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Amerigo Vespucci

(30,885 posts)
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 07:35 PM Jan 2012

Tony Blankley, conservative commentator and former Gingrich press secretary, dies at 63

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/tony-blankley-conservative-commentator-and-former-gingrich-press-secretary-dies-at-63/2012/01/08/gIQAxhlgjP_story.html

WASHINGTON — Tony Blankley, a conservative author and commentator who served as press secretary to Newt Gingrich during the 1990s, when Republicans took control of Congress, has died. He was 63.

Blankley, who had been suffering from stomach cancer, died Saturday night at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, his wife, Lynda Davis, said Sunday.

In his long career as a political operative and pundit, his most visible role was as a spokesman for and adviser to Gingrich from 1990 to 1997. Gingrich became House Speaker when Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives following the 1994 midterm elections.

Earlier, Blankley spent six years in the Reagan administration in a variety of positions, including speechwriter and senior policy analyst.
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Tony Blankley, conservative commentator and former Gingrich press secretary, dies at 63 (Original Post) Amerigo Vespucci Jan 2012 OP
Sorry to see him go even though he was a pompous windbag tularetom Jan 2012 #1
he sneered and was a total douchebag but RIP anyway. I don't see death as bad. That's just me. roguevalley Jan 2012 #16
Amen RogueValley! I've had 3 NDE's myself... Ecumenist Jan 2012 #29
bless you honey. you are my hero! roguevalley Jan 2012 #31
Very sad. I didn't agree with him but I would not wish him dead, for sure. CTyankee Jan 2012 #2
A complete asshole, but way too young, and a very tough way to go .... Trajan Jan 2012 #3
RIP - way too young. emilyg Jan 2012 #4
Post removed Post removed Jan 2012 #5
Thank you. Good riddance to bad rubbish Ishoutandscream2 Jan 2012 #6
Well said. DavidDvorkin Jan 2012 #7
well, I wouldn't have wished stomach cancer on him. provis99 Jan 2012 #8
And those of us who have had heart attacks are moved by your decency and compassion. CBHagman Jan 2012 #21
You make me ashamed. nolabear Jan 2012 #22
God rest his soul. CBHagman Jan 2012 #9
Too bad he didn't live to see klook Jan 2012 #10
Dying doesn't make an evil fucker any better. tabasco Jan 2012 #11
Blankley also was a panelist on KCRW's debate show Left, Right, and Center. alp227 Jan 2012 #12
My dad used to work with him when he needed quotes from Gingrich as speaker. DFW Jan 2012 #13
Goodbye, Tony. stlsaxman Jan 2012 #14
Rest In Peace Tony Brooklyns_Finest Jan 2012 #15
Wow. I'm sorry he died. He was fun, at times. RIP, Mr. Blankley. nt babylonsister Jan 2012 #17
I never liked blankley....may he try to rest in peace, wherever conservatives go....n/t unkachuck Jan 2012 #18
Yeah, that's too bad. JohnnyRingo Jan 2012 #19
RIP Tony Ron Obvious Jan 2012 #20
RIP to a man who made me grit my teeth, but was wicked smart. nolabear Jan 2012 #23
Some of the comments here are disgraceful. Beacool Jan 2012 #24
I saw him a few weeks ago Mz Pip Jan 2012 #25
I didn't agree with him any of the issues Itchinjim Jan 2012 #26
No deathbed "mea culpa" ala Lee Atwater peace frog Jan 2012 #27
Rest in peace, Tony Samantha Jan 2012 #28
I wonder if Noot will go to his funeral. Major Hogwash Jan 2012 #30
He was a good arguer. He did his best with his untenable ideas. Bruce Wayne Jan 2012 #32
RIP librechik Jan 2012 #33
Lawrence O'Donnell had some nice words for his old colleague JCMach1 Jan 2012 #34

tularetom

(23,664 posts)
1. Sorry to see him go even though he was a pompous windbag
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 07:44 PM
Jan 2012

There was a period of time when you couldn't turn on any talking head TV program without seeing him.

Then all of a sudden he wasn't around anymore and I wondered what happened to him.

roguevalley

(40,656 posts)
16. he sneered and was a total douchebag but RIP anyway. I don't see death as bad. That's just me.
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 11:01 PM
Jan 2012

I don't fear it since my near death experience so I know he's looking at his life right now and kicking himself for all the bad he did. Also, he's smiling over the good. RIP, Mr. B.

