STORY. WE RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH THEM
IN THEIR WASHINGTON APARTMENT TO
TALK ABOUT LIFE, LIBERTY, AND
THEIR PURSUIT OF EACH OTHER.
>> WE WERE USHERED INTO HIS
OFFICE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE
SIDE DOOR OPENS, AND IN COMES
BOB DOLE AND I LOOK UP AND I
THINK, GEE, HE’S A GOOD LOOKING
GUY, AND HE SAYS HE WROTE MY
NAME ON THE BACK OF HIS BLOTTER.
>> I DID.
>> I DID. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. I’M GLAD YOU TOLD ME THE TRUTH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WERE YOU THINKING MAYBE I
SHOULD CALL HER?
>> OH, YEAH, I THOUGHT OF THAT
AS SOON AS SHE WALKED IN.
>> Reporter: THE YEAR WAS 1972,
SENATOR BOB DOLE WAS A RISING
STAR IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND
ELIZABETH HANFORD HAVING JUST
GRADUATED FROM HARVARD LAW
SCHOOL WAS EARNING A REPUTATION
AS A FIERCE CONSUMER ADVOCATE.
>> YOU KNOW, HE WAS A LITTLE
BASHFUL BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME
HE CALLED WE TALKED FOR ABOUT 40
MINUTES.
MINUTES. IT WAS A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION.
>> IT WAS.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. AND I BECAME COMPLETELY
OBLIVIOUS TO THE FACT THAT I HAD
A DATE SITTING IN MY LIVING
ROOM.
ROOM. THE PHONE RANG.
I WENT BACK TO MY BEDROOM,
ANSWERED THE CALL.
40 MINUTES LATER, HEAVEN KNOWS
WHAT I TOLD THAT GUY WHEN I WENT
BACK INTO THE LIVING ROOM.
>> THE POOR DATE IS JUST WAITING
FOR YOU?
FOR YOU? >> YEAH, RIGHT HE WAS JUST
SITTING THERE.
SITTING THERE. >> IT WAS THE THIRD CALL WHEN HE
FINALLY ASKED ME OUT.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY LIKED THAT A
LOT.
LOT. I REALIZED HE’S NOT SOME GUY
CHASING WOMEN AROUND CAPITOL
HILL, YOU KNOW.
>> I NEVER DID THAT.
COULDN’T CATCH THEM ANYWAY.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> THREE YEARS LATER, THEY
MARRIED.
MARRIED. A SECOND MARRIAGE FOR HIM, A
FIRST FOR HER AT NEARLY 40 YEARS
OLD.
OLD. >> WHAT MADE BOB DOLE THE ONE?
>> I LOVE HIS COMPASSIONATE
HEART, AND THE FACT THAT HE’D
LOVE TO FEEL THAT EACH DAY HE
COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR AT
LEAST ONE PERSON IN NEED, AND I
LOVED THE FACT THAT HE HAD SUCH
A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR.
IN FACT, EVEN WHEN I’M THE PUNCH
LINE, I STILL LOVE HIS HUMOR.
>> SHE EVEN FELL PREY TO HER
HUSBAND’S INFAMOUS HUMOR AT HER
OWN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING
FOR SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION.
>> HE SAID PERHAPS THE FEDERAL
HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION COULD USE
ELIZABETH’S BISCUIT RECIPE FOR
FILLING POTHOLES.
FILLING POTHOLES. >> WHAT DID YOU SAY?
>> I SAID, WELL, GENTLEMEN --
THEY WERE ALL MALES SITTING
THERE -- IF I’M CONFIRMED FOR
THIS POSITION, ONE OF MY GOALS
IS TO ENSURE THAT WE GET AIR
BAGS INTO EVERY CAR IN AMERICA
AND FORTUNATELY I ALREADY KNOW
ALL ABOUT AIR BAGS BECAUSE I’VE
BEEN DRIVING AROUND WITH ONE FOR
YEARS.
YEARS. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> Reporter: THERE HAVE BEEN
LOTS OF LAUGHS OVER THE YEARS,
BUT NOT A LOT OF FIGHTS.
>> BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAVE
NEVER HAD A SERIOUS ARGUMENT.
>> IS THAT RIGHT?
>> NEVER.
>> NEVER. AND WE’VE BEEN MARRIED, IT WILL
BE 44 YEARS THIS DECEMBER.
>> YOU’VE NEVER REALLY YELLED AT
EACH OTHER?
EACH OTHER? >> HUH-UH.
>> HUH-UH. >> EVEN THROUGH THE STRESS OF
BEING A SPOUSE DURING A
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WHEN EACH
HAD TO PUT ON HOLD THEIR OWN
CAREERS TO SUPPORT THE OTHER.
>> SOME OF THE WOMEN’S
ORGANIZATIONS REALLY CHASTISED
ME AT THE TIME AND SAID, WHY ARE
YOU DOING THIS?
YOU’RE GIVING UP YOUR CAREER.
MY RESPONSE WAS BECAUSE THIS IS
MY CHOICE.
MY CHOICE. THIS IS WHAT I CHOOSE TO DO, AND
THAT’S A LEARNING GROWING
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. >> YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. MIGHT HAVE BEEN ELECTED.
>> DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD HAVE
MADE A GOOD PRESIDENT?
>> OH, YEAH, AND I’D HAVE GOTTEN
GOOD FOOD.
GOOD FOOD. >> GOOD FOOD?
>> YEAH, AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> YOU DON’T GET GOOD FOOD HERE?
>> WELL, I DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER
THAT.
THAT. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> WE’VE HEARD ABOUT YOUR
BISCUIT RECIPE.
BISCUIT RECIPE. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> LET ME FIRST INTRODUCE MY
WIFE ELIZABETH.
WIFE ELIZABETH. >> WHAT ADVICE WROULDOULD YOU GI
A YOUNG COUPLE STARTING OUT
THEIR LIVES?
THEIR LIVES? >> WELL, YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON
YOUR PARTNER’S INTERESTS, NOT
YOUR OWN, BUT WHAT SHE OR HE MAY
BE DOING OR MAY HAVE DONE THAT
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT.
>> AND STAY ATTUNED TO YOUR
SPOUSE’S PARTICULAR LIKES,
THINGS THAT TURNS HIM ON, WHAT
DOES HE LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN
PLAN SOME GREAT SURPRISES.
>> ONE OF HER BEST WAS
SURPRISING HER HUSBAND WHEN HE
WAS ELECTED MAJORITY LEADER IN
1984 WITH THEIR FIRST DOG
APPROPRIATELY NAMED LEADER.
>> I GOT A MINIATURE SH NOW SER
FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY, AND
WALKED INTO HIS NATIONAL PRESS
CONFERENCE AND PRESENTED HIM TO
BOB.
BOB. NOW, WE WORRIED A LITTLE BIT
AFTER THAT BECAUSE THE PICTURE
WENT OUT IN THE NEWSPAPERS AND
HERE WAS BOB AND ME WITH THIS
LITTLE DOG FROM THE HUMANE
SOCIETY, AND I SAID, BOB, I HOPE
NO CHILD LOOKS AT THIS AND SAYS
THERE’S MY DOG.
THEY FOUND MY DOG.
SO AFTER A WEEK OR SO, NO CALLS,
WE FIGURED WE’RE OKAY.
>> AND LEADER’S DESCENDANTS,
INCLUDING HIS NAME SAKE.
>> AND THAT’S LEADER, AND THIS
IS BLAKE.
IS BLAKE. >> STILL THRIVE WITH THEM TODAY,
AN ACT OF LOVE, WHICH LIKE THEIR