January 17, 2007
I apologize to Sen. Obama (Dick Morris)
I want to retract the allegations in my column yesterday that criticized Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for voting against a bill to prohibit campaign committees and PACs from paying spouses and relatives. In fact, he voted against tabling the bill.
I sincerely apologize to the senator for my mistaken reading of the record and want to commend him for his correct vote on the issue, unlike the majority of his fellow Democrats, including likely presidential candidates Sens. Joseph Biden Jr. (D-Del.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).
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It takes a big man to publicly admit a mistake, Dick. I salute you.
Comment by Laurence Socci — January 17, 2007 @ 3:22 pm
He did admit his mistake but maybe he should try getting his facts straight first.
Sometimes I believe that commentators make mistakes intentionally (I guess those are not a mistakes). Seldom if ever does the retraction get as much publicity as the original statement.
Comment by al marr — January 17, 2007 @ 6:29 pm
Hey, the guy apologized. Accept the apology and drive on.
Thank you, Dick. Now the record has been set straight (for me, anyway).
Comment by Bret White — January 18, 2007 @ 7:47 am
This is a typical Dick Morris attack scheme — smear the Dem and then, after everyone has walked away, apologize. America is tired of this sort of freak politics and has exacted a price by sending the GOP back to minority status. Keep it up, Dick, can't wait to finish the GOP off in 2008!
Comment by Parakeeta Byrd — January 18, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
@2,
I agree. "A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth puts its pants on." –Churchill
I don't think Morris did this intentionally, but he should be more careful next time.
Comment by paulo — January 18, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
Its not an apology when you use it as an opportunity to take shots at others. In the real world, an apology only has value if it is sincere. It is meant as a request for forgiveness. To use it as an opportunity to insult others exposes the apologist as a liar (by claiming to be sincere) and the apology as a trick. Its just Morris being Morris.
Comment by Matt — January 18, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
Only Dick has still got it wrong. Now he has to apologize to Senators Biden and Clinton too because they voted Nay as well. Yes, Chris Dodd voted Yea along with fellow nutmeg state Senator Joe Lieberman . Oh, also John McCain voted Yea too. Next time just get it right to begin with.
Comment by Ralph — January 18, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
Now I must apologize to Dick Morris - I misunderstood which vote he was referring to. He is correct about Biden Clinton and Dodd. Im correct on Lieberman, but not McCain who voted Nay with Obama.
Comment by Ralph — January 18, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
I wonder if it would have been possible to appologise without bashing other Dems at the same time. You show yourself as a true partisan hack when you can't even make an honest appology without using that forum to continue your Dem bashing.
Comment by Mikey Dee — January 18, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
Morris, luckily, has no credibility to lose, but, were he sincere about his apology, he would be calling everyone who reprinted his smear and demanding that they either retract the column or clearly point out the error.
Here's a list to get him started: http://mediamatters.org/items/200701180007
Comment by nitpicker — January 18, 2007 @ 2:49 pm
He named three Democrats that wanted to table the bill, were there any Republicans? Once again half truths and allow your sheep make their own assumptions.
Comment by michael franco — January 18, 2007 @ 4:02 pm
#5
Unfortunately, there'll be lots more "next times."
Comment by mr.ed — January 18, 2007 @ 4:20 pm
[…] Too bad his facts were completely wrong… On The Hill's website, Dick Morris has posted an apology for misrepresenting a vote Sen. Obama made on an ethics reform amendment, a story first highlighted on this blog yesterday morning. In it, Morris retracts his allegations and even offers an apology: […]
Pingback by What’s the Point? » Obamarama 1, Dick Morris 0 — January 18, 2007 @ 4:23 pm
There is a body of research that shows people believe what they hear first even when innaccurate statements or lies are publicly corrected AND when those people know of the corrections. It is, unfortunately, human nature to believe what you hear first. Your memory also recalls the first information you had heard on a subject.
Pundits and Politicos know this. It's FAR more valuable to lie or just make things up and correct yourself than to just keep your mouth shut when you don't know. If you look at political commentary in the US today you'll find this a constant theme. Say whatever you want even if it's blatantly and obviously false. It will stick even after it has been debunked.
Thank you for correcting yourself. I sincerely hope it was really an accident.
Comment by Steven — January 18, 2007 @ 4:57 pm
A (Trump) tactic to step up traffic and debate on this blog?
If I am wrong, kindly accept my apology and remove my comment. Thanks!
Comment by Cheryl O — January 18, 2007 @ 6:03 pm
Dick Morris: Obama's First Blunder…
Update:
Dick Morris has corrected his story and issued an apology to Senator Obama:
I want to retract the allegations in my column yesterday that criticized Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for voting against a bill to prohibit campaign committees and PACs f…
Trackback by Blogs of War — January 18, 2007 @ 7:58 pm
Nice Fox News like "slip up" Dick…you're such a scumbag
Comment by John Pelkey — January 19, 2007 @ 1:17 am
Why does someone as consistently wrong as Morris even have a column? Did he not predict the GOP would hold the House? Did he not predict Bush's approval ratings would rise as the Iraq war spread democracy across the Middle East? Etc. … The man can't even apologize for a major factual blunder without yelling the equivalent of "what about him! …" to deflect the blame. I swear to god this man has the DNA of a sewer rat.
Comment by smith — January 19, 2007 @ 1:36 am
You create more damage when you get your facts wrong than your apologies can rectify. Shame on you, Dick.
Comment by Bob — January 19, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
It doesn't matter if he apologized. The desired effect was achieved: Obama was smeared; the latest in what will be a VERY long litany of smears from now until 2009.
Comment by Ro — January 19, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
the apology is sleazy. if you want to apologize, you apologize. you don't use it as an opportunity to take another shot.
Comment by fred — January 19, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
Mr. Morris makes these kind of outlandish statements on Fox's Hannity and Colmes and O'Reilly constantly. Even I know what he says most of the time is so far out in right field it is laughable. His apology is not an apology. Otherwise he would have left it as an "I am sorry" to Obama rather than include a smear against three other people. He was caught telling a lie and rather than be a gentleman about it, used it to attack again. But that seems to be his whole existence when appearing on Fox.
Comment by canadianvisitor — January 19, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
Use your apology for sneering at one Dem. to sneer at other Dems. - classy guy! (Not that we didn't know that about you already, Dick.)
Comment by Nancy Irving — January 20, 2007 @ 1:20 am
An inappropriate attack. Then apology and then an attack on three other people. A style simliar to how he would lick my toes!!
Comment by Sherry Rowland — January 20, 2007 @ 10:12 pm
Dick Morris is very unprofessional. Any common person without journalistic credentials would have CHECKED FACTS FIRST before attempting to smear a presidential candidate.
Shame on Dick Morris.
Comment by Andres — January 22, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
[…] On The Hill's website, Dick Morris has posted an apology for misrepresenting a vote Sen. Obama made on an ethics reform amendment, a story first highlighted on this blog yesterday morning. In it, Morris retracts his allegations and even offers an apology: I sincerely apologize to the senator for my mistaken reading of the record and want to commend him for his correct vote on the issue, unlike the majority of his fellow Democrats, including likely presidential candidates Sens. Joseph Biden Jr. (D-Del.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). […]
Pingback by OBAMARAMA » UPDATE: Dick Morris Apologizes for False Attack on Sen. Obama — February 9, 2007 @ 1:42 pm
I would like to apologize for having read this stupid series of posts and wasting not only my time, but the time of all those who stopped to read my apology.
I'm truly sorry.
Comment by Savageone — June 25, 2008 @ 4:52 pm