Andrew Breitbart Dead at 43

Conservative rabble rouser and political blogger Andrew Breitbart has died suddenly at the age of 43, his attorney confirmed this morning to Politico.

Breitbart is probably best known for his role in the the Anthony Weiner scandal, fueling the flames of the massive melodrama through his well-trafficked right-leaning family of blogs. The pundit and blogger was a lightning rod for young conservatives, though his methods of digging dirt and framing debates sparked a certain degree of criticism. Over at Breitbart’s Big Journalism, writer Larry Solov said:

“Andrew passed away unexpectedly from natural causes shortly after midnight this morning in Los Angeles. We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior.”

What Breitbart lacked in integrity, he made up for in reach and conservative enthusiasm, which he had in spades. Breitbart’s sites today carried a quote from his book, Righteous Indignation that kind of summed up Breitbart’s ethos:

“I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and-famously-I enjoy making enemies. Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I’ve lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I’ve gained hundreds, thousands — who knows? — of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night.”

Breitbart is said to have died of natural causes.