Conservative rabble rouser and political blogger Andrew Breitbart has died suddenly at the age of 43, his attorney confirmed this morning to Politico .
Breitbart is probably best known for his role in the the Anthony Weiner scandal, fueling the flames of the massive melodrama through his well-trafficked right-leaning family of blogs. The pundit and blogger was a lightning rod for young conservatives, though his methods of digging dirt and framing debates sparked a certain degree of criticism. Over at Breitbart’s Big Journalism, writer Larry Solov said:
“Andrew passed away unexpectedly from natural causes shortly after midnight this morning in Los Angeles. We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior.”
What Breitbart lacked in integrity, he made up for in reach and conservative enthusiasm, which he had in spades. Breitbart’s sites today carried a quote from his book, Righteous Indignation that kind of summed up Breitbart’s ethos:
“I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and-famously-I enjoy making enemies. Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I’ve lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I’ve gained hundreds, thousands — who knows? — of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night.”
Breitbart is said to have died of natural causes.
