After scrupulously ignoring the story for years, the media now is declaring "solved" the long-dormant anthrax attack investigation - after a "person of interest" in the mysterious 2001 case apparently committed suicide.

The overdose death of Fort Detrick researcher Bruce E. Ivins has brought back to life dim memories of the diabolical bio-weapon plot, in which anthrax-seeded letters were sent to Congressional leaders and media figures. Apparently, Ivins' death also has confirmed that he committed the act. According to the Washington Post:

"A federal grand jury was preparing to indict a Maryland bioweapons expert for his role in the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people and terrorized the country, according to two sources familiar with the investigation."

"Prosecutors were considering whether to seek the death penalty against Bruce E. Ivins, 62, who worked at an elite U.S. Army bioweapons laboratory in Fort Detrick. Ivins died Tuesday in an apparent suicide."

The Post, in a remarkable replay of its rush-to-judgment with an earlier suspect, has just about strapped Ivins to the execution gurney and jammed him with the pin; remember, there are only "reports" of an imminent indictment. To its credit, however, The Associated Press, is not so resolute:

"The Justice Department has not yet decided whether to close the investigation, officials said, meaning it's still not certain whether Ivins acted alone or had help. One official close to the case said that decision was expected within days. If the case is closed soon, one official said, that will indicate that Ivins was the lone suspect."

As long-time anthrax attack watcher Ed Lake notes: "Is that just an interpretation from reporters?  If the case is still open, a reporter might write such a statement even if the truth were that Ivins' role in the attacks was minor."

The mailings occurred only a few weeks after the horror of 9/11 had left the nation distraught and wary of further terror attacks. In addition to the five persons who died, several were hospitalized after coming in contact with the "weaponized" disease spores; the case disrupted postal services nationwide, and many public buildings including Congressional offices were shut down for testing.

Ivins, a Fort Detrick bio-weapons researcher, has not been promiently mentioned in previous coverage of the story, but his death apparently is enough to answer any and all questions surrounding this most enigmatic chapter of recent history. From the Los Angeles Times story, filed last night:

"The extraordinary turn of events followed the government's payment in June of a settlement valued at $5.82 million to a former government scientist, Steven J. Hatfill, who was long targeted as the FBI's chief suspect despite a lack of any evidence that he had ever possessed anthrax.

"The payout to Hatfill, a highly unusual development that all but exonerated him of committing the anthrax mailings, was an essential step to clear the way for prosecuting Ivins, according to lawyers familiar with the matter.

"Federal investigators moved away from Hatfill - for years the only publicly identified "person of interest" - and ultimately concluded that Ivins was the culprit after FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III changed leadership of the investigation in late 2006.

"The FBI's new top investigators - Vincent B. Lisi and Edward W. Montooth - instructed agents to re-examine leads or potential suspects that may have received insufficient attention. Moreover, significant progress was made in analyzing properties of the anthrax powder recovered from separate letters that were addressed to two U.S. senators."

Hatfill had been all-but convicted in the press for the attacks, with the Post's coverage leading the lynch mob; it was not a proud moment for the Fifth Estate. The leak of his name underwrote a close - too close - cooperation between government and media in the opening days of our "War of Terror" era. After it became clear the case against him was dodgy at best, virtually all media coverage of the investigation abruptly stopped.

Accounts of Ivins suicide imply he'd been under treatment for depression, but how long remains unclear. In any event, most stories confirm that he was getting the full Hatfill crucifixion treatment from the FBI. The Times story quotes a colleague of his this way:

"He didn't have any more money to spend on legal fees. He was much more emotionally labile, in terms of sensitivity to things, than most scientists. ... He was very thin skinned."

I'll bet a full-on FBI brace - complete with surly agents tossing the homestead and bum-rush interrogations - would make just about anyone "thin-skinned."

