Tony Blankley has passed away.

[monmouth]

Tony Blankley, a conservative author and Newt Gingrich's former press secretary, passed away on Sunday, according to the Washington Times. The 63-year-old had been battling stomach cancer.

Most recently, he served as an executive vice president at Edelman, a public relations firm. During his long career in politics and media, he also ran the editorial page at the Washington Times, worked for President Ronald Reagan and was a regular guest on the The McLaughlin Group.

Friends and followers expressed deep sympathy on Twitter. The Washington Post's Karen Tumulty wrote, "Tony Blankley will be missed. What a life: child actor, prosecutor and Washington power player. And a really, really funny man." Fox News' Bret Baier called him a "good man."

Blankley had three children with his wife, Dr. Lynda Davis.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/08/tony-blankley-dead-dies-newt-gingrich_n_1192662.html

[hlthe2b]

1. Can never have less than sympathy for those who suffer from cancer...

RIP, Mr. Blankley... I may have rarely agreed with you but may you pass to a more peaceful (and enlightened) realm.

[right on maude...]

4. Did you mean "less than sympathy?"

And why with cancer? Because it's totally random who gets it? I am failing to fully understand your post, sir. Please do elaborate...

[hlthe2b]

5. yes, of course..

a moment of "mental pause"...

I don't wish for anyone to suffer. Gastric cancer and most forms of end stage cancer result in difficult deaths. Stroke or a massive MI, by contrast seems far kinder.

[right on maude...]

6. Thanks for the clarification. The main thing was your headline...

I wonder why those forms of cancer are more painful. Same w/ pancreatic.

[hlthe2b]

7. highly invasive with potentially lots of organ damage..

or metastasis to bones in some cases.

[noiretextatique]

12. i couldn't stand this guy

but i have sympathy for anyone who battles cancer. rip.

[DeathToTheOil]

2. Tony Blanked

...

[malaise]

3. I did notice that he hadn't been on Tweety for some time

Was he still with the Washington Times?

[JI7]

8. i didn't know he was sick, but i feel bad for his family

[malaise]

13. Other DUers noticed

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3164527

[JI7]

17. wow, that was almost 5 years ago. i remember Tony Snow had cancer

but he seemed more public about it, and we pretty much watched him as he was dying.

i wonder if Blankley had gotten better at some point and then it came back .

[malaise]

18. I find the silence about it quite surprising

People were talking about his weight loss for some time.

[jillan]

9. Sad - even tho I didn't agree with his politics, he brought alot to the debate.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. I listened to him regularly on "Right, Left, and Center" on NPR via KCRW.

http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/lr

[JI7]

20. they just made mention of his passing a few minutes ago

right now they are playing music but anne litt talked about him for a bit. it was nice.

[AtomicKitten]

11. Stomach cancer is brutal.

And it explains his weight loss.

[spanone]

14. r.i.p.

[MADem]

15. No wonder he lost all that weight along with his accent.

He was annoying, but he was never boring.

[msanthrope]

16. I always enjoyed watching him...never agreed with him, but he was fun to watch...nt

[City Lights]

19. My mom died when she was 63.

It's way too young.

Peace to his loved ones and friends.

[la la]

21. sorry for his family......n/t