Rep. Hoyer called Stark over the weekend, says apology was appropriate: "He didn’t sugar-coat it."

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/rep_stark_apologizes_for_sharp.html#more

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Stark, 75, returned to the House floor this morning and asked to be recognized.

"I want to apologize to, first of all, my colleagues, many of whom I’ve offended; the president, his family, to the troops … and I do apologize," the 18-term congressman said. "I think that we have a serious issue before us – the issue of providing medical care for children, the issue of what we do about a war that we’re divided about how to end.

"I hope that with this apology I will become as insignificant as I should be and that we can return to the issues that do divide us but that we can resolve in a better fashion."

Stark’s voice broke as he yielded back the balance of his time; the mostly empty chamber broke out in applause.

Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, who said he called Stark over the weekend, said the apology was appropriate: "He didn’t sugar-coat it."