Mike Mulcahy is on vacation.

Aha! Caught you. You thought this was going to be another au revoir to the legislators. I wish it were. It's not.

One of the problems with the radio business is you're constantly saying goodbye to good people. It's a transient life and people come and go.

Yesterday, long-time Capitol reporter Michael Khoo made his final departure from the newsroom. Michael joined MPR in 1998 as one of our fellowship reporters and quickly established himself as a fine journalist, eventually joining the Capitol team.

He's off now to some two-bit law school -- Yale, I believe -- and I was only half-kidding yesterday when I told him if he ever needed someone to testify at his Supreme Court nomination hearing in the U.S. Senate, he need only ask.

As the session ends, it's a good time to pay appropriate homage not only to Michael and his work, but two other crack journalists. MPR Capitol Bureau Chief Laura McCallum and reporter Tom Scheck have devoted countless hours, including sacrificing a lot of personal time, so folks like you and me can understand -- not just know -- what's going on in the seats of power.

The thing is: Laura, Michael, Tom are three of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, and though the demands of covering the Capitol are greater than any other beat in Minnesota, they retain their good humor and professionalism long after they've often had reason to do. Funny how that works.

I get to watch the behind-the-scenes effort that makes what you see online and hear on the radio come alive. And so while it's tempting to throw up one's hands in disgust and frustration as this Legislature and governor have gone about their business, I can only say "we're lucky" arter watching Laura, Michael and Tom go about theirs.

--Bob Collins