Anyone who publicly supports a Bush Administration policy soon encounters the accusation that he is a "Bush apologist." The term is an interesting one. It is, of course, dismissive and meant to be. It both downgrades the integrity of the supporter and relieves the accuser of any obligation to consider the facts of a particular debate. But there is more to it than that.Being an "apologist" really means you are an excuser-- either of a deficient policy, a deficient president, or a deficient administration--most usually all three. In any case, the premise of the accusation is that you, the apologist,...
