Fans, politicians, and critics respond to passing of Andrew Breitbart

Conservative media publisher and activist Andrew Breitbart, who was behind investigations that led to the resignations of former Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York and former U.S. Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod, has died in Los Angeles at age 43.

Breitbart’s website, bigjournalism.com, announced Thursday he died of natural causes in Los Angeles.

With a terrible feeling of pain and loss we announce the passing of Andrew Breitbart.

Andrew passed away unexpectedly from natural causes shortly after midnight this morning in Los Angeles.

We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior.

Andrew lived boldly, so that we more timid souls would dare to live freely and fully, and fight for the fragile liberty he showed us how to love.

Andrew recently wrote a new conclusion to his book, Righteous Indignation:

“I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and -famously- I enjoy making enemies.

Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I’ve lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I’ve gained hundreds, thousands – who knows?- of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night.”

Andrew is at rest, yet the happy warrior lives on, in each of us.

Breitbart was reportedly walking near his house in the Brentwood neighborhood on Thursday, shortly after midnight, when he collapsed, said his father-in-law, Orson Bean.

Someone saw Breitbart fall and called paramedics, who tried to revive him. They rushed him to the emergency room at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Breitbart had suffered 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 told The Associated Press.

Larry Dietz, watch commander at the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, said a cause of death was unknown and an autopsy was likely.

Media and politicians responded quickly to word of Breitbart’s passing.

97.3 KIRO FM host Dori Monson told Seattle’s Morning News he spoke to Breitbart on his show many times.

“What I loved about Andrew Breitbart was he always liked to engage the other side. He wasn’t somebody who wanted to just surround himself with bobbing head dolls who agreed with him,” said Monson. “He loved the debate.”

Listen to Dori Monson reacts to passing of Andrew Breitbart

“He was was an unapologetic, courageous cultural warrior. His boldness, audacity, fearlessness, and innovation made him impossible to dismiss,” said 770 KTTH host David Boze.

“RIP ‘O Mighty Warrior!” Texas Gov. Rick Perry said in a message on Twitter, the medium where Breitbart confronted his critics with often abrasive messages.

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,” said Media Matters’ Ari Rabin-Havt.

Republican presidential contenders also 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 @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.”

Breitbart’s fans have praised him for exposing government corruption and media bias.

“He really saw the role of what he was doing on the web as being an important addition or perhaps supplanting eventually what mainstream media was supposed to do,” said Monson. “He relished that role. He thought that it was an important part of journalism.”

Breitbart seldom showed restraint in his vitriol to his critics and seemed to relish in 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!”

Breitbart is survived by his wife, Susannah Bean Breitbart, and four children.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.