That's not a "sincere expression of regret for an offense" -- one of the definitions for an "apology." It is, instead, a further affront to those of us who were obtuse enough to have "misunderstood" his true feelings. Apparently, we should have perceived that comparing young Americans in uniform to mass murderers like Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot were terms of endearment. For the record, the combined dead from Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, Soviet gulags and the Nazi death camps approaches 40 million. To date, the death toll at "gulag" Gitmo is a hefty zero. Zilch. Nada.
As if to prove that he might have real regret for offending some people, Durbin says, "I am sorry if anything I said caused any offense or pain to those who have such bitter memories of the Holocaust, the greatest moral tragedy of our time." But when it comes to the men and women of our military, it's a different story.
Durbin claims, "I never ever intended any disrespect for them." But then he adds, "Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line -- to them, I extend my heartfelt apology." Try unpacking that. "Some may believe" doesn't confess that he believes his "remarks crossed the line." This is hardly an acknowledgement that he knows how wrong, offensive and damaging his words were to our armed forces and our country.
I confess to having done the same thing during a recent television interview. In response to a question, I said, "Sen. Durbin is Jane Fonda without the tummy tuck and face-lift." Immediately afterward, I was called by a "colleague" and asked if my comment was "over the top" and would I "like to apologize." Only partly tongue-in-cheek, I replied: "I really don't know if Ms. Fonda has had a 'tummy tuck.' If my remark offended her, I'm sorry." But I wasn't sorry for an affront to Sen. Durbin -- nor has he been able to express regret for his attack on our armed forces.
Sadly, Durbin's colleagues have rushed to defend the indefensible. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said, "I stand by the statement he made." He then added wishfully, "We are not going to discuss this any more." New York Sen. Chuck Schumer tried blaming Republicans, whom he said "will do anything for a diversion." And California's Dianne Feinstein now claims that things might get better if President Bush gives "regular progress reports to Congress and the American people," and says of Bush, "It's his war."
Perhaps Feinstein wants us to forget not only Durbin's unconscionable attack on our troops -- but her own affirmative vote on Oct. 11, 2002, in favor of the Iraqi War Resolution. It's her war, too.
Those on the far left are employing the same kind of rhetoric and tactics that worked during the Vietnam War -- where overheated rhetoric and the most vile slander are acceptable if they tarnish the president and hurt our war effort. They have no shame. They play politics like the Islamo-fascists conduct warfare -- dirty, ruthless and reckless, with no discernible rules, no regard for fact and no compunction about stabbing people in the back.