obituaries

Obituaries from page 57

Conservative Media Giant

N

D.C.'s Haute Couturier

often appeared as a speaker at meetings of the tax-
ew-media mogul Andrew Breitbart, owner
rebellious "Tea Party." He offered to make a $100,000
of conservative news and commentary
contribution to the United Negro College Fund if
websites such as Big Journalism, Big
anyone who could produce a video showing that
Government and Big Hollywood, died at age 43 on
black congressmen were heckled with the "N-word"
March 1, 2012. A bystander saw him collapse while
— allegedly by Tea Party types — during the health
out on a walk near his Brentwood, Calif., home
care debate, as House Speaker Nancy
shortly after midnight and called para-
Pelosi had asserted. None was pro-
medics, who rushed him to the Ronald
duced.
Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where
For this year's presidential cam-
he was declared dead.
paign, Breitbart said he would "vet"
Rumors persisted for months that
President Barack Obama and claimed
Breitbart, a staunch supporter of Israel,
to have video of his earlier days that
had plans to open Big Jerusalem, a site
exposed him as a left-wing radical.
defending the Jewish state, to match
"Breitbart was a revolutionary eager
his others.
to overthrow a media establishment
Although ethnically Irish by birth,
Andrew Bre itbart
that he viewed as a front for left-wing
Breitbart was adopted as a child by a
social causes:' wrote Patrick Goldstein
Jewish couple and raised as a Jew. He
of the Los Angeles Times. "Breitbart had a sly wit, a
"enjoyed needling the Jewish community for what
he saw as its liberal leanings:' the Los Angeles Jewish knack for courting controversy and a disdain for the
insular, self-important Washington press corps."
Journal reported.
Washington Post Columnist Charles Krauthammer
Breitbart served apprenticeships at mega-news
said on the Fox News Channel, "He's a guy that
sites Drudge Report and Huffington Post. His big-
would pursue the truth with utter fearlessness, and
gest "scoop" came in 2011 when he posted the
that's not easy to find in our business:'
revealing photos of then-Rep. Anthony Weiner that
Breitbart was married to Susannah Bean, the daugh-
led to the Brooklyn Democrat's resignation.
ter of actor Orson Bean, and had four children. ❑
Breitbart's websites also hosted the under-
cover video stings that caused trouble for Planned
Parenthood and the social-action group ACORN. He Alan D. Abbey of JTA contributed to this report.

Alan D. Abbey
JTA

H

arriet Kassman, whose outfits
and gowns dressed high-pow-
ered Washington women for
decades, died Feb. 24, 2012, at age 90.
The Washington Post said Kassman
was the capital's "unofficial arbiter of
haute couture" and had a "loyal stable
Harriet Kassman
of elite clients including governmen-
tal officials, business executives and
embassy and political wives;' some of
whom spent "six-figure sums annually in purchases."
Three years ago, when Kassman's store closed, National
Public Radio correspondent Nina Totenberg said she used to
stop by the-store after visiting her husband, who was in the
hospital for many months.
"I'd often buy something to cheer myself up:' she said.
"[Kassman] was just wonderful to me."
This week, in her eulogy at Kassman's funeral, Totenberg
said: "Yes, I bought this suit from Harriet. You don't think I
would dare come here in something I bought anywhere else,
do you?"
A fashion columnist at a local Washington magazine wrote
that Kassman, a slight woman who was 5 feet tall "showed up
to work every day — in high heels — for over 30 years, often
with her little poodle, Bastien, at her side." 0

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March 8 • 2012

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Obituaries