate was entitled to nurse a events remind us once again that George principled service, and a personal decency grudge, it was George McGovern. Except no McGovern is a uniter and not a divider. Who that transcends any party label. I’m tempted man I know is less inclined to waste time or else could bring together Bill Clinton, Bob to say it transcends generations as well. It energy in holding grudges. His generosity of Dole, Al Neuharth, Tom Daschle, John has been said by this state’s second most fa- spirit extended to the man who defeated him Thune, and Peter, Paul and Mary? mous son, Tom Brokaw, that George and I in 1972. I will never forget a day in June, As you know, at times George and I have belong to the greatest generation. Actually, 1993, when we buried Pat Nixon in the rose had our political differences. Though not the we were fairly average americans, who sud- gardens at the Nixon Library and birthplace. differences you might think. For example, denly found ourselves caught up in the his- After the formal service concluded, we were here at Wesleyan he was twice elected presi- torical whirlwind—a tornado as random and invited inside—away from the prying eye of dent of his class. I have yet to be elected devastating as any that slashed across the television—so that President Nixon could de- president of anything—though I’m thinking prairies of my youth. liver a tribute of his own to his wife of fifty- of running against Bill Clinton for president If we were prepared for the curve balls that three years. Among other things, he spoke of of the Senate spouses. came our way, it was only because of the val- the joys of grandparenting, describing what For me tonight is both an opportunity to ues passed on to us by pioneers and parents happened when their youngest grand- salute an old friend, and to repay an old who had confronted more than their share of daughter, Jennie, asked Mrs. Nixon how she debt. You see, three years ago George came challenges. When hard times engulfed the wished to be addressed. to the dedication of the Dole Institute of American farmer like a Kansas dust storm, After rejecting ‘‘grandmother’’ as too for- Politics at the University of Kansas. What we clung all the tighter to our neighbors. I mal, and ‘‘grandma’’ as a bit too elderly for he said about me then more than made up don’t know about George, but my own com- her liking, Pat suggested to the little girl for what he said about me when I ran for mitment to feeding the hungry is rooted in that she call her ‘‘Ma.’’ Jennie then put the President in 1980, 1988 and 1996.

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