The Taxpayer Watchdog's Watchdog

I cannot imagine a much greater honor than to be eulogized in the National Review. That is a well-deserved honor befitting great men such as Richard Nadler. I knew him as a critic of politicians, one who challenged all of us to look closer at our core values as they related to the real role of government. In fact, he was the man who bestowed upon me one of my greatest honors, one which he did in fitting Nadleresque style. He gave me the title "Taxpayer Watchdog."

From the National Review:

National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru on Richard Nadler

NRO:

I just learned that one of my oldest and dearest friends, Rich Nadler, died this morning at his home in Kansas City. Rich was many things: a high-school dropout, an autodidact, a traveling jazz musician, an ex-communist, the publisher of the late, great K.C. Jones, a hilarious movie reviewer, the head of the Missouri Taxpayers Watchdog Association, and a sometime contributor to National Review and, lately, the Corner. In the last years of his life he was, above all, a devout orthodox Jew and a devoted husband to Barbara.

He gave me my start in journalism and constantly encouraged me, even as we came to disagree on some matters. He was one of the most brilliant men I have ever known. Now there are a hundred things I won’t be able to talk or argue with him about. R.I.P.

I received a phone call on Summer morning from a somewhat gleeful constituent. On the line was Lloyd Sloan, also a brilliant thinker along the lines of Richard Nadler. Together they made the toughest critics of politicians. They had completed the task of analyzing the voting records of the 88th General Assembly in Jefferson City, Missouri as a function of the Missouri Taxpayer Watchdog Association. Lloyd was kind of proud of the fact that the winner was his own State Rep. - yours truly. While I was honored indeed, the glory was doused in cold water when Lloyd told me, "Yeah, you got the best score in Jefferson City, but you still flunked."