Former Senator from Kansas and 1996 Republican Nominee for President Bob Dole, announced Thursday, that he is battling stage-4 lung cancer. Dole, who is 97, has stated that he will begin treatment for the cancer next Monday.

Dole served as a Congressman from 1961 to 1969, and then as Senator from Kansas from 1969 to 1996.   After an unsuccessful attempt at the Vice Presidency on the Gerald Ford Ticket in 1976, Dole made unsuccessful attempts at the Republican Nomination in 1980 and 1988.  In 1996, Dole again shot for the Presidency, this time securing the nomination but ultimately falling short, after being defeated by Bill Clinton.

Though Clinton and Dole were ideological opponents just months before, Clinton awarded Dole the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 1997, a few days before Clinton was inaugurated for his second term.  Dole, who is known for his dry humor, said at that event that he “had a dream that I would be here this historic week receiving something from the president, but I thought it would be the front-door key.” That dry humor landed him as a go-to for network late-night talk shows and the Daily Show.

Predictably, some of the left acted like morons:

Wise-ish decision by lung cancer, to quickly hire Bob Dole as its new crisis PR spokesperson. #FuckRushLimbaugh

— Vegan VO (@VOvegan) February 18, 2021

First Rush Limbaugh and now Bob Dole. The culling of the deplorables just keeps getting better and better. Thank You Lung Cancer!

— Air Force Vet (@sameritech) February 18, 2021

Bob Dole has stage 4 cancer. He was the Rush Limbaugh of my time. While not as nasty in his presentation as Limbaugh he was a race baiting, homophobic, misogynist asshole. The GOP currently looks at him as one of their elders. He is a another one I will say good riddance to.

— NYCGamer57 (@NYCGamer57) February 18, 2021

We wish Senator Dole the best in his treatment and hope that it is successful.