Jack Kemp: 1935 - 2009

Congressman Jack Kemp died today. He was 73. Kemp was a one-time quarterback, a long-time congressman and ran as Bob Dole’s vice presidential running mate in 1996. But that mere sentence of service does not begin to reveal how important Jack Kemp was to the conservative cause.

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Kemp was an expert on economics, pushed the idea of “enterprise zones” and called himself a “bleeding heart conservative.” He was one of the chief proponents of the ides of supply side economics, derided by the press as “Reagonomics.” His work on these fronts during the Reagan Revolution changed much of how the GOP viewed these issues. We can thank Kemp for successfully proving that high income tax rates keeps government coffers correspondingly low. It was Kemp that convinced Ronald Reagan to make this a major plank in the GOP platform. Jack Kemp succumbed to cancer this day, but his legacy will live on. Thank you for your able service Congressman Kemp.

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