Bob Graham, ex-US senator and Florida governor, dies at 87

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Former U.S. Sen. and two-term Florida Gov. “The quagmire in Iraq is a distraction that the Bush administration, and the Bush administration alone, has created,” Graham said in 2003. “I learned to respect him even more than I already had, and love him for the good, decent man that he was.” Crist, who has since switched parties and most recently served as a U.S. representative, said Graham was an influence on him. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi called Graham “a patriotic American” and thanked him for his “distinguished public service.” She highlighted his work on the inquiry into 9/11 and said he “bravely opposed entry into the war in Iraq.” “He brought his love for his family and for his state of Florida to the Senate, where he served with immense dignity and courage,” she said in a statement Tuesday. “This has been a very important part of my development as a public official, my learning at a very human level what the people of Florida expect, what they want, what their aspirations are and then trying to interpret that and make it policy that will improve their lives” said Graham in 2004 as he completed his final job as a Christmas gift wrapper.