The web loses -- for a time, at least -- one of its better essayists: Patrick Keaney, purveyor of the redoubtable Daily Grasshopper.

In a note to his faithful subscribers he said he is setting aside his daily essays on war and politics to be campaign manager for at-large Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo.

For those who worry that I gave up the "Grasshopper" because the Bush administration is riding high in the polls, be assured that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, if you go back and read my original post, "They're Lying to Us Again," you'll see that many of the things I (and some others) warned about are now being openly acknowledged in the mainstream press (i.e., the Bush administration lied through its teeth to sell us on war in Iraq). Bush was a disgrace to this country prior to the war, and he continues to be a disgrace to this country. I'm not saying that the Democrats are the answer, but I'm not afraid to speak plainly about the problems I see, either. This country appears headed for disaster.

But Keaney promises his sharp essays will one day return.

The "Grasshopper" will be back. After all, the only way Bush can get elected is if there's another war. I don't know which country it will be, but, barring an extremely unlikely impeachment, there will be another war. That I can guarantee.