Medicine: RIP Walter Reed hospital

A federal commission voted Thursday to close Walter Reed Army Medical Center -- the crown jewel of U.S. military hospitals -- as part of the Pentagon's sweeping proposal to restructure bases across the country.

Most of the nation's most famous military hospital's service will be transferred to NIH at Bethesda. Still, that's the end of an era, of a symbol.

I have no opinion as to the wisdom of this closure, but I imagine it's a relatively sensible one: I can't see Rumsfeld recommending such an unpopular move without good reason.

But I thought we wouldn't invade Iraq without good reason either.