Mediaite has learned that Barnett, or Bob as he was known to friends and colleagues, had been dealing with an illness for some time but was still working from his office as recently as last week. He died in a DC area hospital Friday morning, as reported by Alec Dent for The Washington Post. A towering figure in the political media landscape, Barnett was renowned for his unparalleled expertise in negotiating multimillion-dollar book deals for former U.S. presidents, political figures, and media personalities.