Odd wording for sure on that "several sources familiar with the interview" in the Politico article. It leaped out at me the first time I read it. It implies arm's length knowledge rather than a participant, doesn't it? Someone told about it secondhand? A mole on Reid's staff? Or maybe those warrantless wiretaps come in even handier than we thought...

REID: Well, first of all, with General Pace, there's a long line of people who have indicated in various ways that General Pace was not the person to be the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. That's why the name was pulled.

Peter Pace, I talked to him in my conference room, just him and I, and I told him how I felt, that he had not done a very good job in speaking out for some obvious things that weren't going right in Iraq. I told him that to his face.

Now, with General Petraeus, which you didn't ask the question, but I will answer it, I have high regard for General Petraeus. When I was in Iraq, he was responsible for training the Iraqi troops. He told us it was going great. As we've looked back, it didn't go so well.

He is a highly decorated veteran. I was a little disappointed, to say the least, today reading USA Today newspaper where he's saying things are going fine, kids are playing soccer. And I don't know what other examples he gave.

The truth is, you look at another newspaper and look at a different page of USA Today, the bloodiest three months of the war has been since the surge took place.

So I am waiting to see if General Petraeus can be a little more candid with us. What took place in USA Today is not being very candid.

QUESTION: Can you give us your take on General Petraeus as it is right now (inaudible)?

REID: I just did.

QUESTION: Did you say anything yesterday of a critical nature similar to what you said about General Pace?

REID: No, I said basically what I said today, just here. Pace, as I said, you have to stand in line for people to criticize Pace, but Petraeus, I've told you how I feel about Petraeus.

Reid confirms Pace, Petraeus comments.

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confirmed Thursday that he told liberal bloggers [this] week that he thinks outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Peter Pace is `incompetent.'"

Reid said he told Pace face-to-face recently that he had performed poorly as an adviser on the conduct of the Iraq war.

This would not be the first time Reid has called BUSH incompetent, and given BUSH's track record he's right.

Well, I guess the President, he's gotten rid of Pace because he could not get confirmed here in the Senate; Pace is also a yes-man for the President.

As it is, the sentences - "I told him to his face, I laid it out last time he came in to see me. I told him what an incompetent man I thought he was." can actually be read either way because THE SUBJECT isn't clear. Then it becomes apparent from this:

But he got rid of his Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, but he still hangs on to this failed Attorney General

Well, I guess the President, he's gotten rid of Pace because he could not get confirmed here in the Senate. Pace is also a yes-man for the President. I told him to his face, I laid it out last time he came in to see me. I told him what an incompetent man I thought he was. But he got rid of his Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, but he still hangs on to this failed Attorney General..

Did he mean:

Pace is also a yes-man for the President. I told Bush to his face, I laid it out last time Bush came in to see me. I told Bush what an incompetent man I thought Pace was. But he got rid of his Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, but he still hangs on to this failed Attorney General..

Or, did he mean:

Pace is also a yes-man for the President. I told Bush to his face, I laid it out last time Bush came in to see me. I told Bush what an incompetent man I thought Gonzales was. But he got rid of his Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, but he still hangs on to this failed Attorney General.

I told him what an incompetent man I thought he was. But he got rid of his Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, but he still hangs on to this failed Attorney General.

I told him to his face, I laid it out last time he came in to see me.

I originally thought that Reid was calling Bush incompetent, then I switched to Pace, but now I am leaning towards Gonzales.

One of the reasons why there is so much confusion over this is that I believe that Greg Sargent called Reid's office and they wouldn't either confirm or deny the Politico story. Because of this it led many to believe that Reid was actually talking about Pace.

I would think that is a no brainer for Reid to come out and clarify his conference call statement saying that he told Bush (or Gonzales to his face) that Gonzales was incompetent.