The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that long time conservative columnist and FR friend Robert Novak passed away after a battle with cancer. He will be missed, as will his insightful and effective columns. Rest in peace, my friend.
The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that long time conservative columnist and FR friend Robert Novak passed away after a battle with cancer. He will be missed, as will his insightful and effective columns. Rest in peace, my friend.
August 18th, 2009 at 12:00 am
He was one of my idols in college, and as I pasted-up the front page of
‘Dimension’, the UC San Diego conservative student newspaper, I’d
imagine myself the campus version of Novak, comforting the afflicted
and afflicting the comforrtable….
A few years ago, He spoke at a San Diego GOP Christmas dinner.
An hour before dinner, there was an informal mixer in the dining hall.
To everyone’s surprise, Bob Novak came strolling in wearing his
trademark Red XMAS vest. It’s unheard of for Big Name speakers
to arrive more than 5 minutes before their speech.
None of the 100 people in the room approached Mr. Novak, likely
because of his reputation as a tough guy with a bristling attitude.
I swallowed hard, and walked up to him, introducing myself and
welcoming him to San Diego. He took my hand and said, “How
do you do, Mr. Sills, Bob Novak.”
We spoke for about 5 minutes, and I gushed on him for his great
work on Meet the Press in the 1960s, and his yeoman work to
keep alive the memory of Whittaker Chambers. I told him he had
always represented the Conservative movement in a way that made
us proud. He graciously thanked me for the compliments, and I
returned to my table.
When I looked back, Novak was SURROUNDED by the entire crowd,
which had witnessed his cordiality to me and concluded it would be
safe to approach the Great Reporter.
That was the real Robert Novak… a true Gentleman who will be
missed. May God Bless him.
August 18th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I loved the old CNN show Capital Gang. Novak was always fighting the good cause on the show. He wil be missed greatly.