It's certainly possible that this is exactly the arrogant dismissal that it seems to be. But I think that it's also possible that this is a stalling tactic. I can imagine a conversation taking place that went something like this:

Edelman: Secretary Gates, I've been reviewing our contingency plans, but they're still a mess. The stuff Rumsfeld's people left us was a joke, and two months hasn't been enough time to fix them. We can't let the Senate see this.

Gates: Hmm, that's not good. Do you think another two months would be enough time to get them into shape.

Edelman: I believe so, yes. Can we stall them for that long?

Gates: Sure, but here's what you need to do. Write the nastiest, most insulting letter you possibly can, telling Senator Clinton that she's not entitled to anything and she's a traitor for asking. That's not true, of course, and she'll go bonkers when we say that. But after that we should be able to burn at least a month in some phony-baloney negotiations about what they're entitled to; At the end of that month, if we agree to give them everything they're asking then I'm sure they'll let us take another month to assemble and vet the material. I'm afraid you'll have to look like something of a putz in the media and the Senate, but don't worry about that--people in Washington have short memories. I mean, look at me--I almost got indicted during Iran-Contra, and that turned out to be a great career move.

Edelman: Thank you, sir, we'll have the letter out tomorro.