Does anyone know, what the hell are we going to do without Molly Ivins (1944-2007)?

If you want someone to say something coherent about the loss of Molly Ivins, you can probably travel pretty much anywhere else on the Internet.

Me, I'm just numb.

I expect you know that Molly died yesterday at 62, at home, surrounded by family and friends, after an ugly struggle against breast cancer dating back to 1999. Beyond that, what is there to say? That she was at the same time the most serious and the funniest observer of American politics? That nothing could stifle her outrage, and almost nothing her wit? That an awful lot of people who write about politics now are doing it, or at the very least doing it better, because of the way she did it? That, even so, she is one of those rare people you think of as truly irreplaceable?

All of that is true, but doesn't give us Molly, or what her writing meant to so many readers, or suggest what to do about the void left by her untimely departure. I guess, though, that she would want to leave us with a message of hope. After all, we got ourselves into this damn mess, she might remind us, so we can damn well get ourselves out of it.

I really haven't wanted to read tributes to Molly, but they're hard to avoid. One point hit me hard: the cosmic injustice whereby she failed to outlive this damnable Bush administration, which she may have understood better (the Texas connnection)--and hated more--than most anybody else.

Now I guess we're going to have to get those people the hell out of there, and on to the fates they have so richly earned, and work to get the country back on track--for Molly.

MEANWHILE, DON'T FORGET HER BOOKS

Fortunately, Molly published a lot of work in book form. The issues may have changed a little over time (or then again, they may not have!), but people haven't. The books are at bookstores and libraries, and they're treasures.