[background noises] cracks on the friday former senate majority leader bob dole will be honored with the memorial service at washington national cathedral. oliva coverage begins at 11:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. live@c-span.org or watch our video app c-span now. >> senator chuck grassley republican of iowa's joan is not from the capitol, senator grassley tell us about your friendship with senator dole, when did you first meet? >> first of all thank you for having me here and to talk about bob dole in my mentor when i first went to the united states senate.

and i assumed my first meeting, i do not remember exactly but i remember being in the house when he was in a second term in the united states senate. i really got acquainted with him because i was campaigning for the united states senate in 1980 and that was his first time to try to be president of the united states at the iowa caucuses. we just really interact in many, many times in the various counties and practically lived in iowa for the winter of 79, in the early 80s. but the first thing aboutut him as he was a mentor for me in the united states senate. because he hade been there for 12 years when i was serving my first year. during my first year in the senate i was able to get on the committee, least in seniority but he was then a lead chairman for the first time republicans had a chairman for 24 years in the

united states senate. so working closely with him there. and then he is coming from an agricultural state. we work together on agricultural issues. he was just a mentor to me and a friend. i want to say one other thing before you ask a question, i had the good pleasure of visiting his apartment in washington d.c. one week after his 98th birthday. if you had your eye closed and just listen to him talk about the issues you would know he was not sick at all. that is how i remember him. >> tells a little bit more about that one of the issues you discussed? >> oh well, think we discussed very generally the going on of the of the united states and the division within the congress is now between conservativess. and liberals.

and the lack of cooperation. he was a person who could work across the state partisan lines. he was the sort of a person that knew you had to have republicans and democrats if you're going to get anything done. people who were for the bill in some way both had to have some victories. and that is what made him a l successful leader of the united states senate for the 11 or 12 years part of that is majority leader. what g advice did he give you as your mentor? >> 's advice was a funny thing on the united states senate if got to do it in a bipartisan way agricultural issues i think the advice was there's a

lot of different interests between midwest agriculture work he and i come from in southern agriculture in california agriculture. some ways on agriculture issues all those interest in the united states have to be settled we can'' expect because you're from iowa you're going to get everything corn and soybean people want and forget about cotton and peanuts et cetera. i think he taught me on international issues that the united states had to have a strong military because you know about his military background in the united states needed to be a leader. >> as you mention he ran for president three times. he spent a lot of time in iowa became known as iowa's third senator. you spent a lot of time with him in the state with yourself. you have a fun story or any story you can share with us your memory of bob dole?

>> yes covid 1996 caucuses in iowa, i made it a point of traveling with him on a regular basis. sometimes four or five meetings a day. i had the opportunity to o introduce him and i thought making this person battle ready in politics as well going up hill 13. he always correct tomatoes really hill 913 where he was wounded and was hospitalized for three years. his shoulder was shattered by shrapnel. it was really about those things. and then another thing that may sound a little weird particularly with bob dole after four or five meetings campaignings in iowa for the

nomination, whether you're going to a hotel or getting on an airplane to goo to the next stop he would say the end of the day probably because he was tired they free at last free at last so i have my tribute for him on monday saying the same story i told you i said bob, free at last. >> he was known as the hatchet man. can you tell us why? >> as you state that again? >> he was known as the hatchet man, that was the nickname given to him. tell us why in your opinion. >> i think very seldom as leader of the senate or chairman of the finance committee i would call him a hatchet man. i think he got that reputation

when he was vice president nominee in 1976. i was in the house of representatives i had a chance to introduce him on the ford ticket. ford was a nice guy and wanted to be seen as a presidential candidate as a nice guy. there were a lot of things republicansa had to say bad about the democrat candidates and that was bob dole's job. and he hit at it real hard and that's how he got that name. a long time later maybe he apologized and it typically bob dole because bob dole would be strong but was also witty. as a vice presidential candidate he would not attend

to be witty he would attack, attack, attack, i don't think he is comfortable in that period worked saturday when he think about him during the honor today of lying in state in the nation's capitol? >> i think for several reasons but most importantly remembered as a war hero, he defended our freedoms and liberties, and outstanding public servants, a tribute as he was somewhat disabled. attribute to what he did to help disabled people with disabilities act of 1991, or whenever it was passed. i think he came up from a life of poverty and was helping people with food stamps and medicaid. people who were downtrodden he knew their life. he respected that would lead to better life for people with

lower income or in poverty. if honoring lying in state like he is going to lie in state today those are the some things i would think would be a rationale for doing it. maybe the most important thing in this day is so much partisanship is that he always tried too work across party lines and was successful in doing it. that's what we need today. senator grassley thank you for sharing your thoughts with us this morning we appreciate it. >> thank you very much. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government funded by these television companies and more including comcast. >> you think this is just a community center? no for. >> parting with a thousand committee centers to create

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