I lost my fiancée to a sudden heart attack at age 44. My sincere condolences to Mrs. Breitbart for her loss.
This is the first I've heard that Andrew might have had health problems... I was unaware of that. Thank you, Sudetenland for that information. How I wish Andrew had taken better care of himself, but a I suppose a passionate guy like Breitbart would find it difficult to downshift into the slow lane.
Hartford, CT conservative radio talk show host - Jim Vicevich, WTIC 1080 AM - spoke to Michael Walsh at 11:30 this morning. Walsh is a good friend and colleague of Andrew Bretibart's, and is a columnist at the NY Post and for "The Corner" at National Review. Walsh had difficulty composing himself at first, and asked that our prayers be directed to Andrew's wife Susie and Andrew's four young children.
Walsh said that Andrew did indeed have recent "heart problems" and said that he nagged Andrew (in a friendly way) to take better care of himself. Walsh said to Andrew: "Andrew, you don't want to end up like me - a middle-aged guy in a hospital bed with tubes sticking out of him." (Walsh had had a heart attack fairly recently and had successful surgery at LA's Cedars Sinai Hospital.) Walsh said that "Andrew had been making some changes..." regarding his health problems.
Walsh: "Do you want to see despicable hatred? Go on Twitter right now. The left is celebrating... they are full of glee right now over Andrew's death. Andrew could see right through their fetid, little nasty souls, and - man - is it ever coming out right now. I'm so angry I can barely speak looking at Twitter right now. What vile, despicable, putrid people they really are. Everyone should take a good long look at it this moment."
Jim Vicevich: "It is a really sad day. This man (Andrew) left a great mark - it's up to you, me, Rush, Mark Levin and others to carry on."
Rush Limbaugh led off his show today with comments about Andrew Breitbart. This is the most I could capture from his many comments:
"I've known Breitbart since the 1990s... son-in-law of the actor Orson Bean. Worked for Drudge years ago. Somewhere along the way he had an awakening - he used to be a liberal. He really was an indefatigible bulldog. He really sought to effect change, above everything else... he did on numerous occasions, with ACORN, Anthony Weiner, Shirley Sharrod, just to name a few examples."
"He was walking in his neighborhood around midnight - in Brentwood. Just keeled over on the sidewalk... people talked to him on the phone just two hours prior, said he sounded fine... Most people don't get as much out of life as he did in only 43 years. Breitbart... was constantly on the go, rarely slept, from what I've heard. He was a guest at our wedding in 2010. He presented us with a classic painting of Ronald Reagan. Every birthday of mine for the past three years, he's sent us these great paintings of the American flag."
"I'm very sad that some of the leftists on Twitter and on blog sites (ie Slate.com) are filled with such hatred... really vicious stuff. In the end, though, Breitbart would have loved this."
Rush, regarding this AP article on Breitbart:
Conservative publisher Breitbart dies in LA at 43 (AP) 3/1/12
"Even in death, the AP today cannot refrain from lying about Breitbart. This AP article damns Andrew Breitbart with faint praise. Breitbart exposed the corruption in the media... he did greater work than Woodword and Bernstein! He should be celebrated by the media for tirelessly seeking out the truth. This AP article shows that we desperately need another thousand Andrew Breitbarts. I hope that the people who work with him can maintain his energy, truthfulness and effectiveness."
"Over the years Andrew said some of the 'fun factor' seemed to be lost, as the intensity of it all seem to pick up. He was profoundly intense, and sometimes got extremely mad, frustrated. ...Let's hope that the people around him who were inspired by him can keep up his work."
Andrew Breitbart's CPAC speech (Friday, February 10, 2012, about 4:40pm ET)
My husband and I and some friends spent some time with Andrew in the Washington Marriott Wardman Park hotel bar after the conclusion of CPAC on Saturday, February 11, 2012 (it's a big bar - lots of people were there). He was mobbed by CPAC attendees, treated like a rock star. He calmly posed with anyone who wanted a photo (my pics with him are still in my digital camera). He was really friendly, and loved being among fellow conservatives. My husband bought him a drink - he requested a "Cab" (Cabernet, red wine).
He must have hung out with the post-CPAC crowd for two hours or more. He seemed unusually serene (actually rather quiet, compared to his usual bombastic style when he gives speeches or makes TV or radio appearances). He loved all the attention, particularly from so many young people.
I think he had flown up to NYC that day (2/11/12) to do an appearance on the "Huckabee" show, then flown back to DC for the conclusion of CPAC. He gave a speech at CPAC (link above) the day before on Friday. After Andrew's speech, I heard that he went outside the hotel and heckled the Occupy Wall Street and union protestors who had organized there mostly to protest Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), who spoke at the CPAC banquet on Friday night.
I am heartsick that we've lost such an important "pit bull" for the conservative side - unfortunately there aren't many of them. Andrew was the biggest Pit Bull of all, larger than life, passionate, fearless and took lots of risks. He didn't just sit behind a radio microphone or a TV camera, he threw himself at his leftist enemies. He got in their faces and enjoyed the fight. Most of all, he loved our country and worked tirelessly - maybe too tirelessly - to help preserve our freedom via his journalism empire.
I don't know if there's anyone out there who can replace Andrew Breitbart's unique talents. I hope for our sake there is.
Rest in peace, Andrew. Prayers for Andrew's wife Susie and four children, for his friends and colleagues everywhere, especially at Breitbart.com, Breitbart.tv, BigHollywood.com, BigGovernment.com, BigJournalism.com and BigPeace.com.
In Memoriam: Andrew Breitbart (1969-2012) (Breitbart's "Big Hollywood" site, 3/1/12)
Andrew Breitbart, Gone Way Too Soon By Jim Geraghty (3/1/12)