Right wing web provacateur Andrew Breitbart is dead. His own sites, Big Journalism and Big Government and Big Hollywood, are all carrying a statement from Breitbart.com president Larry Solov saying that "Andrew passed away unexpectedly from natural causes shortly after midnight this morning in Los Angeles."

Breitbart was 43 years old. His last tweet came just seven hours ago.

Joel Pollak, Editor in Chief and in-house counsel at Breitbart.com, tells us, "It's real, nothing further at this time."

Breitbart's final tweet:

Update: ABC producer Katie Bosland says on Twitter: "LA Coroner's Office has confirmed to @ABC that Andrew Breitbart passed away last night at UCLA Medical Center." The New York Times has also confirmed his death.

Michelle Malkin on his death:

I saw Andrew a few weeks ago in Michigan at an Americans for Prosperity event and spent time catching up with him on a plane ride back West. We talked about the renewed vigor with which the conservative movement was fighting back against Alinskyite tactics - especially the race card.

Update: According to Fox News, while walking around Midnight last night. He had longstanding heart problems.

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Santorum on Breitbart: "What a huge loss...might be for our country and certainly for the conservative movement.

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Matt Drudge (Breitbart worked anonymously as his assistant for years) has updated Drudge Report with the following note:

DEAR READER: In the first decade of the DRUDGEREPORT Andrew Breitbart was a constant source of energy, passion and commitment. We shared a love of headlines, a love of the news, an excitement about what's happening. I don't think there was a single day during that time when we did not flash each other or laugh with each other, or challenge each other. I still see him in my mind's eye in Venice Beach, the sunny day I met him. He was in his mid 20's. It was all there. He had a wonderful, loving family and we all feel great sadness for them today... MDRUDGE

Arianna Huffington tweeted her condolences:

Liberal nonprofit site Media Matters has updated the site to read:

Media Matters has a long history with Andrew Breitbart. We've disagreed more than we've found common ground, but there was never any question of Andrew's passion for and commitment to what he believed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today.

Sarah Palin's Facebook page:

We are all stunned and saddened by the news of Andrew Breitbart's passing. Andrew was a warrior who stood on the side of what was right. He defended what was right. He defended the defenseless...

[Photo: AP]