Petty, and I don't mean Tom or Richard.

Dan Froomkin writes about a media request to White House spokesweasel Scott McClellan to end anonymous background briefings.

When McClellan returned his call, Strupp had a follow up on his own story.

McClellan said "that he would be glad to end the use of background-only briefings -- if White House reporters would stop using anonymous sources in their reporting," Strupp writes.

There is no way that this a serious offer. In fact, it sounds like the kind of thing one would suggest if one were deliberately trying to piss off the other person or persons.

I can't help thinking that there is someone in the White House who, instead of considering an idea like this on its merits, instead thinks of ways to turn the thing around and make suggestions in order to needle the opposition, whoever that may be.