Rush Limbaugh was a warm, wonderful man. I was privileged to call him my friend.

Rush is and will remain an iconic, irreplaceable figure in the conservative movement. He was a great American patriot . . . and, as he would be the first to tell you in his inimitable way, his life was a uniquely American story. As is well known, he revered Bill Buckley and was a great friend of National Review. But I will most remember, and keep in the front of my mind, countless kindnesses great and small, as well as hundreds of conversations over the last 17 years, in which his smarts, humor, and love of our country always overflowed.

It has been awful these last months, knowing he was suffering but trying to carry on, and not being able to do a thing to help him. He was never anything but gracious, though. He never complained even though this awful disease was ravaging him, and he stayed relentlessly upbeat and determined to do the job he so loved. As heartbreaking as today is, I am so thankful for that. Prayers for Kathryn and the Limbaugh family, particularly my friend David, Rush’s beloved brother. Rest in peace.