Really.

I didn’t know this, but yesterday’s State Department “briefing”:http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2007/may/85804.htm was apparently George Gedda’s (from _AP_) last. “Sean-Paul Kelley”:http://agonist.org/sean_paul_kelley/20070531/after_30_years_of_covering_the_state_department noticed Gedda’s gem of a comment from that brefing:

bq. I want you to know that it strains credulity for you folks to describe the last 175 diplomatic meetings as being fruitful and useful. They couldn’t possibly have all been fruitful and useful.

To be fair, Tom Casey’s comeback was pretty good:

MR. CASEY: You forgot productive. (Laughter.)

MR. GEDDA: Productive. What is your response to that?

MR. CASEY: Well, George, I think as a great former spokesman once said on his last day at the podium, all the relationships are special, all the meetings are unique and all our allies are valuable. And I think we’ll stick with that. (Laughter.)