The Big Apology

The latest on the newsfront is the big apology.

I can't see why everyone on the call-in lines could be so surprised. The press were not going to let this go.

The least upset caller I heard in the afternoon shows asked the question:
"How can Bush not apologize and still claim we stand for human rights?"
On the face of it, a reasonable question.
Of course, my mind being what it is, I immediately thought of my counter-question:
"Given the political motivation behind this furor, and John Kerry's contention that we have to have UN involvement in Iraq to 'fix' the problems, should we not also ask how can the UN claim they stand for human rights when they allow the Sudan to sit on the Human Rights Commission?"

(I am hard pressed to determine which is more deplorable, the fact that chattel Slavery exists in the Sudan or the fact that the mainstream press has ignored this situation to the point this might be new information to the reader.)

Most of the calls ranged from frustrated to worse. I suppose I would fall to the frustrated side of the scale, though I am certainly not surprised at the White House decided to take the opportunity to issue the apology.

One well-known, some might say infamous host asked the question, "Why apologize to the King of Jordan?" Seems obvious to me, it was the first opportunity to assess the reaction to the previous day's appearance before the Arabic media and take further action. In this case, I wouldn't put it past the realm of possibility that this meeting was specifically arranged for just this opportunity. Yes, I mean the 'hicks' from Crawford. The ones the 'real' political experts continually dismiss as totally inept. Whatever the agenda issues, can you think of a more convenient event to attract Arabic media attention for this announcement?

More importantly, now that the press and the Bush-Haters have what they want, do you suppose everyone will just move on?

I didn't think so either...

We shall see what happens tomorrow, when the embattled Secretary of Defense (is that not an ironic turn of phrase?) testifies before an irate congress.

Along with that update, I will tell you my take on the real source of this flurry of activity.

More later...