Bush regrets tough talk, but McCain keeps it up

One of the many disturbing episodes from George W. Bush's first term was when he couldn't think of any mistakes that he had made.

On April 13, 2004, when asked during a press conference what he felt his biggest mistake was after 9/11, Bush replied:

"I wish you would have given me this written question ahead of time, so I could plan for it. [Laughter.] John, I'm sure historians will look back and say, gosh, he could have done it better this way, or that way. You know, I just -- I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with an answer, but it hadn't yet."

Now, for whatever odd reason, Bush seems to see that he has made at least one mistake.

On Wednesday, June 11, in an interview with the British newspaper The Times, Bush expressed regret for the tough rhetoric that had given the world the impression that he was a "guy really anxious for war." He said he now wishes that he had used "a different tone, a different rhetoric." Too little, too late, of course, but interesting nonetheless.

John McCain, on the other hand, continues with his own warmongering rhetoric, and the right-wing pundits continue to criticize Barack Obama for desiring diplomacy over knee-jerk military aggression.