US political columnist Robert Novak, a conservative debater who became a household face on American television, has died after a battle with brain cancer.
His wife of 47 years, Geraldine Novak, said he died at his home in Washington today. He was 78 years old.
Long known as the co-presenter of CNN's Crossfire, Novak was a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades.
He was diagnosed with a brain tumour in July 2008, less than a week after he struck a pedestrian in downtown Washington with his car and drove away.
In recent years, Novak became a central figure in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case in 2003. Novak was the first to publish the name of the CIA employee in one of his columns. He came under withering criticism for the column, which Novak said began "a long and difficult episode" in his career.
"I had a terrific time fulfilling all my youthful dreams and at the same time making life miserable for hypocritical, posturing politicians and, I hope, performing a service for my country," Novak wrote in his memoir, The Prince of Darkness.