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Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak dead at 78
Chicago Sun Times ^ | 08/18/09 | Lynn Sweet

Posted on 08/18/2009 9:06:24 AM PDT by freespirited

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak, one of the nation’s most influential journalists, who relished his “Prince of Darkness” public persona, died at home here early Tuesday morning after a battle with brain cancer.

“He was someone who loved being a journalist, love journalism and loved his country and loved his family, Novak’s wife, Geraldine, told the Sun-Times on Tuesday.

Novak’s remarkable and long-running career made him a powerful presence in newspaper columns, newsletters, books and on television.

On May 15, 1963, Novak teamed up with the late Rowland Evans Jr. to create the “Inside Report” political column, which became the must-read syndicated column. Evans tapped Novak, then a 31-year old correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, to help with the workload of a six-day-a-week column.

Evans and Novak were the od d couple: Evans a Philadelphia blue blood and Yale graduate; Novak from Joliet, Ill. who attended the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana campus.

Novak handled the column solo after Evans retired in 1993. The Chicago Sun-Times has been Novak’s home paper since 1966.

Robert David Sanders Novak, 78, was born and raised in Joliet and his first newspaper jobs were with the Joliet Herald-News and, while a student at the University of Illinois, the Champaign-Urbana Courier. Novak maintained a lifelong tie to the University of Illinois with the school creating the Robert D. Novak chair of Western Civilization and Culture in 200X.

Mrs. Novak said that her husband passed away at 4:30 a.m., returning home after being hospitalized between July 10 and July 24. Novak’s malignant brain tumor was discovered July 27, 2008.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cancer; novak; obituary; robertnovak
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To: Jewbacca

Well said.

But it’s more than mere chutzpah to claim that Hamas isn’t a terrorist organization.


101 posted on 08/18/2009 11:52:58 AM PDT by NYC GOP Chick
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To: Lazamataz
200X is a Roman number. It translates to 2010.

Wrong. It would translate to 20010.

102 posted on 08/18/2009 11:55:05 AM PDT by NYC GOP Chick
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To: freespirited
He was a great guy ... we could use some like him now

.

103 posted on 08/18/2009 12:04:22 PM PDT by Elle Bee
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

A real reporter. he found his vocation and gave his all to it. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.


104 posted on 08/18/2009 12:20:48 PM PDT by RobbyS (ECCE HOMO!)
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To: NYC GOP Chick

Yes, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on one’s perspective, liberal “preaching” at his Reform synagaguge drove him to covert to Roman Catholicism.

The result was he became a borderline anti-semite, and a flat-out hater of zionism and Israel.


105 posted on 08/18/2009 12:36:38 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: LibertyRocks; spintreebob; Impy
My post #82 summed up Patrick Fitzgerald's career for the haters here. They really don't care about facts, all they care about is poor widdle Scooter Libby because Scooter happens to have an "R" next to his name like them.

Patrick Fitzgerald could single-handily toss every single Chicago Democrat in prison and convict Obama of treason and it still won't be enough for them, because they seethe with hatred of Fitzgerald over the Libby indictment. (they'd probably claim he was "on Biden's payroll, angling to be A.G, in the Biden administration" if he did destroy Obama) They don't know or care about anything else that happened in his career, and don't want to know the facts because it conflicts with their incorrect smears against him. The fact he attacked Fitz as being "from Chicago" is proof of that.

It would be like me judging Reagan's entire career on the fact he signed on a bill liberalizing abortion laws in 1967. No matter what else he did for the next 20 years -- taking out the soviet union, stopping socialized medicine, saving the U.S. economy, giving us Scalia and Rehnquist, restoring trust in the American way, well none of it matters, don't care, don't wanna know, cuz you know he ONCE signed a bill I disagree with. He must never be forgiven for that.

That's how the Scooter Libby groupies feel about Fitzgerald. It's the height of arrogance and tunnel vision.

106 posted on 08/18/2009 12:38:16 PM PDT by BillyBoy (Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: Jewbacca

Funny. My background in a Reform (and then a barely Conservative) synagogue led me to avoid all synagogues for years, but now I’m a member (and on the board of trustees) at an Orthodox synagogue.

But no matter how I felt about the Reform branch, I never even considered being anti-semitic or anti-Israel.


