Bush finally says it. But this you call an apology? (Emphasis mine)
Bush said he told Abdullah he was "sorry for the humiliation suffered by the Iraqi prisoners and the humiliation suffered by their families."
"I told him I was as equally sorry [sic] that people seeing those pictures didn't understand the true nature and heart of America," Bush said during his appearance with Abdullah.
Um, once you've done something wrong, you don't get to control how other people feel about it. And what's the "true nature and heart of America" when it's at home? It's not like the Iraqis have gotten to see much of it.
Edited to add...
Thinking more about the nature of apologies. I know I've said "I'm sorry" for things when what I really meant was "I'm really sorry that you're pissed at me about something." Not quite the same thing as being sincerely sorry that I did something wrong. That takes longer to get to, and defensiveness tends to be my first (and second, and third) reaction.
Much like the Bush administration.
At least Rumsfeld apologized. But it's still not enough to satisfy the world. And then of course dear Democrat-only-in-name Senator Joe Lieberman had to give his pious little speech about how "he hasn't heard anyone apologize for the 3,000 Americans killed in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, or an apology for the hundreds of Americans killed in liberating Iraq or an apology for the killing and desecration of four security persons in Fallujah."
Yes, but the intentions of terrorists are presumably to terrorize. They meant to hurt us. Why would they apologize? Our intentions were supposed to be nobler than that. So when we act like a bunch of thugs, we should damn well be sorry, and we should say so... and we should take steps to make sure the thuggery stops. (And vote the thugs out.)
