It is certainly true that the liberal and conservative notions of blame are very different. We ask, "Who did this bad thing, and were there extenuating circumstances?" Liberals ask, "Which conservative shall we try to slime today?" We look at the facts, they run their fingers down their list of enemies.
In this case, though, I don't think that she really blamed me for the DUI, and blaming Republicans would have been a stretch for even the ditziest liberal. Which she was not.
While she was not a close friend, in the end she was still a friend, and I don't like seeing my friends hurt. The event reminded me to pay more attention to the effect of my words.
There in lies the difference. You are mature enough to care.