It's not been a good couple weeks for humorous political columnists. I will refrain from any suggestions of who's next.

Of course, it's been a bad couple of weeks for readers, as well.

It wasn't that Molly Ivins was so funny. (She was.) Or that she was so insightful. (She was.) Or such a good writer. (She was.) Or utterly, down-your-throat blunt. (Oh, my, she was.) It's that in addition to all these things, she was...