There are some very mysterious, very dark aspects to events that occured in late-summer, early-fall seven long years ago - and the anthrax attack case is one of the most screwy. At first glance, the letters seemed to point a finger at Iraq's Saddam Hussein, who's deep attraction to chemical/biological warfare was well-known as early as the 1980s. We had been told in the decade prior to 9/11 that he had an active anthrax weapons project cooking along, and the fatal letter attacks help lay the groundwork for the American invasion that would topple him 18 months later.

This must be pointed out: The attacks were suspiciously propitious for those campaigning for the Iraq War. As with any mysterious incident we must ask, "Cui bono?" - "Who benefits"?

As for the new developments, Lake points out: "I certainly hope that we learn more about the evidence in this case.  There is absolutely NOTHING about evidence in any of these news articles."

His site is at: http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/#comments

Since the near-apocalyptic primary battle ended almost two months ago, Democrats have endured the "Hillary as veep" debate saturate them like spilled Shasta in a ShamWow.

And now that the sun seems finally to be setting on the idea, we can expect one last burst of rancor from Hillary's most-fervent supporters, including the formidable relaxed-fit mafiosas that felt her defeat right down to their Larry Summers dartboards and age-browned, signed copies of "The Female Eunuch".

But regardless of some signal developments this week, I smell comeback time. As Mr. Berra so pungently observed, it ain't over till it's over - and the slightly overweight lady's aria may yet be as triumphant as it is final.

That despite the fact that the lobby shop set up to urge Clinton's inclusion on the ticket is shutting down. "All indications we have from people close to Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are that Hillary is not on the short list," Vote Both co-honcho Sam Arora said yesterday. "We're looking at how we can — if we can — use Vote Both to help him because we want a Democrat in the White House."

On the Olbermann show, Time's Howard Fineman parsed the list down to three: Evan Bayh, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Obama's one-time primary opponent, Joe Biden. From the list, Kaine has been talked-up as virtually an Obama mirror-image who's got a lot of "just folks" appeal. Well... he's pro-gun. As for Biden, he was memorable for punchy humor that enlivened the slow churn of Democratic TV debates last year.

According to Fineman, Hillary is no longer in the running.

But outside of insiders, these guys who are in consideration barely register. There's nothing there for the average-Joe voter to chew into. With Hillary doing the hand-swing with Obama on the Denver podium, we have what no less astute a political observer than Fidel Castro calls "unbeatable."

As counterintuitive as this seems, I'm saying the ball is still in play. Short lists can change. And wouldn't Vote Both close even if Hillary is a shoo-in; if that's the case, why keep a costly, superfluous operation in business?

The "dump her" faction takes a lot of ammunition from McCain's own stumblebum campaign: The more the GOP candidate looks like Harold Stassen, the less crucial Hillary's participation must seem. Despite a chronically supportive national media crutching-up his all-but amateurish run, McCain continues to sink under the cumulative weight of his own unfocused folly. Even National Review Editor Rich Lowery capped on the "silly" Spears/Hilton ad.

On the other side of the coin, no one in their right political mind can argue Hillary wouldn't be an asset:

As a tireless fighter (and in-fighter), her ferocity knows no equal; she is a true-born warrior to the point she'd conceiveably  join the Navy Seals if camouflage didn't make her ass look fat. She's kinda Southern, kinda... female. Yet New York seems to consider her as native as Nathan's hot dogs and purse-snatching.

Finally, of course, she's married to the Democratic Party's all-around, sax-playin', snatch-chasin' Poppa Bear. And it seems Bill's holstered his vituperative pistolas from earlier this year.

I'll admit a sentimental wish all this were true - just to keep the whole circus rolling. Dammit, I miss those heels snapping across the stage, the coordinated necklace earrings, and that never-break-eye-contact determination, spit and fire. Long-shot? Sure. But I can hope, can't I?

And, remember, the nod to Hillary could keep Obama from being pelted with a lot of sensible shoes when he's out the the general election trail. The Clintons attract an almost fanatical following, and her Womyn's Corps might be mollified by acknowledgement that a woman as vice president is history, too.

Or... uh... herstory. Whatever.