We remember Jack Kemp, who was born on this day in 1935.  He died in 2009.

Back in 1977, I was at a Young Republicans meeting in Maryland.

As I remember, we were sitting around trying to put the Republican Party back together after Carter's victory and a Democrat congressional majority.

Who gave us the lift and inspired us?

It was Jack Kemp, the congressman from Buffalo.

It was Kemp who led by putting ideas on the table rather than demonizing his opponents.

It's hard to think of a conservative movement without Jack Kemp.  He was one of my favorite Republicans.

I loved his ideas: low taxes, free trade, and let the free market take care of prosperity.  I loved his ideas to fix our decaying cities: enterprise zones, school choice, and strong families.

Who knows where Mr. Kemp would have fit in President Trump's circle?  We will never know, and let's leave it at that.  Who knows if he would have been a better nominee than Senator Bob Dole in 1996?  I supported Kemp, but he never ran.

So we are left with memories of Jack Kemp.  As far as I'm concerned, they are wonderful memories and quotes.

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