You know, it's been interesting watching pundits and columnists adjust, first to the post-Clinton era, then to the post-9-11 era. Some of them can do it, some can't, and there are conservatives and liberals on both lists. Stein has been a real surprise for me. I always enjoyed his gonzo-journalism, sometimes hilariously obscene, take-downs of the Clintons and their retinue. But since January, and even more since 9-11, he's shown a remarkable ability to add layers upon layers of moral depth to what he writes without ceasing to be frequently hilarious.
Think only of Aging Chick Journalist Maureen, another columnist who made her mark being amusingly flippant about the Clinton Era. Contemplate - though only for a moment, it's not healthy over prolonged periods of time - her complete inability to find a key appropriate to the world we are suddenly living in, or even to realize she needs to do so, and Stein's real achievement becomes clear.