Monday, October 27, 2008

Dean Barnett Passes Away

>> Updated: Mitt remembers Dean Barnett here

A sad day. A few thoughts about Dean Barnett.

Dean Barnett, 1967-2008

It's my sad duty to report that our good friend and valued contributor Dean Barnett passed away today. He was a remarkable man--principled, witty, and to all of us, a model of grace and courage. We mourn his passing and cherish his memory.

--William Kristol

Andrew Sullivan also reverences Barnett, mentioning Romney:

Dean Barnett, RIP

What dreadful news. We crossed swords and pixels. But he was a good and decent and well-intentioned fellow, who bore his illness with enormous strength and poise, and never let professional mudfights become personal grudges. From his Boston accent to his fondness for Mitt and his subbing for Hewitt, he was one of a kind. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest, Dean.

A little info on the life of Dean Barnett:

Dean Barnett (July 13, 1967 - October 27, 2008) was an American conservative columnist and blogger and occasional fill-in host for Hugh Hewitt. He graduated from Harvard University and Boston University Law School.

In 2004, Barnett created SoxBlog, a weblog focused on conservative politics, social issues, golf and the Boston Red Sox. Barnett's popularity led to a co-blogging roll on Hugh Hewitt's website and eventually led to a job writing for the Weekly Standard. Barnett was a resident of Massachusetts and was a declared supporter of Mitt Romney at the time of Romney's run for the Republican nomination. Barnett was Romney's driver during Romney's 1994 Senate campaign, about which Barnett wrote in the New York Times. Barnett was known for his thick Bostonian accent (to which some callers reacted by nicknaming him "Chowdah") when he filled in on Hewitt's radio show.

Barnett suffered from cystic fibrosis, a fact he openly discussed in numerous blog posts. On October 8, 2008, he was admitted to the hospital with a severe infection to which he finally succumbed on October 27, 2008.

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