...to take on Rummy, that is. This hilarious exchange between Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Ca.) and Rumsfeld shows that Rumsfeld clearly is quite an adversary when it comes to verbal jousting. Conversely, it shows what an amateur Sanchez is. This exchange comes courtesy of James Taranto's Best of the Web:
Sanchez: Unfortunately, as I said, this committee has had a hard time assessing where we really stand with the Iraqi army as an effective fighting force. Over the past year, we've received incredibly widely fluctuating estimates of that. And I think you have a real credibility problem on this issue.
Rumsfeld: Fluctuations of what?
Sanchez: The fluctuations of--the numbers that you bandy around about how many troops we really have out there that are Iraqi police, et cetera, et cetera. . . .
Rusmfeld: Now, you say we bandy around numbers. They're not my numbers. I don't invent them. They come from Gen. Petraeus. . . .
Sanchez: I have Petraeus's numbers. They're different than your numbers, by the way.
Rumsfeld: Well, what's the date? They aren't different because these came from Petraeus. He may have two sets of numbers, but they are not different if the date's the same. The date on my paper here is Feb. 14. What's yours?
Sanchez: Dec. 20.
Rumsfeld: Not surprising there's a difference.
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