Sunday, October 21, 2007

Suicidal tendencies

By Libby

Frank Rich has an odd, rambling sort of op-ed today looking at the the sucide of Charles D. Riechers, who was "the second-highest-ranking procurement officer in the United States Air Force." Rich also mentions Col. Ted Westhusing, another high ranking suicide victim who left a damning note criticizing Petraeus, under whom he served in Iraq, implying at least that Saint Pet knew all about it.

Rich lays out the pattern of corruption in the procurement process but doesn't quite manage to connect any dots in his piece. GTL, voicing my own disgust and Ron Beasley, who notes that history is likely to judge the Bush legacy more for greed than incompetence, do a better job of providing context. Meanwhile, Lambert goes where the 'serious' dare not tread and suggests that Riechers suicide may have been 'assisted.'

He's got a good point there. How many critics, whistleblowers and exposed corrupt officers have to die before somebody starts adding up the numbers?

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