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It has not been a secret that a significant fraction of the media people attending Rumsfeld's press conferences have, as their dearest wish, that Rummy be run out of town on a rail covered with tar and feathers. And each of those reporters harbors the fantasy that they will be the one that will ask The Question, the one that Rumsfeld or someone will answer in a way to prove beyond all doubt that the antiwar people were right about everything, the question and answer that will show up above the fold on the New York Times front page and bring Bush and his people down in flames.

Just for fun, I'm going to start printing just the questions on some of these interviews, and you can see fairly easily where the press is coming from.

Q: Senator McConnell -- and maybe all of you can respond to it -- Stars and Stripes, the Pentagon-funded newspaper, did a survey of troops in Iraq, and they say that, clearly, half of them have a very low morale. They also go on to say that groups of diplomats and VIPs that go touring in Iraq are basically given a dog-and-pony show; that many troops are not even allowed to talk to you guys as you go out there.

What are your impressions? Did you get a chance to feel the problems that some of these troops are encountering and talk to them on a one-on-one basis? And did you feel that this was in fact somewhat a dog-and-pony show?

Q: Senator Chafee, what was your impression?

Q: Just to follow up on that, if you all met with large numbers of your constituents, that would seem to imply that the troops had been in some way screened, since if you would walk into a random group of troops, they would come from 50 states and elsewhere. Did you get a sense that you were getting honest answers from the folks?

Q: There has also been -- well, increasing security problems, a lot of car bombs and that sort of thing. Did you get a sense from the commanders that that is a problem that is growing or something that they have a handle on?

Q: Senator McConnell, could I ask you and the other senators to address a different question about Iraq? Lieutenant General William Boykin, the deputy undersecretary, I guess, for Intelligence -- last night tapes were broadcast of speeches that he has given to church and prayer groups. And as I say, the tapes have been broadcast.

He has been seen, in uniform, making these following comments, so there's no question that he -- about him making these comments. He has spoken to a number of church and prayer groups, speaking about his views about the war and his religious views.

He speaks of Muslims. He says, quote, "They're after us because we are a Christian nation." He speaks about his conversations with other -- with Muslims, and he speaks of one where he says, quote, "I knew that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol." And he also says, quote, "God, not the voters, chose President Bush."

Since the Senate confirmed him in his position -- and let me digress. He also apparently has now said that he will cut back on making these religious speeches. Nonetheless, as an active-duty military officer and confirmed by the Senate in this role that he has, do you gentlemen feel that it is appropriate for him to make these religious remarks? Do you support the remarks that he has made?

Q: Any of you others? None of you were aware of the comments he's made?

Q: Senator McConnell, yesterday NPR [National Public Radio] had a story that gave the impression that Democrats were somehow being edged out of these trips to Iraq. Can you talk about the process and why there weren't Democrats on this trip?

Q: All these good things that you say are happening over there, do you think this justifies this kind of use of American military force, to remake another country? And do you think this would be a viable use of American military force in the future?

The only unloaded question was "Senator Chafee, what was your impression?" Everyone else had a speech to make.