Libertarian leader dies

Sad news to us libertarians. From UPI:

Harry Browne, a two-time Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. president, has died at the age of 72.

Browne died Wednesday at his home in Franklin, Tenn. He had suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- Lou Gehrig's disease -- for some time, a publicist said.

Browne led the Libertarian Party ticket in 1996 and 2000, collecting 485,798 votes the first time he ran for president and 384,431 the second, the party said in a release.

He was a well-known motivational speaker and the author of 12 books, including "How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World," "Why Government Doesn't Work" and "The Great Libertarian Offer." He also founded DownsizeDC.org, a group aimed at reducing the size of government, a basic tenet of the Libertarian Party.

Browne also wrote books giving investment advice.

He is survived by his wife and daughter.

I didn't know that Browne was a fellow Tennesseean. It's a crying shame that he died of Lou Gehrig's disease. I became well acquainted with the disease when I saw my favorite sportscaster from my college days (Randy Ruditz in Tallahassee) stricken with the illness, and pass away in 2003. It's a slow, gruesome way to go. I pray that Browne's family finds peace.