Paying Tribute to Commentator, Political Aide Tony Blankley

Tony Blankley was born in England and moved to California at the age of three, where he became a child actor. He grew up to be a political player in Washington, a journalist and a favorite on TV and radio. He was a colleague of ours here at KCRW in Santa Monica. Blankley, who died this weekend at the age of 62, was press secretary when Newt Gingrich was House Speaker. Today Gingrich called him, "a wonderful friend, a sage advisor and a man who loved life." After he left government, Blankley became joined the press corps, as columnist and editorial page editor of the Washington Times, a TV panelist on The McLaughlin Group, and a regular on Left, Right and Center, the radio program produced and syndicated by KCRW. Blankley was the voice of the Right. Matt Miller, who is in the Center, has a remembrance.