Ecumenist

(6,086 posts)
29. Amen RogueValley! I've had 3 NDE's myself...
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 09:40 AM
Jan 2012

I Completely Agree!! He's alright now and Reassessing his life and his actions in a serious way.

CTyankee

(63,773 posts)
2. Very sad. I didn't agree with him but I would not wish him dead, for sure.
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 07:54 PM
Jan 2012

It's too bad. 63 is too young. The poor guy...

Response to Amerigo Vespucci (Original post)

 

provis99

(13,062 posts)
8. well, I wouldn't have wished stomach cancer on him.
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 08:48 PM
Jan 2012

but if he had died of a heart attack, given his monumental gluttony, it would have been schadenfreude all over.

CBHagman

(16,968 posts)
21. And those of us who have had heart attacks are moved by your decency and compassion.
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 12:43 AM
Jan 2012

Thank you for being unable to censor yourself at a time like this. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Especially from someone who has not only had a heart attack but lost two members of my immediate family to a heart attack.

Thank you, provis99, thank you. You are a class act.

alp227

(31,962 posts)
12. Blankley also was a panelist on KCRW's debate show Left, Right, and Center.
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 09:32 PM
Jan 2012

And he wrote the anti-Obama book American grit : what it will take to survive and win in the 21st century. This death was shocking, and much respect and thought to his family.

DFW

(54,058 posts)
13. My dad used to work with him when he needed quotes from Gingrich as speaker.
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 09:42 PM
Jan 2012

He was true to his sleazy bosses and right wing beliefs, but stomach cancer is an evil way to go, and while there are some for whom I would not feel badly, I'm sorry for him and his family that they had to go through this.

 

Ron Obvious

(6,261 posts)
20. RIP Tony
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 12:19 AM
Jan 2012

As a long-time listener to Left, Right, and Centre, I'm shocked and saddened to hear this. A didn't agree much with Tony, but at least he was civil and didn't infuriate me unlike most right-wing commentators.

RIP Tony.

nolabear

(41,915 posts)
23. RIP to a man who made me grit my teeth, but was wicked smart.
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 12:54 AM
Jan 2012

I've never imagined the pundit game was anything other than a pundit game, played by those who enjoyed playing it. And he played it well. He met the Great Leveler, and I wish him peace.

Beacool

(30,244 posts)
24. Some of the comments here are disgraceful.
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 01:14 AM
Jan 2012

He was a human being with loved ones who are left to mourn their loss. I didn't agree with his politics, but 63 is too young to die.

My condolences to his family.

May he rest in peace.

Mz Pip

(27,405 posts)
25. I saw him a few weeks ago
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 02:17 AM
Jan 2012

on some cable show and thought he looked pretty sick. So now I know why. Hardly recognizable but he was still out there pushing the GOP talking points.

RIP.

Itchinjim

(3,083 posts)
26. I didn't agree with him any of the issues
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 06:38 AM
Jan 2012

but my mother died of stomach cancer and I wouldn't wish it upon anybody. RIP Tony, I hope you passed painlessly.

peace frog

(5,609 posts)
27. No deathbed "mea culpa" ala Lee Atwater
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 06:48 AM
Jan 2012

I'm sure he will rest in peace, though it's difficult to comprehend how.

Samantha

(9,314 posts)
28. Rest in peace, Tony
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 07:54 AM
Jan 2012

Sorry and shocked to see you go so early and my condolences are extended to your family. Sure, you really got me going many, many times but you should have had a lot more years to do what you did so well. Washington will miss you.

Sam

Major Hogwash

(17,656 posts)
30. I wonder if Noot will go to his funeral.
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 10:16 AM
Jan 2012

Or deny that he knew him or try to blame Tony for losing his job in Congress.

I'll bet you a dollar that Noot doesn't take a day off of the campaign trail to go to his funeral.
Instead, Noot will say something ridiculously stoopid like "America needs me worse at this point in time, and I'm sure that Tony would agree that I need to press on in my quest to save the world by running for President, although a snowball in hell would have a better chance than I would."

Bruce Wayne

(692 posts)
32. He was a good arguer. He did his best with his untenable ideas.
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 12:28 PM
Jan 2012

He also seemed a lot more fair-minded in debate than most Republicans manage to be.

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