Progressives Rejoice at Death of Andrew Breitbart

Tuesdays and Thursdays are day-long slogs for me on campus. They're not big blogging days either, and I was busy at home Thursday evening, so I was unable to post on Andrew Breitbart. I got to my office yesterday morning at 7:00am. I logged onto my computer and loaded American Power into the browser as I do every day. As I scrolled down the blog to check my scheduled overnight posts, I noticed the headline at the Memeorandum widget far down the page: "In Memoriam: Andrew Breitbart (1969-2012)." I thought that was a mistake. How could this be? Was he killed? Murdered by a leftist attacker? Or he was depressed about something and had taken his own life? What? And then I read the brief obituary at Big Journalism, which indicated he'd died of natural causes.

I gave examinations yesterday so I was able to continue reading. I was in a funk. I knew Andrew Breitbart. While we weren't friends, I'd spoken with him on numerous occasions and I'd blogged at least a half dozen major events where Breitbart was a speaker or major participant. I was starting to feel devastated. I kept reading around the 'sphere. I visited Robert Stacy McCain's, where, in a relatively brief post, he said that "our own sense of loss of our friend and ally — a powerful and innovative force [in] conservative New Media — is inconsequential compared to the fathomless pain experienced by Andrew’s wife and four children, who should be in our prayers." And I thought, yes, that's right. Breitbart was just 43 years-old. I still couldn't believe it. And then checking Memeorandum further, I clicked on some progressive blogs. I admit being surprised by some respectable commentary, for example, by Melissa McEwan at Shakesville, who wrote, "I am not glad he's dead. I would have preferred instead that he'd lived long enough to change his mind." But that's probably the nicest thing progressives wrote about him all day. In fact, Scott Lemieux posted a two-sentence entry at Lawyers, Guns and Money, claiming he was "sad" that the reports of Breitbart's death were "accurate." And right on cue, Carl Salonen was striking up the band, boasting about how the "world is a happier place this morning."

Well, Salonen needs no introduction. And his disgusting comments are 100 percent the real deal. Indeed, I read the entire LGM comment thread and it only gets worse. Progressives wanted Breitbart dead. They got their wish.

And that was pretty much how it went. See Charlie Spiering at the Washington Examiner, "Liberals celebrate death of Andrew Breitbart."

Also, Glenn Reynolds was updating on Breitbart throughout the day, and he included this:

And reader Jonathan Rubinstein writes: “The outpouring of ghoulish and sophmoric hatred at the death of Andrew Breitbart is a warning to us all that the remaking of America is not a conversation over coffee in the late afternoon. The real struggles that are ahead have hardly begun. Politics is ruthless and the failed political class will not go quietly. The disgusting comments are not a tribute to the decline not of civility — there has never been much in America — but the complete disintegration of self-respect. We will engage, we will remake America, we will miss Breitbart but there will be many more joining the struggle.”

I'll be writing a memorial later. It was a sad day. I am praying for Breitbart's family.

EXTRA: Again, more later, but it's worth adding some responses to the despicable loser David Frum. See AoSHQ, "That About Wraps It Up For David Frum," and Yid With Lid, "David Frum is a Low-Life Scumbag."

ADDED: From Zilla of the Resistance, "A Great American Hero Has Died."

MORE: From Jeff Goldstein at Protein Wisdom: "As the “educated” crew at LGM are so interested in what I have to say."