Dr. Samuel T. Francis, conservative scholar and columnist passed away yesterday. While libertarians could find much to disagree with in Sam’s philosophy and writings, few could deny that he was a powerful and original thinker and a brilliant writer. Even when I vehemently disagreed with Sam’s columns, I always enjoyed his writing style. Sam was one of the most preceptive analysts of how the official right had neoconned the middle Americans who constitute the right’s base into supporting a phony conservative agenda that paid lip service to limited government, national sovereignty,and traditional values while advancing the welfare-warfare state and globaloney.

Sam’s quick and sharp wit also made him a delightful dinner companion. He will be missed.