Al Amendariz Issues An Apology Of A Sort--Where's The Line That Says 'I Resign'?

From CBS News

HOUSTON — A top administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has apologized for using the word "crucify" two years ago when describing the agency's enforcement policies, and for saying it makes examples of bad players in the oil and gas industry.

EPA Region 6 administrator Al Armendariz, who oversees Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico, issued a written apology Wednesday after video surfaced of him at a meeting in May 2010 in the tiny town of Dish.

The video shows Armendariz answering a question about the agency's enforcement policies. In the Middle Ages, he tells the crowd, the Romans would enter a troublesome village, "take the first five guys they saw and crucify them." Then the town would be "really easy to manage for the next few years," he said.

Armendariz's apology was issued Wednesday by the EPA's headquarters in Washington.

"I apologize to those I have offended and regret my poor choice of words. It was an offensive and inaccurate way to portray our efforts to address potential violations of our nation's environmental laws," he said. "I am always and have been committed to fair and vigorous enforcement of those laws."

Cynthia Giles, the assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance, also issued a statement.

"Strong, fair and effective enforcement of the environmental laws passed by Congress is critical to protecting public health and ensuring that all companies, regardless of industry, are playing by the same rules," she wrote.


A few points come to mind:

1. Al didn't write the apology, and he sure didn't have the stones to actually go on camera and read it. Both would require a bit of contrition and true integrity. Remember, after all, this is the Obama administration.

2. Notice what the apology conveys--just a poor choice of words. Actually no apology for the attitudes behind those words, from either him or Mzzzzz Giles. The apology is for the manner of stating the brutal attitude taken by the EPA toward the culture and economy of the United States. There is no repentance concerning the policy set in place and followed. They plan to continue screwing us all to the wall, and will take care to not be so candid about it. Sweeeeeet.

3.  Had this occurred in the Reagan or either Bush administrations, CBS and NBC would lead off every hour expressing their outrage at this outrageous pronouncement, and demanding resignations.
Not a peep except a quiet reporting of a non-apology.

This is a firing offense, and the Administration should have him cleaning out his office in the morning.  But they won't, and the mainstream press will never utter a discouraging word.