Washington Pest

Paul Bedard at US News and World Report:

It was a classic Washington story. According to a Page 1 Washington Post story, short-fused Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld had about had enough of pesky members of Congress during a recent hearing of the House Armed Services Committee. So he cut his testimony short, went to lunch, and headed to an afternoon Senate hearing. "Donald Rumsfeld," said the paper the GOP loves to hate, "doesn't do accommodating very well." Loaded language? Some inside the paper thought so. Worse: Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter said the story wasn't right. Seems there was a deal to let Rummy leave early. Hunter wrote the Post, but the paper didn't run the letter. So when Rumsfeld appeared before the panel again last week, Hunter explained, "You did precisely as we agreed to." Rumsfeld thanked Hunter for the "very accurate explanation." Then he added, "I wonder if it will appear in the Washington Post. Probably not." It didn't.

Hey, they're real busy over at the Pest singing Kumbaya.