Need some help from liberal friends here

Okay, I'm feeling kind of stupid because I'm obviously missing something. I'm thinking I must be laboring under some sort of unnoticed assumption, because Obama's defense in this Taheri/Zebari kerfuffle looks to me like a confession. But Obama's spokesman doesn't seem to think she's confessing anything; she acts like she's denying something.

I don't understand, and I really dislike not understanding. So I would be very grateful if somebody could help me out here.

Here's the accusation:

In the New York Post, conservative Iranian-born columnist Amir Taheri quoted Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari as saying the Democrat made the demand when he visited Baghdad in July, while publicly demanding an early withdrawal.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview, according to Taheri.

"However, as an Iraqi, I prefer to have a security agreement that regulates the activities of foreign troops, rather than keeping the matter open," Zebari reportedly said.

Okay, so the charge seems to be that Obama asked Zebari to wait until after Bush was no longer President to sign an agreement to withdraw troops.

Now the...well, Ms. Morigi certainly seems to think she is issuing a denial:

But Obama's national security spokeswoman Wendy Morigi said Taheri's article bore "as much resemblance to the truth as a McCain campaign commercial."

In fact, Obama had told the Iraqis that they should not rush through a "Strategic Framework Agreement" governing the future of US forces until after President George W. Bush leaves office, she said.

Um...look, I don't get it at all. Didn't she just say that Obama told the Iraqis that they should put off signing the agreement about U.S. forces until after Bush was no longer President?

I mean...

????

I could use some help here, guys. What is the difference between what Taheri said and what Morigi said? I mean, substantively -- obviously she said "they should not rush through" and he said "delay" but I don't see what difference that makes.