Letter to the New Republic

The New Republic
July 31, 2006

Golden Dole

Too bad we don’t have a Bob Dole handy right about now to push for
the Darfur intervention the editors demand ("Again, Part II," June
19). As much as I disliked the former Republican senator, he deserves
credit for forcing Bill Clinton to react to the genocide in the former
Yugoslavia. Dole was a World War II veteran who was wounded in Italy
trying to save his radioman. His heroism and battle injury earned the
interest of Chicago surgeon and Armenian genocide survivor Hampar
Kelikian, who operated on Dole for free. Kelikian told Dole of the
genocide and Dole became aware of that awful crime. Although he lost
the 1996 election, by pushing the issue of genocide in the Balkans,
Dole forced Clinton to act or risk defeat. We need another Dole in
the 2008 election.

Amanda Pollak Kensington, Maryland