Former Defense Secretary Weinberger dies

Chairman of Forbes magazine
In 1989, Weinberger, a self-described “frustrated newspaperman,” joined Forbes to become the magazine’s fourth publisher. In 1993 he was named chairman of Forbes Inc., filling a position that had been vacant since the 1990 death of Malcolm S. Forbes. He endorsed Steve Forbes for president in 1996.

Weinberger occasionally spoke out on current affairs in recent years. In 1996, he criticized then-Defense Secretary William J. Perry for refusing to announce publicly that the United States would defend Taiwan if China fired missiles at the island.

“It is very serious business to give any slight encouragement to China to think that an attack would not be met,” Weinberger said.

“Even though the Cold War and Gulf War have been won, all the world’s threats are not gone,” he told a Nebraska business group in 1999. “We’re not hunting around for enemies, but there are potential threats to our desire to live in peace and freedom. Peace alone is not enough. Peace can even mean slavery sometimes. Peace and freedom is what we have to have.”

Weinberger told the group that U.S. military strength does not mean being the policeman of the world, “but it does require that we have the capabilities that when these conflicts do break out in areas that do affect our national interest that they can be dealt with firmly, quickly and decisively.”

Caspar Willard Weinberger was born Aug. 18, 1917, in San Francisco. His father was a lawyer who early on sparked young Weinberger’s interest in politics and government. Even as an adolescent he used to enjoy reading the Congressional Record, and at his high school graduation delivered a speech on “the honorable profession of politics.”

Weinberger was always an avid reader, whose tastes tended toward English history and the novels of Thackeray, Trollope and Scott. He also loved music, ballet and the theater.

While he enjoyed a reputation for toughness, friends described him as a mild-mannered and witty man who had an irreverent and often self-deprecating sense of humor.

Excelled at Harvard
As a young man, Weinberger went East for his education. At Harvard he edited the Harvard Crimson, won election to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude. He attended Harvard Law School where he received his degree in 1941.

With America’s entry into World War II, Weinberger enlisted in the Army as a private, graduated from Officer Candidate School and was shipped to the Pacific. He served with the 41st Infantry Division, an outfit that saw heavy fighting against the Japanese.

He came out of the war a captain and returned to his home state to start a law practice and become active in politics.

Weinberger got married to Jane Dalton during the war. Besides his wife, he is survived by his son and a daughter, Arlin Weinberger.

No funeral arrangements were immediately announced.

MORE FROM POLITICS

Politics Section Front

Senate Dems may scrap Medicare expansion Lieberman supported Medicare expansion It's a waiting game for Nelson on health care Congress readies defense budget   Millions of missing Bush admin. e-mails found Tenn. Democrat won't seek re-election to House 'Ma'am' remark is campaign fodder in Calif. Obama wants ‘fat cat bankers’ to lend more Bipartisan budget group: Deficit curbs needed   Wells Fargo, Citigroup to repay bailout funds Politics Section Front   Add Politics headlines to your news reader: