The president is asking for "patience" on the fourth anniversary of his war in Iraq today, but it seems that the White House doesn't have much left itself.

As ThinkProgress reports, Tony Snow told reporters this morning that the Democrats' plans for Iraq represent a "recipe for defeat." When CNN's Ed Henry tried to get Snow to describe the White House's "recipe for success," Snow turned the question around -- he does that a lot -- and asked Henry to describe his "recipe for success." When Henry objected -- he's not exactly the secretary of defense -- Snow told him to "Zip it."

Snow apologized later. In a nice bit of understatement, Henry says the incident suggests that the White House might be feeling a little "defensive" this morning.