107 posted on 08/18/2009 12:43:54 PM PDT by NYC GOP Chick
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To: NYC GOP Chick

I speculate that his dislike of Israel had more to do with his coversion than people like to admit.

The Tomas de Torquemada effect, so to speak -— attack Jews as evidence of the sincerity of one’s conversion.

There’s a reason Pat Buchanon is out front-and-center speaking about the man.


108 posted on 08/18/2009 12:49:36 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: NYer
Seems like the end of an era. "The Prince of Darkness" - from the old McLaughlin Group.

Crossfire and the McLaughlin Group were really the forerunners of today's cable talk news format.

Novak had converted and wrote about his Catholic faith.

109 posted on 08/18/2009 12:52:01 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: Jewbacca
There’s a reason Pat Buchanon is out front-and-center speaking about the man.

Bird of a feather, and all that...

110 posted on 08/18/2009 12:52:34 PM PDT by NYC GOP Chick
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To: freespirited

I sent him an e-mail years ago after I read Witness. He wrote the foreword and I wanted to tell him the impact it made on me. To my surprise, I got a very nice reply. I still have it. I guess he didn’t think he was too good for one of the regular folks.


111 posted on 08/18/2009 12:54:30 PM PDT by jonathonandjennifer
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To: freespirited; PhilDragoo; devolve; Fiddlstix; y'all
Rest in Peace, Great man!


112 posted on 08/18/2009 12:59:59 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP (2008: The year the Media died. --Sean Hannity, regarding Barack HUSSEIN ObaMao's treatment ...)
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To: freespirited; PhilDragoo; devolve; Fiddlstix; y'all

113 posted on 08/18/2009 1:00:44 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP (2008: The year the Media died. --Sean Hannity, regarding Barack HUSSEIN ObaMao's treatment ...)
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To: MeekOneGOP

RIP


114 posted on 08/18/2009 1:01:34 PM PDT by Jane Austen (Boycott the Philadelphia Eagles!)
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To: MeekOneGOP
The guy pissed me off terminally on this--knew the truth but let Bush be damaged for years.

I'll never forgive Colin Powell and Richard Armitage for that either.

As for Valerie Plame and Joseph C. Wilson, thirty pieces of silver will buy them a StyxxBoat ride to Six Flags Over Hades.

115 posted on 08/18/2009 1:23:15 PM PDT by PhilDragoo (Hussein: Islamo-Commie from Kenya)
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To: Lazamataz
"200X is a Roman number..."

No it ain't. Can't be. The Romans didn't use zeros. ;)

116 posted on 08/18/2009 1:24:16 PM PDT by Tenniel2 (Memo to politicians: Don't worry about "shovel-ready." Worry about "pitchfork-ready.")
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To: freespirited

I will miss his wit and clarity.

RIP, good man. You were an icon in your field. Well done.


117 posted on 08/18/2009 1:30:48 PM PDT by bustinchops
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To: MaestroLC
Well, that's my point. He didn't defend himself against the onslaught. He paid the price. (For irony, Obama has the media on his side and he is blowing chunks trying to defend himself!)

I understand what you are saying, & I wish that W & his administration had defended themselves against the pure lies that were thrown out constantly by the DNC, the media and all their attack dogs, but, it was pretty well an impossible task. He was attacked by a good 95% of all the news media in this nation 24/7. How in the hell would he have ever stood a chance of going against all that???

...and speaking of obama, if the media was treating him with truth and scrutiny...[it would not have to even be the same relentless crap as they heaped upon W]...just where do you think his ratings would be today just 7 months into his term??? Somewhere around minus zero, that's where!

118 posted on 08/18/2009 1:31:09 PM PDT by top 2 toe red (O-B-A-M-A = One Big Ass Mistake, America.)
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To: freespirited

Novak was a journalist. Cronkite was a news reader. Celebrating the wrong person.


119 posted on 08/18/2009 1:37:06 PM PDT by popdonnelly (Yes, we disagree - no, we won't shut up - no, we won't quit.)
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To: what's up
Bush refused. He put his energies into the war and saving American lives. Perhaps he did the right thing. The war was likely won faster because he was not distracted (and distraction was definitely what the MSM was trying to do but Bush would not be baited)

Great points & observation!

120 posted on 08/18/2009 1:38:46 PM PDT by top 2 toe red (O-B-A-M-A = One Big Ass Mistake, America.)
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