CONSERVATIVE ICON, FOOTBALL LEGEND LOSES BATTLE WITH CANCER

Jack Kemp, the man who went from professional quarterback to Congressman and nearly Vice President of the United States, died Saturday night at the age of 73.

A committed free-market conservative, Kemp died of cancer at his home in Bethesda, Md. after battling the disease for months.

The Wall Street Journal remembered Kemp as “an early influence, along with economist Arthur Laffer and President Ronald Reagan, in getting the Republican Party to embrace the philosophy of tax cuts. Republican Sen. Robert Dole’s selection of Mr. Kemp as his running mate in the 1996 presidential election reaffirmed Mr. Kemp’s imprint on GOP economic policy.”

Prior to that vice presidential run, Kemp served as a Congressman from 1971-1989 representing the Buffalo, N.Y. area.

His Congressional career ended when he ran for president in 1988. Kemp finished fourth in most Republican primary states — including picking up 11 percent of the voting in South Carolina — but dropped out after a humbling Super Tuesday.

“We will remember his tireless work to empower working families in inner cities, an effort we still can learn from,” House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R., Va.) said in a statement.

Kemp was also remembered as a legendary professional quarterback. During his 13 year career, Kemp threw for more than 21,000 yards and led the Buffalo Bills to two AFC Championships.

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