Bob Graham, former Florida governor, senator, dies at 87
FILE - Commission Chairman former Sen. Bob Graham joins with other members of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism for a press conference on a new report on "Preventing Nuclear and Biological Ter
Bob Graham, a former senator and former Florida governor, has died. He was 87 years old.
His family announced the death Tuesday in a statement posted on X by his daughter Gwen Graham.
Graham served three terms in the Senate and chaired the Intelligence Committee following the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Graham was a man of many quirks. He perfected the "workdays" political gimmick of spending a day doing various jobs from horse stall mucker to FBI agent and kept a meticulous diary, noting almost everyone he spoke with, everything he ate, the TV shows he watched and even his golf scores.
The former senator was among the earliest opponents of the Iraq war, saying it diverted America’s focus on the battle against terrorism centered in Afghanistan. He was also critical of President George W. Bush for failing to have an occupation plan in Iraq after the U.S. military threw out Saddam Hussein in 2003.
During his 18 years in Washington, Graham worked well with colleagues from both parties, particularly Florida Republican Connie Mack during their dozen years together in the Senate.
After leaving public life in 2005, Graham spent much of his time at a public policy center named after him at the University of Florida and pushing the Legislature to require more civics classes in the state’s public schools.
Graham was one of five members selected for an independent commission by President Barack Obama in June 2010 to investigate a massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that threatened sea life and beaches along several southeastern Gulf states.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.