Molly Ivins R.I.P.

Molly Ivins, one of the great political writers of this era died Wednesday. She had a knack for injecting searing humor into her analysis of the political arena, especially Texas politics. She had been battling breast cancer for a long time. This was the third recurrence of the cancer, she didn't beat it this time.

She was an unabashed liberal with the ability to skewer those in power on both sides.

Bill Clinton once said she was "good when she praised me and painfully good when she criticized me.".

Even our current president, whose name I can't seem to get to roll off my tongue, had this to say:
"Molly Ivins was a Texas original, I respected her convictions, her passionate belief in the power of words, and her ability to turn a phrase. She fought her illness with that same passion."

A few good quotes from Molly:

I am not anti-gun. I'm pro-knife. Consider the merits of the knife. In the first place, you have to catch up with someone in order to stab him. A general substitution of knives for guns would promote physical fitness. We'd turn into a whole nation of great runners. Plus, knives don't ricochet. And people are seldom killed while cleaning their knives.

Conservatives have been mad at the Supreme Court since it decided to desegregate the schools in 1954 and seen fit to blame the federal bench for everything that has happened since then that they don’t like.

Next time I tell you someone from Texas should not be president of the United States, please pay attention.

Amen.