In writing my recent post on Senate candidate Jack Kingston, I found myself linking to an earlier column of mine that was catalyzed by a rare (and extremely friendly) dispute with the wonderful Ken Tomlinson, who died a few weeks ago — and I realized I had never posted an intended tribute to Ken. As others have noted here and elsewhere, Ken was one of the real heroes not just of the conservative movement, but of the Cold War. For those of us old enough to vividly remember the Cold War, Ken was a knight and a champion, with his communication of ideas and ideals almost every bit as valuable as Cap Weinberger’s military build-up. Weinberger pressured the Soviets from without while Ken gave succor to East-bloc citizens who dared undermine the Evil Empire from within. Ken followed up with similarly valuable service against Islamic terrorism under President G. W. Bush.
Privately, Ken was a man of devout Christian faith, and a man of great empathy and compassion for others. He was intensely proud of his two sons, and he was a man unwaveringly loyal to both his principles and his friends. His legacies, both professional and personal, are those of a good and faithful servant. May eternal joy be his well-merited reward.