Another of Jack’s pet projects was the bringing together of capital and labor, workers and investors, and businesses and jobs. His ultimate goal was to make the non-rich rich. And to achieve that, he knew Wall Street had to work with Main Street; investors had to work with unions; and high finance had to work with the hard-hit folks in the inner cities. He had a true post-partisan vision long before that phrase became fashionable.

Over the years Jack often called me to affirm and encourage my simple paradigm: You can’t have a good job without a healthy business to create it, and you can’t have a good healthy business without the investment capital to fund it. It’s a unifying message.

This week President Obama unleashed yet another attack on international businesses, essentially calling them unpatriotic tax cheats even though they abide by existing laws. Last week, Obama used his clout to undermine investor contract laws in the Chrysler bailout. The president has also blasted banks and Wall Street, and has launched a war against capital.

Jack Kemp knew all this to be wrong. He said we need to stop taxing saving, investment, and business two, three, and four times. Simplify the tax code, he said. Lower tax rates across-the-board for everyone. Understand that Hispanics in the barrio need the very capital that is supplied by investors. Without it there will be no new jobs. And jobs along with economic growth are the best anti-poverty weapons we have.

Jack Kemp never tore people down; he tried to build everyone up. He argued passionately to persuade, not to destroy. He believed in one grand economic coalition that in fact would constitute a rising tide.

So Jack has passed away and we mourn. But his big ideas and dreams will live forever.