William F. Buckley Jr. dies

William F. Buckley Jr., the founder of National Review and dominant post-war conservative intellectual, died overnight. He was 82.

Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor of National Review Online, posted the news on the magazine's blog at 11:13.

"After [a] year of illness, he died while at work; if he had been given a choice on how to depart this world, I suspect that would have been exactly it," Lopez wrote. "At home, still devoted to the war of ideas."

After founding National Review in 1955 at age 30, Buckley established the magazine as the flagship journal of the conservative movement. Starting in 1966, he also used his perch as host of PBS's "Firing Line," one of the orginial political talk shows, to advocate for ideas that were seen as radical in some quarters.

With the election of his friend Ronald Reagan in 1980, though, Buckley's years of laboring in the intellectual vineyards were rewarded. His ideas not only entered the mainstream but accounted for both the push of the Republican Party righward and the Democrats toward the middle.

Aside from his body of work -- which included numerous non-fiction books and novels -- Buckley as a legendary bon vivant and mentor, up close and from a distance, to generations of conservative thinkers and politicians.

I'm going to be on a plane for a few hours, so please feel free to use the comments section to discuss Buckley, the future of conservatism and whatever else is on your mind.

STATEMENT BY MRS. RONALD REAGAN ON THE DEATH OF WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY

Los Angeles, California – I was deeply saddened this morning when I learned of Bill Buckley’s death. He and his wife Pat were dear friends of ours for a long long time. Ronnie valued Bill’s counsel throughout his political life and after Ronnie died, Bill and Pat were there for me in so many ways.

Bill Buckley’s devotion to this country was evident in everything he wrote. My love and deepest sympathy go out to his son, Chris, and the entire Buckley family.

William F. Buckley Jr. dies at 82

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