Snow attacks Harry Reid for alleged comments

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/06/reid_calls_general_incompetent.html#more

“We are a little bit concerned about some reports on the Internet that Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid, in a conversation with liberal bloggers, had referred to General Pete Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, as incompetent, and apparently -- again, according to the reports -- had said disparaging things also about General David Petraeus,’’ Snow said.

“We certainly hope it's not true,'' Snow said, "because at a time of war, for a leader of a party that says it supports the military, it seems outrageous to be issuing slanders toward the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and also the man who's responsible for the bulk of military operations in Iraq.

“Indeed, Sen. Reid has at some point declared the war lost and also has declared the surge a failure even though it has not yet been fully enacted. I don't know if it's true or not. If it is true, I certainly hope he does apologize.’’

Politco.com, the new online and hard-copy report on Washington politics, reported today that Reid had called Pace "incompetent" during an interview on Tuesday with a group of liberal bloggers – a comment which Politico explains had not been previously reported.

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Why not wait to find out if Reid’s comment is reported correctly before launching a “pre-emptive strike,’’ the WH press secretary was asked?

“Well, I just think it's appropriate to comment on it,’’ Snow said.

Whether or not it’s true, he was asked?

“Well, do you trust the Politico?’’ Snow, a journalist at heart, replied. “I don't know. I'll give -- we'll give a call.’’