Bob Dole visits New Bern, says Democrats spending heavily to attack his wife

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole said Thursday that Democrats have made his wife, Elizabeth, the No. 1 target in the nation for attack ads.

Dole spoke in an interview in New Bern during a campaign trip on behalf of his wife.

Elizabeth Dole is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate. She is opposed by state Sen. Kay Hagan.

Bob Dole's low-key visit began at Capt. Ratty's restaurant in downtown New Bern, where patrons were surprised to see him.

Many of them asked for a photograph of them with Dole.

After handshaking with the crowd, he sat down for a newspaper interview. He ate key-lime pie and coffee and spoke between bites.

He said he is campaigning for his wife because she did so much for him during his political career.

Dole, now 85, was a U.S. senator from Kansas from 1969 to 1996. For part of that time, he was the Senate majority leader. He married Elizabeth Dole in 1975.

"I am concerned about the negative ads," he said. "The Democrats have pumped in $8 million dollars for those ads. They have made Elizabeth the No. 1 target in the nation.

"She can't raise that kind of money. Much of the money has come from Hollywood, Calif. She can't raise that kind of money. I don't know how the negative ads will turn out. Elizabeth ran against Erskine Bowles the last time and he was a real gentleman."

He said his wife does not want to retire.

"She has been in public service for her entire career," he said.

Elizabeth Dole campaigned for the Kennedy-Johnson ticket in 1960 and worked in the White house in the latter years of the administration of Lyndon Johnson.

She served as deputy assistant to President Nixon for consumer affairs, then was appointed to the Federal Trade Commission.

In 1975 she became a Republican.

She worked for her husband in his 1976 bid for vice president and campaigned for him in his 1980 presidential run.

Bob Dole said his wife should be re-elected because of the important Senate committees she serves on, including Armed Services, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Aging, and Small Business.

"She works hard," he said.

Dole's wife is set to visit New Bern today. Friday Bob Dole said he did not know about the visit.