Jack Kemp 1935 – 2009: Politician, Former Bills QB and One Time Vice Presidential Nominee Has Died at 73 from Cancer

Jack Kemp, the one time Vice Presidential nominee for Bob Dole, former QB for the Buffalo Bills and 9 time Western New York Congressman has passed away at the age of 73 from cancer. Kemp’s office had announced in January that he had been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer and that the cancer was in an advanced stage and had spread to several organs.

“Jack Kemp was a leader – whether it was in a football huddle, a national political campaign …” 

Jack Kemp will be missed, Rest in Peace.

Jack Kemp: 1935 – 2009 Rest in Peace

Family spokeswoman Marci Robinson said Kemp died shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday, surrounded by his family and pastor. Kemp died at his home in Bethesda, Md., in the Washington suburbs, friends said.

Comments from The Heritage Foundation regarding the loss of Jack Kemp.

“Jack Kemp was a leader – whether it was in a football huddle, a national political campaign or a policy discussion about the Austrian school of economics.

“Jack was a ‘bleeding-heart conservative.’ He wanted to make it possible for every American to succeed and eagerly worked with people of all races, colors and creeds toward that end.

“He won those fights, and millions benefited. The tax cuts that Jack helped engineer in the 1980s gave Americans unprecedented prosperity for decades. His commission also boldly proposed a national flat tax. Those policies also helped spread freedom around the world.

Jack Kemp was a special individuals and as stated at American Power, Kemp would still be light years ahead if its time if applied today.

Jack Kemp, in my mind, was the premier Republican on race relations in American politics. No one spoke to the power of markets and opportunity to empower black Americans as he did. His agenda as HUD Secretary in the first Bush administration would still be light years ahead if its time if applied today

From No Sheeple Here, Jack Kemp was a champion of Free Market and men like him are sorely missed today.

“When you tax something you get less of it, and when you reward something you get more of it.” With that simple exhortation, Jack Kemp changed his party, changed his country and, ultimately, changed the world.

As the nation struggles with the trillion-dollar deficits and promises from Democrats to increase the role of government—the very government that got us into this hole in the first place—the ramparts of the free market will not be manned by Jack Kemp.