Jack Kemp dies of cancer

Jack Kemp, congressman, housing secretary and quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, died of cancer on Saturday evening, Bloomberg reported today.

Kemp died at his home in Bethesda, MD, at the age of 73.

President Barack Obama praised Kemp for his commitment to public service and his passion for politics that not only influenced the Republican party but also the country, according to a statement released today.

Kemp, chairman of his Washington-based Kemp Partners consulting firm, was diagnosed with late-stage cancer in multiple organs in January, Foxnews.com reported.

Exactly which cancers he suffered from remains unknown. According to media reports, he was diagnosed with cancer after he complained about pain in his hip.

Kemp played professional football for 13 years, first for the San Diego Chargers and then the Buffalo Bills, before entering the political arena.

He represented western New York for 18 years in Congress and later served as housing secretary under the first President Bush. He made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1988 and in 1996 was vice-presidential candidate as Bob Dole's running mate.

Bob Dole, speaking at his alma mater the University of Kansas today, remembered his friend with heartfelt emotion, according to a Kansas City Star article.

"If you ever wanted to meet an eternal optimist, there was one. There was a solution to everything. He inspired a lot of people."

With his voice breaking, Dole added, "I'm so sad that he's gone."

(Written by Sheilah Downey, and edited by Heather Kelley)