BOB WOODWARD DEFENDS HIS BOOK

Bob Woodward is telling Tim Russert that Dick Cheney called him to complain about his new book, State of Denial. According to Bobo, Cheney cursed (specifically, he said, "Bulls**t") and hung up on him.

Apparently, Woodward's been working on a book about the Gerald Ford administration and interviewed a number of prominent Republicans on the record for that project -- but then used their quotes in State of Denial. They're now protesting that use, but as Woodward says, "On the record is ON THE RECORD."

His reporting of the Condi/Tenet meeting, which Tenet has challenged? Woodward says that in the five years since 9/11, he's never heard anything quite so extraordinary as that George Tenet called from his car to say he had to meet with her about an imminent threat.

What's the most important fact in the book? Russert asks Woodward.

"It's what Carl Bernstein and I used to call, 'the best obtainable truth,'" Woodward replied.