Quietly into the Night

That's most likely where the Walpin story is heading despite other IGs being brought in to the mix. There were no questions posed to Robert Gibbs at today's presser about this, which means only two reporters have mentioned it so far. Iran and health care are getting all the ink, and both are likely to flare even more in the weeks ahead. Stories about Inspector Generals are often complicated and dry, which is probably why Walpin was typecast as confused.

Really, it shouldn't be surprising at all that the administration dropped a senile card on him--they did the same to McCain and reportedly, also to NSA Jim Jones. Maybe Walpin should look into a discrimination suit.

Anyway, assuming this story dries up the epilogue might feature several bullet points,

• Walpin was too good. IGs most probably walk a fine line and he stepped over his, despite the dirt he found.
• KJ (and probably others) bought a settlement to get stimulus money into Sacramento, otherwise they were political toast. The idea he never communicated with anyone in the White House is hard to swallow.
• Although the Congressional Black Caucus is upset at the Senate's slavery apology resolution (because it doesn't allow for reparations) Obama is tunneling underneath by increasing money to AmeriCorps and ACORN entities as a way to 'spread the wealth around' without many seeing it. Clearly, many commited liberals see the only way to save our blighted cities is by throwing money at them and Walpin was an old dinosaur standing in the way.
  

So he had to go. But he leaves with his ethics intact--the same can't be said for his adversaries.