Today, the Bushbots let Rumsfeld play Beat The Press

[Rose Siding]

With characteristic inefficiency, Rum decides to pick them off one at a time-

Q: -- aside from the retired two-star general calling you incompetent and asking you to step down in an op ed over the weekend, we also had a column from Maureen Dowd in which she quoted an unnamed administration official saying that you don't hold the same sway in meetings and that you're treated as, quote, "an eccentric old uncle who's ignored."

SEC. RUMSFELD: You like to repeat all that stuff, don't you? (Laughter.) On camera? Did you -- did you get that? (Laughter.) Let's make sure he got it. He loves that stuff. It's a sure way to get on camera! You'll be on the evening news.
(...)
Q: Do you hold the same sway in meetings?
(...)
SEC. RUMSFELD: If you believe everything you read in Maureen Dowd, you better get a life. (Laughter.)

Oh, snap :eyes:

Squinting, at times he widened the spray-

Q: Mr. Secretary, given the performance of the Iraqi security forces, as the admiral just talked about, are you still confident that the size of the U.S. force in Iraq can be brought down significantly this year?

Reasonable, right? We're in a costly conflict, casualties are mounting. Of course there should be an open and ongoing flow of information between the press, on behalf of the public, and government officials. No, no, no! says the SecDef. He's answered this one already! Oh my golly, lay off already. You just bought yourself some patronization, mister-

SEC. RUMSFELD: Jim, I don't know how many times I have to answer this. The level of the forces -- we'll try it one more time. All together: The level of the forces in Iraq will depend on the conditions on the ground and the recommendations of the commander. And if you can predict precisely what the conditions on the ground will be and what the recommendations of the commander will be, I can tell you precisely what the trajectory, up or down or level, might be of those troops.

http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2006/tr20060323-12695.html