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P.J. O'Rourke, panelist on NPR's 'Wait...Wait Don't Tell Me!,' dies at 74

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

For decades, his dry wit entertained, and his unapologetic commentary challenged people to think. On Tuesday, political satirist and writer P.J. O'Rourke died at his home in New Hampshire. He leaned conservative, but his writing straddled both sides of the political divide.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

P J O'ROURKE: Biden's campaign hasn't really been very lively. But Trump's campaign to get unelected from president has just been ripping along.

(LAUGHTER)

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

O'Rourke was a frequent panelist on our own quiz show, Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

O'ROURKE: My whole purpose in life, basically, is to offend everyone who listens to NPR.

(LAUGHTER)

FADEL: In fact, he used one of his appearances to make a special announcement - he'd be voting for Hillary Clinton.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

O'ROURKE: You know, I mean, she's wrong about absolutely everything.

(LAUGHTER)

O'ROURKE: But she's wrong within normal parameters.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: Among his many roles, O'Rourke did stints as National Lampoon editor-in-chief and as the foreign affairs desk chief at Rolling Stone. He authored more than a dozen books, writing about everything from food to millennials and his life as a baby boomer. Here he is in an interview with the show "Uncommon Knowledge."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "UNCOMMON KNOWLEDGE")

O'ROURKE: There is probably very few generations that have had as much fun - too much fun. Of course, in some cases, it went down the John Belushi road. But we did have a tremendously good time.

FADEL: His publicist said he died of complications from lung cancer. O'Rourke was 74 years old. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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