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As we open this episode , we will see Bob Dole truly become the last man standing from an era of political figures who had dominated the scene for over two decades. There would be two Senate leadership races as George Mitchell retired as the Democratic Leader and Alan Simpson faced a challenge in his position as Bob Dole's number two man in Republican leadership. Both races would be decided by one vote.

We will hear Senator Tom Daschle describe the situation that unfolded on the democratic side after his opponent, Senator Jim Sasser of Tennessee, was defeated in his election. That left Tom Daschle facing a last minute challenge from the much more Senior Senator from Connecticut, Chris Dodd. Daschle will tell the story in his oral history of how he won the election to replace George Mitchell as Democratic Leader.

Then we will hear from both candidates in the race for Republican Majority Whip as Dole's longtime Whip faced a challenge from a rising political star in the Senate and former House Whip in Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi. It would come down to one vote, and Simpson would lose.

That race would leave Bob Dole the only leader left from a generation of leaders who had been at the helm of government for decades. Representative Bob Michel had retired in the most recent election cycle, Speaker Tom Foley was defeated, Alan Simpson lost his Whip post, George Mitchell retired, and in 1992 George H. W. Bush had been defeated for President. The only member of leadership in either party that was still there was Bob Dole, and it would again come to him to keep everyone on track as we head into 1995.

Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/
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