More Dana Milbank

Yankees fan Ari Fleischer decided to postpone his retirement as White House press secretary until he delivered his 300th briefing yesterday in this year of pitcher Roger Clemens's 300th win. Fleischer might have been better off leaving it at 299.

Instead of a soft and affectionate farewell from the White House press corps, he received an extended hammering yesterday afternoon on why President Bush's State of the Union address contained an allegation against Iraq based on bogus intelligence. Instead of fading into the sunset, the press secretary who presided over a well-oiled media operation for 2 1/2 years is leaving at a time when the Bush White House's credibility is being questioned like never before.

Fleischer, ironically, had a role in aggravating the controversy. Last week, he started the current feeding frenzy by saying in a news briefing that the allegation in the State of the Union -- that Iraq tried to buy "yellowcake" uranium ore in Africa -- was incorrect. And yesterday's briefing, because it was Fleischer's last, had the effect of drawing even more media attention to the controversy.

The first two dozen questions at yesterday's briefing were all about the controversy. Of the nearly 70 questions Fleischer received, fewer than 10 were about a subject other than Iraq -- and that includes the one from CBS's Mark Knoller wondering: "Does today's briefing reinforce your decision to leave?"

Fleischer replied that it reinforced his decision to write a book -- presumably about the nattering nabobs in the media.

The prickly news briefing allowed Fleischer to employ many of the evasive maneuvers that he has used to great effect during his tenure.

Evasive Maneuver One: Refer the questioner elsewhere. "You'd have to ask the agency," Fleischer said, and "You're going to have to check with DOD," and "That's a question that has to be addressed to British officials."

Evasive Maneuver Two: State a generic policy of not responding. "How many times from this podium have you heard me say that I don't discuss classified information or intelligence information?" Fleischer asked.

Evasive Maneuver Three: The non-sequitur. Asked about what would be the harm in sharing intelligence sources now that former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein has been ousted, Fleischer replied: "The notion that because Iraq may or may not have been seeking uranium from Africa undermines the case for going to war with Saddam Hussein, ignores the fact that Saddam Hussein had biological weapons, chemical weapons."

Evasive Maneuver Four: Reverse the burden of proof. Asked for evidence that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear program, Fleischer said: "I turn it around. Why would anybody think that a leader as brutal as Saddam Hussein would not pursue weapons of mass destruction of biological and chemical and then say, 'But I'm not interested in nuclear?' "

Evasive Maneuver Five: The platitude. Asked whether the White House rolled the CIA, Fleischer replied: "I think it's fair to say that both institutions have very dedicated professionals who are expert at what they do."