An Afternoon With Rummy: Liveblogging the Pentagon Briefing (Part 1)
We'll have more to say later about Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's press briefing at the Pentagon, which is currently going on. But we wanted to pass along this priceless exchange as soon as possible (paraphrased; we don't have the transcript yet):
Reporter: "Do you feel embattled at this point in your tenure? In a recent column, Maureen Dowd quoted an unidentified administration official who described you as an 'eccentric old uncle who's ignored.' She claims that you don't hold the same sway in meetings..."
Rumsfeld: "Did you get all that? You want to be on camera, right? That's a sure way to get on the evening news. The answer to your question is no."
Reporter: "Well, I'm asking about the facts reported in the column. Do you feel you hold the same sway in meetings?"
Rumsfeld: "I'm not going to comment on that."
[Pause]
Rumsfeld: "If you believe everything you read in Maureen Dowd, you better get a life."
Okay, we have to give our "eccentric old uncle" credit -- that was a pretty good put-down. Please, reporters, ask more about MoDo!