Faulty Mic, Foul Mouth at Petraeus Hearing

The much anticipated testimony before two House committees today by Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker hit a snag over a faulty microphone, causing a lengthy delay while the problem was exorcised.

But as anyone watching the hearing of C-SPAN this afternoon can testify, the microphone in front of Rep. Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat, was working just fine. After one of the several protesters in the audience was escorted out after shouting, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee shared his thoughts on the matter.

The protesters "really p—- me off," Skelton said, further characterizing them as "ass——s." Rep. Duncan Hunter, the ranking Republican on the committee, then leaned over and drew Skelton into quieter conversation farther from the microphone, leaving Skelton's further phraseology to the arena only of informed speculation.

—Nikki Schwab and Chris Wilson