Republicans Mourn Death of Will Smith. Wait a Second...

"Statement Concerning the Loss of Will Smith," read the subject line of one of yesterday's many e-mails. I don't know about the other recipients of these bulletins -- and I don't know how I got on this list -- but here's how I reacted:

What? Will Smith is dead?

Who would have thought Will Smith would die and I'd be hearing about it first from a Republican Party spam message

Why does the Republican Party have a position on Will Smith dying?

Hey, wait a second...

In retrospect, Saenz admits, this headline could have been written a lot more clearly (i.e. "Statement Concerning Loss of GOP Staffer Will Smith" or inclusion of a middle initial). As it is, readers are shocked -- and the death of Will Smith, chief of staff for State Senator George Runner, is reduced into something of a joke, a triviality.

And yet, Smith's colleagues in Runner's office told us that he did have a sense of humor about these frequent mistakes -- and was a fan of the actor Will Smith.

Just about the only thing the deceased Will Smith shared with his thespian namesake was his height, said colleague Jana Saastad. The 41-year-old politico was "tall, slender, athletic, an outdoors person -- he played hoops all the time."

On Sunday, while playing basketball in Sacramento, the father of four inexplicably collapsed and died.

And that's bad enough. No one's death ought to serve as a punchline.

In the meantime, the other Will Smith is alive, well -- and tall.