Clarke part XLVI

"A Sorry State of Affairs" indeed

Art Buchwald, Charles Krauthammer and Bill Frist agree



Art Buchwald
Tuesday, April 6, 2004; Page C04

Washington is in a frenzy and it's all because of Richard Clarke. In testifying before the 9/11 commission, he did the unforgivable, the one thing that no government official ever dared to do. He apologized.

...

When Clarke offered his mea culpa, the White House and Republican senators went ballistic. One leader said: "He had no right to say he was sorry. No one, not even the president, is allowed to apologize for anything that Washington does. It's treason." "

Senator William Frist
reported Friday, March 26, 2004

" In his appearance before the 9-11 Commission, Mr. Clarke's theatrical apology on behalf of the nation was not his right,"


By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, April 2, 2004; Page A25

"Indeed, one has to admire it -- the most cynical and brilliantly delivered apology in recent memory: Richard Clarke"



Poor Buchwald. Too much time has passed. His column has such a long lead time that his attempt at satire is totally dated, because, by the time it is published, the op ed page has already printed a more ferocious attack on the crime of apologising than he could imagine. Buchwald has made a brilliant career of exaggerating the hypocricy and nastiness of Washington politics. I'm afraid he has to find a new schtick because is is no longer possible to exagerate the hypocricy and nastiness of Washington politics.