Posted on 03/31/2005 11:43:39 AM PST by LibWhacker
CLEVELAND (AP) — Thomas J. Brazaitis, a columnist for The Plain Dealer and former chief of the newspaper's Washington, D.C., bureau, died Wednesday at age 64. He was diagnosed six years ago with kidney cancer.
Brazaitis died at his home in Washington, said Stephen Koff, who succeeded Brazaitis as bureau chief.
Brazaitis wrote a column for more than 20 years, was bureau chief in Washington for 19 years and became the paper's senior Washington editor in 1998.
He retired in 2003 as his health declined but continued to write his Sunday column, which was distributed by the Newhouse News Service, until a few months ago.
Although the column was mainly about national politics, Brazaitis also wrote about his disease and experimental treatments.
He wrote two books with his wife, Eleanor Clift, a Newsweek magazine contributing editor and commentator on TV's "The McLaughlin Group." The 1966 book "War Without Bloodshed: the Art of Politics" was about the political culture in Washington, and "Madame President: Shattering the Last Glass Ceiling," (2000) about the prospects of electing a woman president.
Brazaitis worked for the newspaper for 32 years, starting as a clerk while attending John Carroll University. An Army veteran, he was a member of the Gridiron and National Press clubs in Washington and past president of the Washington Press Club Foundation.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, daughter, three stepsons and five grandchildren.
>>>I thought Eleanor's husband was related to Montgomery Clift in some way.
I thought Janet Reno was more her type
I've never heard of this guy, and he wrote a column on national politics?
He wasn't. She is.
I'm serious. Maybe it was her first husband.
I don't know what his leanings were, but this deserves a "thank you, and RIP"..
She was Montgomery Clifts' sister-in-law.
Prayers for Eleanor and the entire family. Sounds like the past several years have been rough ones for them all.
Perhaps, though, Eleanor's sister was married to Montgomery Clift.
You just had to ruin it for me...
I still say that Newsweek must not realize how negatively it reflects on Newsweek to allow Clift to claim that she works for the sleazy rag. I got to admire the guy's tenacity. Any normal guy married to Clift would have done himself in long ago!
R.I.P.
Eleanor (I think you're swellanor) was always so angry that I thought her a feminist (read: Isle if Lesbos native). A sad day for her, prayers offered for her loss.
No, you were right. She was married to M. Clifts' brother.
If so, strange she kept the name of her first husband. She must have liked being connected to Hollywood royalty.
John Kerry ringing her phone right now I'll wager.
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