Weasels Redux: Beltway Friendship

Here's an attribution of a quotation about a Washington pooh-bah. Identity and substance not important, look at the tag:

...who did not want to be named because the two are friendly.

Compare/contrast

...who did not want to be named because he fears retribution.

It's nice and straightfoward, and perhaps we do not owe any candor to the bully who is getting ready to whale the tar out of us. But what if it had said:

...who did not want to be named because
he enjoys sticking the shiv in between his goodbuddy's shoulderblades.

You wouldn't think so highly of him if he said that, now would you, huh? But isn't that exactly what he did say? It's interesting to note that neither Newsweek (the source) nor ThinkProgress (the channel) saw anything noteworthy about this; apparently this is the meaning of friendship in Washington.

If you want a friend in Washington, said Harry Truman, get a dog. But not, he might have added, a weasel.