IAD B757 DEP DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN PCT CTLR WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNHELPFUL DURING WX DEVIATION REQUESTS/ACTIONS.

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WE TOOK OFF ON RWY 1L AND WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO TURN TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS AND CLB TO 3000 FT. TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP FREQ 126.65. THE DEP CTLR CLRED US TO CLB TO 7000 FT AND INTERCEPT J149. AS WE WERE IN THE TURN WE SAW A GOOD-SIZED RADAR RETURN ABOUT 10 MI AHEAD IN OUR FLT PATH THAT CROSSED J149 WITH QUITE A BIT OF YELLOW AND EVEN RED WITH SMALLER AREAS OF GREEN (PRECIP) AROUND THE EDGES. I ASKED THE CTLR WHAT PREVIOUS ACFT HAD DONE ABOUT THE WX AND HE REPLIED THAT SOME HAD GONE THROUGH IT EARLIER BUT THAT OTHERS HAD GONE AROUND. I CONFERRED WITH THE FO AND WE DECIDED TO DEVIATE AROUND IT. I ASKED THE CTLR FOR A 240 DEG HDG TO AVOID THE WX AND HE TOLD US TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY. HE THEN SWITCHED US TO POTOMAC FREQ 118.67 AND I CHKED IN WITH THEM ON THE CLB BUT FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WE WERE ON A 240 DEG HDG FOR A WX DEV. THE CTLR TOLD US TO INTERCEPT J149 AND I REPLIED THAT I MEANT TO TELL HIM THAT WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND A CELL. HE REPLIED THAT HE WOULD REALLY LIKE US TO INTERCEPT J149 AND I REPLIED THAT WE NEEDED TO DEVIATE AROUND THE WX. AT THIS POINT WE COULD SEE LIGHTNING OFF TO THE R SIDE IN THE CELL. THE CTLR CAME BACK WITH A VERY SARCASTIC QUESTION TO THE EFFECT THAT SO; WE WERE 'UNABLE AND UNWILLING TO FLY THROUGH LIGHT PRECIP?' I TOLD HIM THAT WE COULD ACCEPT A TURN TO ABOUT 255 DEGS IN A COUPLE OF MI AND HE REPEATED AGAIN; VERY SARCASTICALLY; THAT HE WANTED TO REITERATE THAT WE WERE 'UNABLE AND UNWILLING TO FLY THROUGH LIGHT PRECIP?' I RESPONDED THAT WE WERE UNWILLING AND UNABLE TO FLY THROUGH THE RADAR RETURN THAT WE HAD AND THE LIGHTNING WE SAW OUT THE WINDOW. HE RESPONDED AGAIN; VERY SARCASTICALLY; 'THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION' AND I RESPONDED; 'THANK YOU FOR YOUR SARCASM.' SHORTLY AFTER THAT WE TOLD HIM WE COULD TURN TO A 255 DEG HDG NOW AND HE SWITCHED US OVER TO ANOTHER FREQ AND TOLD US TO HAVE A 'GOOD NIGHT.' I WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS CTLR WAS TRYING TO COERCE US TO OPERATE OUR ACFT IN AN UNSAFE MANNER AND AGAINST OUR FOM PROCS; ALL FOR WHAT SEEMED TO BE HIS NEED TO GET US OUT OF HIS AIRSPACE. THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC THAT WE SAW ON TCAS AND IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND THE TFC IN THE AREA WAS LIGHT ANYWAY. I REALIZE THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME BAD WX IN THE DC AREA RECENTLY; AS I HAD JUST FLOWN A TRIP IN THE AREA AND HAD EXTENSIVE IN-TRAIL SPACING DELAYS; SO I REALIZE THAT THE CTLRS ARE STRESSED TO THE MAX; BUT WHY THIS CTLR DECIDED; FROM THE VERY FIRST RADIO CALL; TO BROWBEAT AND EMBARRASS US IN FRONT OF OTHER ACFT SO THAT WE WOULD FLY INTO WX THAT WE COULD CLRLY SEE AND THAT HE OBVIOUSLY COULD NOT; WAS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND UNPROFESSIONAL. I WORRY THAT AT SOME FUTURE DATE THIS CTLR MIGHT BE ABLE TO INTIMIDATE SOME OTHER PLTS TO ACCEPT A CLRNC TO FLY INTO DANGEROUS WX BECAUSE OF HIS HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION -- ALL SO HE COULD MOVE THEM OUT OF HIS AIRSPACE.