WASHINGTON (CNN) - The long awaited testimony of General David Petraeus on the status of the Iraq war, took even longer Monday as the microphone for the top commander malfunctioned.
After opening statements from the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republicans at the Joint Hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Armed Services Committee, the room fell silent as Petraeus began to speak. And it stayed silent, as the general waited for technicians to fix the problem. Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton called a five minute recess.
But not all the microphones were broken. Skelton’s microphone was live and it picked him up saying, “That really pisses me off,” about protesters in the room, followed by a stronger expletive.
Related: Petraeus: Troops withdrawals by year's end
- CNN Political Desk Managing Editor Steve Brusk