Thanks to Wm. F. Buckley, Jr.

A brief respite from our daily efforts on behalf of electrical manufacturers to pay tribute to William F. Buckley, Jr., who died yesterday at age 82. Wonderful tributes litter the World Wide Web, from the White House and the New York Times to the Economist and his own National Review. (The WSJ blog has a nice collection of comments from some notable writers and politicos.) Probably best known for his anti-communism, Buckley was also a committed free marketer -- the two concepts really go hand in hand -- who understood the necessary role business plays in creating wealth. While the Left once underestimated him (Norman Mailer said Buckley was a "second-rate intellect incapable of entertaining two serious thoughts in a row"), over the years Buckley's views on free enterprise helped ensure that the United States maintained the freest economy in the world -- and as a result, the strongest.

Thanks for your vision and your commitment to freedom, Mr. Buckley.