MATT APUZZO AND CAROLYN THOMPSON | 05/ 2/09 11:58 PM | 
WASHINGTON — Jack Kemp, the ex-quarterback, congressman, one-time vice-presidential nominee and self-described "bleeding-heart conservative," died Saturday. He was 73.
Kemp died after a lengthy illness, according to spokeswoman Bona Park and Edwin J. Feulner, a longtime friend and former campaign adviser. Park said Kemp died at his home in Bethesda, Md., in the Washington suburbs.
Kemp's office announced in January that he had been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer. By then, however, the cancer was in an advanced stage and had spread to several organs, Feulner said. He did not know the origin of the cancer.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called Kemp "one of the nation's most distinguished public servants. Jack was a powerful voice in American politics for more than four decades."
Former President George W. Bush expressed his sorrow after hearing of Kemp's death.
"Laura and I are saddened by the death of Jack Kemp." he said. "Jack will be remembered for his significant contributions to the Reagan revolution and his steadfast dedication to conservative principles during his long and distinguished career in public service. Jack's wife Joanne and the rest of the Kemp family are in our thoughts and prayers."
Family spokeswoman Marci Robinson said Kemp died shortly after 6 p.m. surrounded by his family.
"During the treatment of his cancer, Jack expressed his gratitude for the thoughts and prayers of so many friends, a gratitude which the Kemp family shares," according to a family statement.
Kemp, a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, represented western New York for nine terms in Congress, leaving the House for an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1988.
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Eight years later, after serving a term as President George H.W. Bush's housing secretary, he made it onto the national ticket as Bob Dole's running-mate.
With that loss, the Republican bowed out of political office, but not out of politics. In speaking engagements and a syndicated column, he continued to advocate for the tax reform and supply-side policies _ the idea that the more taxes are cut the more the economy will grow _ that he pioneered.
Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation, a Kemp family friend and his former campaign deputy chief of staff, said Kemp's legacy will be his compassion.
"The idea that all conservatives really should regroup around and identify with is that this is not an exclusive club," Feulner said. "Freedom is for everybody. That's what Jack Kemp really stood for."
Kemp's rapid and wordy style made the enthusiastic speaker with the neatly side-parted white hair a favorite on the lecture circuit, and a millionaire.
His style didn't win over everyone. In his memoirs, former Vice President Dan Quayle wrote that at Cabinet meetings, Bush would be irked by Kemp's habit of going off on tangents and not making "any discernible point."
Kemp also signed on with numerous educational and corporate boards and charitable organizations, including NFL Charities, which kept him connected to his football roots.
Kemp was a 17th round 1957 NFL draft pick by the Detroit Lions, but was cut before the season began. After being released by three more NFL teams and the Canadian Football League over the next three years, he joined the American Football League's Los Angeles Chargers as a free agent in 1960. A waivers foul-up two years later would land him with the Buffalo Bills, who got him at the bargain basement price of $100.
Kemp led Buffalo to the 1964 and 1965 AFL Championships, and won the league's most valuable player award in 1965. He co-founded the AFL Players Association in 1964 and was elected president of the union for five terms. When he retired from football in 1969, Kemp had enough support in blue-collar Buffalo and its suburbs to win an open congressional seat.
In 11 seasons, he sustained a dozen concussions, two broken ankles and a crushed hand _ which Kemp insisted a doctor permanently set in a passing position so that he could continue to play.
"Pro football gave me a good perspective," he was quoted as saying. "When I entered the political arena, I had already been booed, cheered, cut, sold, traded, and hung in effigy."
Longtime football colleague, Billy Shaw, a Hall of Fame offensive guard who played for the Bills with Kemp, said his friend was extremely smart.
"Jack was probably one of the most intelligent men that I've ever been around, and I'm not just talking football," Shaw said. "He was one of those kind of people that drew you to him because of his ability to communicate and the intelligence that was there.
"He was the kind of politician he was because he wrapped his arms around the people in Buffalo and represented them so well."
Kemp was born in California to Christian Scientist parents. He worked on the loading docks of his father's trucking company as a boy before majoring in physical education at Occidental College, where he led the nation's small colleges in passing.
He became a Presbyterian after marrying his college sweetheart, Joanne Main. The couple had four children, including two sons who played professional football. He joined with a son and son-in-law to form a Washington strategic consulting firm, Kemp Partners, after leaving office.
Through his political life, Kemp's positions spanned the social spectrum: He opposed abortion and supported school prayer, yet appealed to liberals with his outreach toward minorities and compassion for the poor. He pushed for immigration reform to include a guest-worker program and status for the illegal immigrants already here.
At the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, he proposed more than 50 programs to combat urban blight and homelessness and was an early and strong advocate of enterprise zones.
In 1993, along with former Education Secretary William Bennett and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Jeane Kirkpatrick, he co-founded Empower America, a public policy organization intended to promote economic growth, job creation and entrepreneurship.
His choice as Dole's 1996 running mate was seen as a way for the Republican Party to reach groups of voters that Dole could not. And it came even after Kemp endorsed Steve Forbes for the nomination _ a move many considered political suicide _ and declared himself a "recovering politician."
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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., contributed to this report. Thompson reported from Buffalo.
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11 comments:
Congratulations!!!
Oh how I want to go to Bulgaria to adopt! I keep praying. I know there's one more little boy out there waiting on us, I just haven't received that for sure "that's him" from Above yet. So, we're still praying.
I'm looking forward to following your journey to Bulgaria!
We're so excited for you! Praying fr your soon to be son and a second!
Jeane,
I will pray that the Lord will hold him in HIS arms and comfort him while you have to wait. What a special blessing. I just know you will have a great testimony to share about him in the coming months and years.
We will also pray for the other child you are supposed to have.
God already has him or her picked out just for you.
Wow what a story you have, I look forward to following your journey to Dancho and possibly another :)
Prayers!
Thanks for introducing yourself on RR. I hope to really check out your blog soon but for now congrats on new son(s)
Joy
What a beautiful reflection of Gods love your family is! I can't wait to follow this journey the Lord is leading your family on now~Dancho is a beauty! Prayers for you and your family as you heed God's call yet again.
Congratulations! What a blessed woman you are! I, too, am involved with RR (though not adoptiong, YET!) but found your blog through a friend.
Praying your kiddos home!
In Him,
E
CONGRATULATIONS. This comes as no surprise. I could tell by the tones of your emails and posts that you had more energy and love to give! Is this your first from Bulgaria? How in world do you find adequate care for your kids while you guys travel for adoptions? We can't find folks to care for our 5and only one with special needs! I'm so happy for you guys and will check your blog more frequently now!!! May God Bless this journey.
Laurel
You have an amazing family! I am looking forward to reading more about your journey to your newest child(ren)! Your new son is precious!
Hello.
I have been following your blog for awhile. My husband and I just committed on RR to adopt "Sandy" who is 3 years old, listed on the other angels page and is from Bulgaria and blind also! Along with her we committed to Anastysia who is soon 6 years old and has DS and hydrocephalus. AND though your family is considerably BIGGER than ours...:) ...we have 7 children currently, I am very interested to see how Dancho does. We are just starting our HS next week, so you are a ways ahead of us yet. I can learn from you!:)
Kelly
God bless you and all your big family! Congradulations! We are in the process of adopting form Ukraine.
Svetlana(mom with 2 kids and hopfully soon 2 more)
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