Dan Pfeiffer Eats Crow – Publicly Apologizes to Charles Krauthammer

The Churchill bust controversy was discussed on America Live with Megyn Kelly, earlier today, and as of airtime, there were still crickets in response to Krauthammer’s demand for an apology. Kelly had the perfect guest on to discuss the issue, Niles Gardiner, the Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation. He declared that Pfeiffer should be issuing “a full, unequivocal apology”, adding later that, “what you have here, is a White House that is constantly trying to bury the fact that it has a very strong anti-British record.”

Gardiner also made the very important point that Obama was given the option to keep the bust, but chose to send it back, which was seen as a “hugely insulting move.” The White House, now, is saying that there was no snub at all – they merely returned the bust when the loan was over, per “tradition”, or something..

They’re lying, as usual.

Via The White House Blog:

Yesterday following his column, I sent the following email to Charles Krauthammer. Charles asked that I make the email public and I have agreed.

Charles,

I take your criticism seriously and you are correct that you are owed an apology. There was clearly an internal confusion about the two busts and there was no intention to deceive. I clearly overshot the runway in my post. The point I was trying to make – under the belief that the Bust in the residence was the one previously in the Oval Office — was that this oft repeated talking point about the bust being a symbol of President Obama’s failure to appreciate the special relationship is false. The bust that was returned was returned as a matter of course with all the other artwork that had been loaned to President Bush for display in his Oval Office and not something that President Obama or his Administration chose to do. I still think this is an important point and one I wish I had communicated better.

A better understanding of the facts on my part and a couple of deep breaths at the outset would have prevented this situation. Having said all that, barring a miracle comeback from the Phillies I would like to see the Nats win a world series even if it comes after my apology

Thanks,

Dan Pfeiffer

Notice how his first weaselly instinct was to make the apology in private. Fortunately, Krauthammer demanded full vindication.

Charles Krauthammer responded today on Special Report:

On Special Report, Krauthammer reacted to the apology saying, “Well I must say it’s a gracious apology. I was stunned; I didn’t expect it to happen. I actually wrote in my column that I thought the Nationals would win the World Series before I’d see an apology, so now I suppose the Nationals are going to win the World Series. But it’s a gracious apology, they’re still clinging to a tiny point on this, but the argument is over and I appreciate the correction and retraction.”

Video here.

My own theory as to why this happened discounts the idea that there was “internal confusion” in the White House over the two Churchill busts. They always knew the truth, but it was time to invent a new narrative to replace the deadly ‘Obama’s anti-Brit’ narrative that took root after he returned the bust. Depending on the sad fact that Americans have short memories, they put up a post pointing out that there was still a Churchill Bust in the White House residence, (the one that had been there for fifty years) and feigned ignorance about the Oval Office bust because you see, the loan had “expired”. The returning of the bust was simply a small matter someone on the transition team handled, so White House bigwigs completely forgot about it. Never mind that it caused a firestorm in the British media and in conservative US media, and was considered by many to be a serious, early misstep.

They forgot all about it!!!!

Ain’t buying it Skippy.

The truth will be whatever the Obama team wants it to be – especially this election year.

The Foundry: The White House Attack Machine Backfires

Hat tip: NRO Media Blog

Michell Malkin: Lying Obama press flack apologizes to Krauthammer over Churchill bust story