A Costly Truth

From the NY Daily News:
WASHINGTON - When the estimated cost of the Iraq war soared beyond $300 billion yesterday, White House officials said there were no regrets about humiliating two top aides who had accurately predicted the war's cost.
Retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki and White House economic adviser Larry Lindsey had pegged the cost of the war at $200 billion. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said it would cost only $50 billion.
Lindsey was fired and Shinseki was shunted aside. (Last paragraph)
Budget director Josh Bolten paused yesterday when asked if they were owed an apology.
"I don't think so. The costs of the war are what they are," he said.

Whadya think? Intended double entendre? Or merely more verbage suggesting the Pentagon is loathe to admit reality in Iraq?