Rove screwed up big time. * should have apologized, don't you think?

The reporter he called "Dave" has been a thorn in Dubya's side before tonight's question about whether he ever admits a mistake. If I remember correctly, at a joint news conference with a visiting French diplomat, "Dave" addressed a question to Dubya in English and then added an addendum for the other speaker, in French! Dubya was livid and spoke a couple of words of Spanish to show he was an internationalist too.

the questions started with softballs, hell wiffle balls, but now they are getting harder and bush is having problems staying on his talkng points.

Wanna bet his boost on polls will be minimal? God CNN has even called those Mercs, well Mercs, by just using the other term: HIRED GUNS!

John Roberts of CBS gave Dubya a second chance to apologize with a followup to "Dave"s question. I can't imagine that a SECOND embarrassing question on such a sensitive topic was in the script.

I think Dubya was prepared to recite just one part from a written script, but the other actors decided on a night of improv.

I mean this is just classic. Clarke could apologize because he doesn't have to be defensive about it; he knows he did everything he could. Bush can't apologize because he knows he didn't. That whole gang is afraid that if they do anything that looks like an admission of guilt, the whole house of cards will collapse.

It would look better if he coudl apologize. But he can't. He's never taken responsibility for anything, he can't start now.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

is not in his vocabulary.

... "I am sorry" -- are a big part of what makes us seem human to each other.

We are human. We admit it when we screw up, and we're humble (too humble in my opinion) when we talk about our successes.

"John?

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. In the last campaign, you were asked a question about the biggest mistake you'd made in your life, and you used to like to joke that it was trading Sammy Sosa.

You've looked back before 9-11 for what mistakes might have been made. After 9-11, what would your biggest mistake be, would you say, and what lessons have learned from it?

President Bush: I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it. John, I'm sure historians will look back and say, gosh, he could've done it better this way or that way. You know, I just -- I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with answer, but it hadn't yet. ..."

From http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-04-13-bush-text_x.htm

... chance for Dubya to admit he'd ever made a mistake as "President"? "John" asked him what was the biggest mistake he'd made AFTER 9/11, and he was at a loss for words. His first reaction was to admonish the reporter for not submitting the question in writing in advance!

I trust still photographers' instincts. THIS is the historical moment everybody's going to remember from tonight, IMO.