If he had a shred of humanity, his apology would have looked something like this:
I must apologize to Ms. Fluke, who I have gravely wronged with my statements over the last 3 days.
Ms. Fluke, I am deeply sorry for misrepresenting your testimony on Capitol Hill. I apologize for calling you the vile, hateful names that I called you.
I realize that an apology is very, very small, compared with the harm I have inflicted on you, a private citizen, invited to our Congress to testify on a matter of importance - not just to women, but to all Americans, who need basic, preventive healthcare in this country.
I will now correct the following misstatements of fact that I have perpetuated during the last three days:
That you are testifying in support of insurance coverage of birth control pills as basic healthcare, and not in support of taxpayer coverage of same. I know that there is a vast difference between taxpayer funding and insurance coverage. I deliberately misled my listeners to believe that you were testifying to get taxpayer funded birth control for personal sexual activity, and I should have made the facts crystal clear - that you were testifying to get birth control coverage for many other medical conditions that hormonal birth control is used to treat.
I misled my listeners to believe that your personal conduct was to have sex with any and every man you meet, and that you wanted this paid for by others. I misled my listeners to believe that you wanted money for sex.
I also very inappropriately demanded that you videotape sexual encounters and post them on the internet for me to view. I know that this is reprehensible, not just merely "wrong", which is too inadequate a word.
I am aware that my listeners are very loyal, and take my statements to heart, and they will repeat them far and wide. I also realize this will result in greater harm to you. I also know that there is no way for me to make this up to you on any level.
I was wrong on all counts, from my deliberate misstatement of the facts to the words I used to describe you.
I humbly beg your forgiveness; I will also understand if it is not forthcoming.
I will remove myself from my show for a week, in order to reflect on the harm I caused in my attempts at humor, which were woeful at best and repugnant at least.
To my listeners, I apologize for misleading you.
Ms. Fluke, thank you for your citizenship in participating in our democracy, the birthright of every American. It is something to be treasured, not ridiculed and mischaracterized, as I did this past week.
Read More