Fourth and Long

Well, it's the fourth anniversary of Operation Awesome Kickass™ in Iraq. If you're wondering what to get a country for the fourth anniversary, apparently Miss Manners recommends widespread chaos and a civil war. You're welcome, Iraq!

As TCR notes, the White House is getting a little touchy about reaching the four-year mark:

During this morning’s press gaggle, Tony Snow told reporters that Bush will use the speech to attack the House plan for Iraq as a “recipe for defeat” that would “provide a victory for the enemy.”

CNN’s Ed Henry told Snow that since he was attacking the House plan, he should explain the Bush administration’s “recipe for success.” According to Henry, Snow “tried to turn it around on me,” asking Henry what his recipe for success was. When Henry objected to Snow’s question, Snow told him to “zip it.”

Henry reported, “Snow later apologized. He said he felt that was inappropriate for him to say that to me. But I point it out because I think it shows the White House a little bit on the defensive this morning about this anniversary.”

A little bit on the defensive?

I mean, really -- "Zip it"? That's about three seconds removed from Snow asking Henry if he wanted a fat lip for mouthing off again.

At this rate, we're only a week or so away from the White House press briefing turning into an episode of "COPS," with Tony Snow drunkenly weaving behind the podium in a wife-beater T-shirt and no pants, and a bloodied, broken Sam Donaldson cowering behind a folding chair, insisting that "he didn't mean it, officer; he's a good man!"