Well, this has to be the best apology of the day. New Republic editor-in-chief and owner Marty Peretz yesterday quoted a Daily Beast column that criticized John McCain for hanging on to politics for too long and tarnishing his principles as a result. The column he quoted, by Tunku Varadarajan, compared McCain to performer Liza Minnelli — a comparison that Peretz included in his own post.
Today, we get an apology for this dreadful, awful, nearly deadly mistake:
Minnelli has been a talented singer and actress for several decades, and she still has the the warranted courage to perform. What’s more, she is one of those paradigmatic entertainers who gives of herself — her ample brain and enchanting personality — in the cause of human rights, a cause not as popular as it once was was [sic].
As it happens, my movie director son, Jesse, cast her in his film of three years ago, “The X.” I am biased: the film was very very good and so was Liza in it.
I am sorry for the grievous mistake … which in a way was not mine. But I take responsibility.
This actually came across as relatively earnest. Until the very last line, that is, which sort of seems like it can be translated to: “Fuck you, son, for making me write this horsecrap.”
I apologize… [TNR]
