Conservative publisher Andrew Breitbart dies at 43

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
3/2/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Breitbart is survived by four children, wife

Conservative commentator and publisher Andrew Breitbart has passed away - from natural causes, at the age of 43. Breitbart was walking near his home in the Brentwood neighborhood shortly after midnight when he collapsed, his father-in-law Orson Bean said. Rushed to the emergency room at UCLA Medical Center, he was later pronounced dead.

After Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts died in 2009, Andrew Breitbart tweeted 'Rest in Chappaquiddick' and called him 'a special pile of human excrement.' When critics questioned his tone, he tweeted they 'missed my best ones!'

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Breitbart's death was confirmed by the Los Angeles Coroner's Office.

He had been suffering from heart problems a year earlier, but Bean said he could not pinpoint what happened.

"I don't know what to say. It's devastating," Bean says. He is survived by his wife Susannah Bean Breitbart, 41, and four children.

In addition to publishing a number of Web sites devoted to repudiating what he saw as the liberal-dominated coverage of politics and culture, once served as an editor for the Drudge Report and helped Arianna Huffington launch the Huffington Post Web site.

Among his many accomplishments, Breitbart's investigations led to the resignations of former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and former Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod. Sherrod brought a legal action for defamation against Breitbart last year.

Breitbart was an unabashed user of new media. Active on Twitter, he often re-tweeted criticism from some of his harshest critics.

Following news of his death, Breitbart's name shot to the top of Twitter trends and a number of Republican lawmakers tweeted their sympathies.

Even his harshest critics have since sent their condolences. Media Matters, the liberal watchdog that was a frequent Breitbart critic, said the organization's "thoughts and prayers are with his family today."

"We've disagreed more than we've found common ground, but there was never any question of Andrew's passion for and commitment to what he believed," Media Matters' Ari Rabin-Havt said.

Republican presidential contenders weighed in. Rick Santorum called Breitbart a "powerful force" after learning of his death from reporters at a rally in Dalton, Ga. "He will be what a huge loss ... for our country and certainly for the conservative movement and my prayers go out to his family," Santorum told reporters. "I'm really sorry to hear it."

Mitt Romney posted to Twitter: "Ann and I are deeply saddened by the passing of (at)AndrewBreitbart: brilliant entrepreneur, fearless conservative, loving husband and father."

Newt Gingrich tweeted: "Andrew Breitbart was the most innovative pioneer in conservative activist social media in America. He had great courage and creativity."

In must be noted that Breitbart was vitriolic to his critics and seemed to welcome the negative attention his antics earned him.

After Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts died in 2009, Breitbart tweeted "Rest in Chappaquiddick" and called him "a special pile of human excrement." When critics questioned his tone, he tweeted they "missed my best ones!"

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Keywords: Andrew Breitbart, death, conservative, Twitter

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1 - 8 of 8 Comments

Bulbajer
1 year ago
JoAnn, I completely agree. God bless you too :)
JoAnn
1 year ago
Bulbajer: No I wasn't on this site at that time. I'm kind of glad I wasn't. There is no excuse for uncharitable remarks like that. We should be praying for their souls. Brietbart did make a huge mistake regarding Shirley, but he did more good than bad.. He helped expose ACORN and that Congressman. Boy, I sure don't know what the heck he was thinking. I really felt sorry for his wife. God bless.
Bulbajer
1 year ago
JoAnn: I don't think you were visiting this site when Ted Kennedy or George Tiller died. You should have seen the amount of hate then! But I agree; ccs should reconsider his/her statement.
JoAnn
1 year ago
ccs: Just like someone full of hate to harp on ONE discretion. This man had a wife and 4 children. How do you think they feel reading garbage like yours? How do you think your family would feel if it were you? "Let he who is without sin throw the first stone." Thrown any stones at glass houses lately? Have some respect for the dead. You should be praying for him, that is, if you are a Christian. I certainly am going to pray for you. God bless.
ccs
1 year ago
The encomiums are misplaced, methinks. This man dishonestly edited a video in which a black federal worker tells how she overcame anti-white bias - and then he pushed his dishonest edit as an example of anti-white bias... and got the woman fired from her job. I'm sorry, but his actions were despicable. Plaudits on a Catholic website should be reserved for people with some amount of integrity and decency, not for political hacks who will do anything to score points. May God have mercy on his soul.
JoAnn
1 year ago
Rest in peace mighty warrior. You will be greatly missed. May Jesus welcome you with open arms good and faithful servant. Prayers and love to his family. They must be very proud of him as we all are that appreciated the work that he did. God bless.
Bulbajer
1 year ago
RIP.
Ena
1 year ago
How do you know he died of a heart attack? The autopsy report is not out yet.

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