I never knew Jack Kemp personally, but he had a huge impact on my life. He was the first guy I saw (even prior to Bradley, for me) that was a jock made policy wonk. He made me realize that I could blaze both paths; that I didn't have to be a jock OR a nerd...I could be both!

He was a big influence in my thinking. I grew up in the shadow of my (then) fairly liberal father, working for NGO's and churches, assuming that The Great Society would solve a lot of problems. My father and I both grew disillusioned as we grew older, finally understanding that self-empowerment, self-determination and the ability to keep your cash in your pocket (along with education) were the answer to prosperity...all ideas championed by Jack Kemp.

I learned about Jack from a distance; Ilya Somin of George Mason University School of Law (and the Volokh Conspiracy) met him up close at Empower America. Ilya wrote a great post about him on Sunday; I'll let him speak to the great guy that was Jack Kemp.

God bless Jack Kemp and his family. Like Ilya, I didn't always agree with him, but he influenced and inspired me and many others.