Peach - I'm not trying to pick nits, just wanted to say thanks for posting this. I'm glad he said it. This is exactly what the hunters on this forum have been saying for four days. It should have been the 'party line' all along, and I do believe that the effort to make it something other than this (from whatever quarter), and this exactly, is what generated a lot of the attention and a lot of the discord. This kind of statement even makes it hard for the comedians to make hay with it.
I never had any doubt that the Vice President would take issue a statement or appear publically. In addition to explaining just how the incident occured, he's never tried to avoid responsibility.
And the incident has afforded the American people just one more episode in a loooooong line or heinous unfeeling behavior on the part of the press. Everybody, and I do mean everybody I talk to are thoroughly disgusted with the media.
I meant to say that I'm glad the VP said what he said too and wasn't trying to nitpick either about why he delayed responding.
Maybe I'm being too emotional, but as a woman, I can tell you my sense is that Cheney is handling this as best he can, but he'll never forget or forgive himself.
Brit Hume is saying right now that Cheney is still very shaken and I hope the press can act more honorably and give him some space to handle this privately.