I linked earlier to a Dana Milbank story in the Washington Post that suggested that Rep. Mike Pence (R., Ind.), in a speech to a conservative group, had not delivered the fiery denunciation of the House Republican leadership that he had promised. Given the delicate state of negotiations between that leadership and the conservative Republican Study Committee, which Pence runs, the story has gotten some attention on the Hill.

Here’s what Milbank wrote: “Pence’s speech was billed by the conservative Young America’s Foundation (YAF) as a discussion of ‘why the conservative leadership in Congress has abandoned its allegiance to the principles of smaller government’ and gone on ‘massive spending splurges.’ But instead, a chastened congressman delivered unstinting praise for his superiors. ‘I believe in the leadership of this Congress,’ Pence told his surprised audience.”

Pence spokesman Matt Lloyd insists that his boss wasn’t “chastened.” Rather, he has always tried to pull the leadership in a conservative direction without needless provocation. The initial YAF press release on the speech, which Milbank quotes, used confrontational language—and Pence’s aides told YAF to change it as soon as they saw it. YAF sent out a corrected press release the same day (Sept. 22, which was last Thursday). So the YAFfers were not “surprised.” YAF spokesman Jason Mattera confirms Lloyd’s story.

Mattera and Lloyd both say that they spoke to Milbank about all of this before the story ran (briefly, in Mattera’s case). “He didn’t report the full story,” says Lloyd.