One of my favorite Bill Rusher stories is from the 1984 presidential campaign, when he and Jeane Kirkpatrick faced off against Christopher Dodd and Barney Frank on the question of Reagan vs. Mondale. Poor Senator Dodd had to contend with this impossible query from Bill Rusher: “On the invasion of Grenada, do you agree with Mr. Mondale that it was justified, or with Ms. Ferraro that it wasn’t?”

There he was—the conservative advocate in his prime. It was a thrill to watch Rusher carry the conservative standard into the fight. He was the best debater I’ve ever seen—always in full command of his brief, laying traps for the other side, thinking up devastating questions on the spot. William F. Buckley Jr. could, without changing his tone of voice, throw an opponent off his game. But when Bill Rusher stepped to the microphone, with that formal manner and level gaze, it was advocacy of a different form: It was time to settle the matter. Rusher would sharply and directly challenge his adversary—who, if not thoroughly prepared for the encounter, might well end up out of ammunition, stammering, and livid.