William F Buckley Jr Turns 80 this Month

Boy does that make me feel old. When I was a teenager he was my hero. Most boys may age idolized Mickey Mantel or Johnny Unitus or John Kennedy, but John Wayne and Bill Buckley were my hero's. I still have a large poster of Bill hanging in my family room , my wife won't let me hang it in the living room. I bought it in Berkeley California, of all places, on a spring vacation trip while I was a college student at Oregon. Back in those days Buckley's show on PBS, Firing Line, was one of the few conservative shows broadcast. I still remember when he ran for Mayor of New York and debated John Lindsey. Buckley pretended to be bored or sleeping while Linsey was speaking. My mom thought he was rude but I though he was cool. Back then he was the conservative "young rebel." We YAF ers (Young Americans for Freedom) all wanted to be like him. In the days before talk radio, Fox News, and the internet we always had National Review. Happy Birthday Bill..... How far we have come . Thanks!