What it feels like is that a call came down from on high and people were told they were going to get in big trouble if they stood behind it and then the rats went fleeing. Tell me why I'm wrong.

Have you talked to anybody in Capitol Hill about this?

I have.

I have.

People, the phones started ringing off the hook from the people who signed it.

You don't have to understand.

This is the number one rule of staff.

You do not blind size remember.

And they were blind and cited.

They had no idea this thing was going on. They forgot about it.

But is the objection. Hey, can you edit? Can you reissue that this is what they could have done?

They could have reissued a version of the letter that that updated some of the stuff about the military status on the ground.

But they didn't. I mean, they saw the right.

So when they before they released this or the staff felt that they had everybody sign off because they'd signed it in June.

And so they were ready to go and they never brought it back to the men.

No, I'm saying after people objected.

Oh, yes, instead of issuing a retraction, they could have issued an updated letter that still made the point.

That's right. So she issued a clarification on Monday morning and then another clarification on Monday afternoon.

Right. But it was clear you had to staunch the bleeding.

I mean, this was it was a terrible message.

And you can see the bleeding. It made it worse, Joe.

It made it worse.

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