Yesterday former Republican Congressman Jack Kemp, his party's nominee for Vice President in 1996, passed away at the age of 73. A hard right economic conservative, Kemp was one of the leading voices driving the GOP from the stalwarts' message of budgetary discipline to the supply-siders' message of tax cuts, tax cuts and more tax cuts.

But as much as Kemp helped move his party to the right during his time in public life, he also brought something else to his party that has been sorely missing: Compassion. I'm not talking about the type of poll-tested "compassionate conservatism" that George W. Bush proclaimed during the 2000 campaign. No, Kemp actually believed that the country would be better off if more people had the opportunity to live the American dream.

Three years ago I saw Kemp speak alongside John Edwards at a poverty conference at the University of Southern California. I didn't agree with all of his policy solutions -- I don't have as much faith in the market to solve the nation's ills as did Kemp, even a market aided by tax credits and other subsidies -- but I was impressed to hear a Republican, and a conservative at that, who had a vision for the country.

Today's Republican Party needs a Jack Kemp. In fact, it probably needs many Jack Kemps, politicians who are willing to define their view of the direction the country should be headed in as more than knee-jerked opposition to Barack Obama. Where the party will find such men and women remains to be seen.

But for now, let us say that our thoughts go out to the Kemp family as they mourn their loss.