Decompensation

Lawrence di Rita, the same senior Pentagon flack who denied the Hersh story, also wrote one of the most bizarre letters-to-the-editor I’ve ever seen.

Di Rita was responding to the Washington Post, which had (after three-plus years of rather solid support for Bush and his war) raised some questions about command responsibility at Abu Ghraib:

The Post’s continued editorializing on narrow definitions of international laws and whether our soldiers understand them puts The Post in the same company as those involved in this despicable behavior in terms of apparent disregard for basic human dignity.

How’s that again? I think the pressure must be getting to these folks.

The Post responds.

Matt Yglesias and Atrios comment. Atrios says “unhinged,” which seems about right.

And Matt wonders whether the Administration really wants to pick a fight with what has been a reliably friendly paper. It’s the old adage in action: “Never start an argument with a man who buys printer’s ink by the barrel.”