Dole keeps low profile on Clinton's inaugural day

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Bob Dole kept out of the public eye on President Clinton's Inauguration Day.

The defeated Republican presidential nominee was in Washington on Monday but issued no public comments and had no public schedule, said spokesman Clarkson Hine.

But the longtime Kansas senator was remembered by some of his friends.

A few minutes before Clinton was sworn in at the Capitol, Sen. John Warner, R-Va., publicly commended the president for awarding Dole the Presidential Medal of Freedom last week.

``Mr. President, may I say on behalf of millions and millions of Americans, we express to you our gratitude for this past week having invited to the White House a true man who fought for freedom,'' Warner said as Clinton stood beside him.

And in his prayer, the Rev. Billy Graham reminded the crowd that ``as both President Clinton and Senator Dole urged us in the recent presidential campaign, may this be a time of coming together to help us deal with the problems we face.''

Warner spoke at the inauguration as part of his role as co-chairman of the joint congressional committee that oversaw the ceremony.

©  The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.