Honoring the U.S. attorney in West Virginia reminds me of other recent heroes deserving of praise. Among them is Carolyn Lerner, who is doing such an outstanding job as head of the Office of Special Counsel, and who recently brought about the reinstatement of security clearance and the removal of the threat of suspension without pay for Franz Gayl, the whistle-blower who had angered the Pentagon by pushing too hard for adequately armored vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, the liberal governor of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee, and his state treasurer, Gina M. Raimondo, who have had the courage and skill to reform a pension system that was well on its way to bankrupting their state. Pulling this off in a strong union state is quite simply an amazing accomplishment.
