In a detailed explanation of the Justice Department's decision, [Deputy US Attorney General] McNulty noted there were limits to the government's potential punishment of Boeing, given its place as one of a few large defense contractors and its role in Pentagon projects that extend through 2020.

"Contracts at issue are critical to national security; they cannot practicably be terminated," McNulty said.

I suppose I could generate a lot of sparks pointing out players in this scandal included  Richard Perle, Donald Rumsfeld, Dennis Hastert, Andrew Card and George Bush.  But no one would be surprised to learn that.  So I won't go down that path.

Instead of focusing on a bunch of people looting the treasury I want to focus on the how they get away with it even when everyone knows exactly who is doing what to whom.  

Let's look at the politics and price of enabling extortion.