Jack Kemp, one-time VP nominee, dies

[47of74]

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON - Jack Kemp, the ex-quarterback, congressman, one-time vice-presidential nominee and self-described "bleeding-heart conservative" died Saturday.

His spokeswoman Bona Park and longtime friend and former campaign adviser Edwin J. Feulner confirmed that Kemp died after a lengthy illness.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30540404/

[saltpoint]

1. Kemp was the only sentient being on the GOP ticket in 1996.

[jefferson_dem]

2. I'm very sorry to hear this.

Jack Kemp was a good man, and the sort of Republican no longer welcome in the Party.

RIP.

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. Typical tax cut proponent

He might have been a good man, but "he continued to advocate for the tax reform and supply-side policies — the idea that the more taxes are cut the more the economy will grow — that he pioneered." http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iPIEjfIjOPpnL8SxbDfdLORikcFwD97UQ5N80

[joeybee12]

3. A decent guy for a Republican...I think he really did want to help

people...I disagree about the way he thought would work, but he did have his heart in the right place. RIP

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[DUlover2909]

33. That's not nice. Once they're dead you are only flaming their families.

Just let them be. Jack Kemp wasn't really all that bad anyway.

[Dutch]

40. Somehow, I doubt Kemp's family are poring over DU right now.

[Odin2005]

4. One of the last decent Republicans. May he RIP.

:-(

[BeyondGeography]

5. A sincere and good man

:patriot:

[davidwparker]

6. He seemed decent. RIP.

[ButterflyBlood]

7. Could definitely do worse as far as Republicans go.

RIP.

[elleng]

8. Examples of his goodness:

self-described ''bleeding-heart conservative''

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kemp

Jack Kemp Fed Up With Hannity's Attacks On Obama video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iqNKEK5xcs

Gore-Kemp debate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c-vXRDHk6Y

[JI7]

9. sad to hear

he was a good guy

[struggle4progress]

10. ... As a candidate for the GOP nomination in 1988, Kemp’s platform .. included planks that would

have legitimized U.S. support for “freedom fighters” such as the Nicaraguan Contras and favored the deployment of the “Star Wars” strategic missile defense system ... http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/Kemp_Jack

[Dutch]

42. Decent guy, huh?

:sarcasm:

[Drunken Irishman]

11. His tax-policies were rubbish, but the guy was not hijacked by the far-right.

He's the type of Republican you could tolerate.

Bless him.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

12. exactly. he was a guy you could vehemently disagree with...

but, at the end of the day, you could still respect him.

I always picked him when I was forced to chose a favorite Republican (other than Lincoln Chafee).

[Joe Bacon]

13. His Kemp-Roth tax cut opened the GOP Red Ink Spigot

More than anyone else, he's the one responsible for opening the GOP's Borrow and Spend Red Ink Spigot. He's the one that turned America from a creditor to a debtor nation.

[Zambero]

14. There just aren't very many decent Republicans left

There's one less as of now. I didn't always agree with Kemp, but I sensed that he was no slave to ideology and had the best interests of the country in mind.

[atreides1]

30. Be that as it may

He was still a slave to ideology, and would have followed that path even if he disagreed with it.

Which means the country would have still been screwed by Republican ideology!

[muryan]

15. Good man

Sincerely cared about the plight of the inner cities and minorities. Was arguably a better HUD secretary than some democratic appointees.

[HuckleB]

16. May he and his family be at peace.

His policies may not have made sense, and at times were downright misguided. However, he was a public servant in the best sense. The country would be much better served at this point in history, if the GOP were filled with men like Kemp, allowing it to be the "loyal opposition" the country needs.

[Vidar]

17. RIP Mr. Kemp. You were one of the better ones.

[Gormy Cuss]

18. Kemp did a decent job as secretary of HUD

The career types respected him, which is not something that can be said for most other secretaries appointed in Republican administrations.

[DAMANgoldberg]

19. Last of a kind...

Of "real" republicans. I guess you can list them on 1 or 2 hands now that's left.

[MidwestTransplant]

20. His heart truly seemed to be in the right place

[democrat2thecore]

21. This says it all - Jack Kemp was a fine man

http://www.kemppartners.com/about-jack-kemp/column/a-letter-to-my-grandchildren/

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

23. he even kept this image on his front page

i think he was a bit misguided in policy, but overall, he was a decent man who tried his best to elevate the discussion

if the gop had followed his path and reached out to, rather than demonized minorities, we'd be living in a much more civil world than the bush crew left us

[wutangfan85]

25. Yeah, I totally agree with you here. Jack Kemp was

one of the few Republicans that at least tried to reach out to the Black community. He actually was supposed to have a speaking role at the Million Man March, which he would take a lot of heat for from people in his party.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

26. His closing line of his last column is a bit of a contrast from Rush and Jindal

on Obama:

"Therefore let all of us strive to help him be a successful president, so as to help make America an even greater nation."

[pjt7]

27. Jack was a decent man

& was a cut above the current criminal GOP element.

[9119495]

28. He probably was a good guy, but supply side economics are shit

And he was a monster supply sider. Just because he didn't launch an attack on Iraq doesn't mean he didn't commit economic violence against our country.

The good news is that supply siders seem to be completely discredited right now.

[PassingFair]

38. But his hair was perfect....

That's winning hair, right there...

[47of74]

44. A lot better than Governor Goodhair

[TheCowsCameHome]

29. He seemed like a decent guy.

Too bad it wasn't someone like Newt or Delay instead.

[NashVegas]

31. He Cared a Great Deal for His Country

I vehemently disagreed with his Reagan-style politics, but give him credit for managing to look respectable in spite of them.

[Burma Jones]

32. A New York Republican

I can deal with a New York Republican, at least greed is rational, wrong, but rational.

[slackmaster]

35. One of the last of the honorable Republicans

Very sad day indeed.

[radiclib]

36. Kemp was a decent guy and a genuine patriot

As wrongheaded as we all believe his positions to be on almost everything, from supply side to abortion rights to foreign policy, he seemed to sincerely want the best for all of us, unlike the huge majority of his party. It's pointless and inappropriate to trash him today.
Plus he was a hell of a QB! RIP, Mr. Kemp.

[TankLV]

37. Good riddance...

he's one of the main supporters of the "laughter" curve (mispelling purposeful)...and is one of the DIRECT causes of our current economic mess...

GREED IS GOOD
NO REGULATION
SUPPLY SIDE
CUT TAXES

nice piece of work for only ONE ASSHOLE...

[democrat2thecore]

43. Gotta be honest

I'm as progressive as they come, but can separate political differences from humanity and our universal roles as simple human beings. When I read things like what you just wrote - and much of what you have written in the past - I realize that you are an extremely angry, angry individual. It makes for a fucked up life. Really.

[Name removed]

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[eleny]

39. Uncanny timing - almost emblematic

[Dutch]

41. His economic views were pure evil

Much as I dislike speaking ill of the recently dead, all this "decent guy" bullshit is an insult to the millions of victims of supply-side economics, towards none of whom he showed any kind of heart, bleeding or otherwise.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

45. Disagreed with him on a lot of issues, will mourn his loss

He seemed to be one of the Republicans with integrity and at least some compassion and humanity, His loss is a sad one for the US political landscape and my deepest and sincerest thoughts, prayers, condolences and sympathies go to his family.

RIP Jack Kemp