Dean Barnett, 1967-2008

Dean Barnett 1967 -2008

Some unfortunate news to report - Conservative commentator Dean Barnett has passed away. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and loved ones.

You can view a collection of Dean Barnett tributes compiled by his colleagues at the Weekly Standard.

Anyone familiar with Dean's writing and voice knew him as an upbeat person. He was a fairminded yet passionate conservative who was adored and respected by his peers on both sides of the aisle.

Liberal blogger Glenn Greenwald had this to say a few weeks ago:

Dean is one of those very rare advocates on the Right who, despite embracing deeply misguided political views, is almost uniformly honest in his writing and quite amiable in his personal interaction. I developed somewhat of a friendship with Dean... and appeared with him a few times when he guest-hosted The Hugh Hewitt Show, where we argued vigorously though constructively -- the kind of political arguments I wish were more possible.

In 2006, Dean Barnett spoke of the condition that has now taken him -

As I mentioned yesterday and long-time readers know, I have Cystic Fibrosis. CF is a genetic disease, the number one genetic killer in the country. The average age of death is 36. I’m now 39; when I was born in 1967, the life expectancy for a newborn with CF was 8 years.

CF is a strange disease inasmuch as there are 1500 genetic variations of it. That means in an American patient population of 40,000, most “Cystics” are battling essentially different diseases.

Dean continues

... When you see death up close, a couple of things become clear. One is that we all die, and that death is just part of the deal. The other is that life is such a blessing, that’s it just so great, even though you know the inevitable might be near you still want as many bites of the apple as possible...

But regardless, this treatment has given me time - time to spend with my wife and family and friends. Time to hit golf balls (usually sideways, but even that’s alright). Time to chase my dogs around the house. Time that frankly I didn’t expect to have. There could be no greater gift, and it’s a miracle in so many ways.

- Read Dean's account of dealing with a chronic illness since birth. The Plucky Smart Kid with the Fatal Disease: A Life with Cystic Fibrosis.
- Learn more about Cystic Fibrosis from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
- If you'd like to Make a donation to advance Cystic Fibrosis research consider this