and eagerly offering them cocktails. When he returned to the air in early January 1995, after his first battle with HIV/AIDS kept him off the air for ten weeks, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino formally declared January 5 as "David Brudnoy Day" due to his popularity. In 1997, Brudnoy was awarded the Freedom of Speech Award from the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts, and was nominated for the major market "Personality of the Year" Marconi Radio Award by the National Association of Broadcasters. In 2001, he celebrated his 25th anniversary on the air. He was inducted to the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame, posthumously, in 2008. Politics and sensibilities Brudnoy's strongly libertarian opinions were expressed with wit and thoughtfulness. He described his own manner as "less ideological and more empathic", in contrast to more recent figures of conservative talk radio. Many regard him as a unique radio host who was effective at injecting a different perspective into the political dialogue rather than merely cultivating a particular political segment of the population. His non-partisan, thoughtful way of discussing issues helped him gain a large following despite being based in a staunchly Democratic region. Political figures from both ends of the spectrum praised him for his contributions to the local and national dialogue. Among those who eulogized him when he died were liberals like Senator Edward M. Kennedy who said that David was uniquely fair to his guests. "He couldn't care less about your party label, as long as you knew what you were talking about, because he always did"; and conservatives like then-Governor Mitt Romney who said that Brudnoy was "... a friend to hundreds of thousands of people, most of whom he never even saw in person . . . David has left us all a huge inheritance. It's an inheritance rich in tolerance, in faith, in the greatness of humanity, in respect for all people..." In 2000, Brudnoy declared himself a member of the Libertarian Party. Although his father Harry was a practicing Jew and a member of a Minneapolis synagogue, David Brudnoy was an agnostic who disliked organized religion and was critical of religions that tried to impose their views on others. He did have a bar mitzvah in May 1953, but he was already becoming skeptical of religion and recalled that event as the last time he followed his religious traditions. Years later, he wrote several