Donald Rumsfeld Vs. The Press

by John Hawkins | April 12, 2006 2:28 am

Not only do I think Rumsfeld has been an excellent Secretary of Defense, I love it when he goes after the press. Just take a look at the smackdown Rummy laid on a reporter yesterday at a Department Of Defense[1] press conference:

Q: Well, Mr. Secretary, in November of ’01, the president, according to several books that you haven’t disputed, said, “Start planning.” And —

SEC. RUMSFELD: Do you think I’m going to stand around reading your books and disputing things in them or validating or not validating?

Q: Well —

SEC. RUMSFELD: I’ve got a real daytime job.

Q: I know —

SEC. RUMSFELD: I mean, you’d do nothing else but that if you did that. The fact that I haven’t disputed something is — I mean, if I disputed all the mythology that comes out of this group and the books of the world, I wouldn’t have any time to do anything else.

Q: Yeah, but the record’s starting to emerge here in terms of the decision-making track, and we just wanted to ask you. One — November of ’01, you were asked by the president to start looking into updating plans and —

SEC. RUMSFELD: I don’t remember that myself, and I’d have to go back and look.

Q: Woodward —

SEC. RUMSFELD: But there’s — it is — oh, Woodward’s book is not the Bible.

Q: I know that. (Off mike.)

SEC. RUMSFELD: Some of you may not know that. (Subdued laughter.)

Q: The editors know that. (Laughter.)

SEC. RUMSFELD: (Chuckles.)

Hat tip to Wonkette[2] for the story.