There has been discussion on this site, over at Keith Burgess-Jackson's and others about the wisdom of President Bush's oft-criticized reluctance to "apologize" for mistakes both real and perceived. Here, Noemie Emery,a wonderful writer, puts it all together.

A question for those who have condemned President Bush for insufficient public emoting about missteps: Does John Kerry intend to treat us to public hand-wringing and tears if he becomes President? It's not likely -- he hasn't even been able to bring himself to apologize about slandering untold numbers of heroic Vietnam War veterans, or secretly meeting with our Communist enemies in Paris, or meeting with Communist Daniel Ortega as a freshman senator, or bashing President Reagan, or advocating a nuclear freeze, or opposing Gulf War I, or treating the War on Terror as nothing more than a cynical opportunity to win votes.

As much as apologies for all that are warranted, should he win, apologies for the conduct of the current war would be wrong. As the President has said: The perception of weakness emboldens our enemies.