David Horowitz died of cancer today at age 86. As the Freedom Center that he founded noted, he was a towering figure among American conservative writers and activists. A New York Times bestselling author of dozens of books, he began his political activism promoting far-Left causes and working closely with Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party. The murder of a friend, for which he believed the Panthers to be responsible, set him on the path of an ideological conversion to conservatism, which he explored in several books, most notably his 1996 memoir 'Radical Son: A Generational Odyssey."
David was more than a brilliant writer, historian, and political philosopher — he was a friend for over 30 years. I was honored not only to join him in political battles during my time in the arena, but he gave me the ultimate honor: he and his fiancée April had me preside over their 1998 marriage.
In 2000, when David and April hosted a fundraiser for my congressional reelection campaign at their Malibu home , he persuaded his liberal neighbor—director Oliver Stone—to show up and listen to me. Oliver attended wearing dark glasses and a hat pulled down over his head so that nobody would recognize him at a conservative Republican function. If David hadn't tipped me off , I never would have known it was him. After my speech, Oliver asked to speak with me privately. He pulled me into an empty room and peppered me with policy questions for half an hour. The next day, to my surprise (and to President Clinton's deep and public dismay), FedEx delivered a $1,000 personal check to my campaign: from moviemaker Oliver Stone.
David was fearless in thought and unwavering in his convictions. He left an indelible mark on modern political thought. I will miss his insight and his friendship.
Rest in peace, David.