Statement By John McCain On Mitt Romney's Disparaging Comments On Bob Dole

February 5, 2008 -- ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on Governor Mitt Romney's disparaging comments on Bob Dole this morning:

"Governor Romney's attack on Bob Dole is disgraceful, and Governor Romney should apologize. Bob Dole is a war hero who has spent his life in service to this nation and nobody has worked harder to build the Republican Party. Bob Dole deserves the respect of every American and certainly every Republican.

"Governor Romney denounced Ronald Reagan in the mid '90s while Bob Dole was working tirelessly to elect Republicans across the country. Governor Romney was missing from those fights when I was standing with President Reagan and Senator Dole to build the Republican Party.

"Governor Romney is trying to divide the Republican Party and his disparagement of one of our Party's greatest leaders is a sad commentary on Governor Romney's increasingly bitter campaign."

FACT CHECK: This Morning, Mitt Romney Called Bob Dole "Probably The Last Person" He Would Want Writing A Letter On His Behalf

Fox News' Steve Doocy: "Governor, what do you make of the letter that Bob Dole wrote to Rush Limbaugh that says, lay off of John McCain, he is conservative enough? Do you buy that from Bob?"

Mitt Romney: "Well, it's probably the last person I would have wanted to have write a letter for me." (Fox News' "Fox And Friends," 2/5/08)

Source: John McCain campaign