Cliff, I overstated the case, in one place, by saying Secretary Gates “decided not to respond to Putin,” when what I obviously meant was that he had not made a full-throated response to Putin. (I did elsewhere say Gates had “massage[d]” Putin’s rhetoric, and the excerpt from the Times story I included makes clear that Gates did “focus[]” on some of what Putin had to say, rebutting in a way the Times found admirably subtle.) But I’d note two things.

First, if Gates had made a pointed response to Putin’s provocations, I doubt you would have to check your notes.

And second, my main point was the shot Gates decided to take at Rumsfeld — especially in that setting, in front of that audience. The Europeans may have loved it. I doubt a lot of us thought it was very funny … or appropriate.