Mark Haines, CNBC Anchor, Dies Unexpectedly

Mark Haines, the gruff, jocular CNBC anchor died unexpectedly in his sleep last night. Of all the anchors and personalities on CNBC, I enjoyed him the most. He was a gruff skeptic at heart. During the height of the financial crisis, he was not afraid to voice his skepticism about bailouts, the fiscal stimulus and other policies that ran counter to Main Street and average Americans. His demeanor and experience allowed him to cut through a lot of the BS and I enjoyed watching him interview a range of people from the financial industry and ask the tough questions.

Business news often seems to be a mouthpiece of corporate PR departments. I never got that sense with Haines and it's probably the reason I watched Squawkbox and none of the other shows on the network. His wit and intelligence will be missed.