FRIST IN FLIGHT. All of us in punditry shed a tear today upon news of Bill Frist's withdrawal from the 2008 presidential contest. His absence will deprive us of a seemingly limitless number of gaffes, craven flip-flops, and opportunistics overreaches, all of which make for excellent copy. Given the sad news, it's worth going back to our November issue and reading Brian Beutler's send-off to Frist. Beutler seems to be operating under the belief that Frist was a bad majority leader. Speaking as a liberal, I believe he's one of the greatest leaders Republicans have ever had, and I hope they keep the mold intact. --Ezra Klein
