Was away from the computer/TV this evening, assembling this Weber grill and breaking in a new Hi-5 CD with the kids. So, I just watched the Durbin non-apology apology (video and transcript available at The Political Teen) and caught up on the news stories (here, here, and here).

Looks like the Console George folks are going to have to start up a separate Kleenex campaign for Dick. I haven’t seen such an odious display of insincerity since Tom Cruise pounced on Oprah’s couch.

This little skirmish is over, but the continuing assault on the military’s detention policies and practices at Gitmo and beyond continues.

Vigilance.

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More blogger reax…

Captain’s Quarters: “Color me unimpressed. His fellow party members will now ask us all to move along. I’ll consider doing that if they now will admit that Durbin’s original statement slandered the military and debased the memories of those millions of victims that truly experienced what genocidal maniacs do with their innocent captives. If not, then they are just playing word games until they discover the right combination to climb out of the box in which Durbin has put them.”

Smash: Show’s over, folks. Move along.

Chris Short: “Perhaps you should read your speeches out loud to your staff before you read them in front of America from now on Senator Durbin.”

Will Collier: “The forced apology doesn’t mean much. The damage is done, and al-Jazeera isn’t likely to tout Dickie’s retraction with much vigor.”

Much more at Backcountry Conservative.

Ace of Spades on The Maverick John McCain’s seal of approval.

See also Hugh Hewitt for a must-read interview with a National Guardsman who served at Gitmo.

Maybe Dick Durbin should read the transcript on the Senate floor.

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Eat these words:

I’m certainly not going to be intimidated by the right-wing message machine,” he said. “If I’m going to back off every time they decide their unhappy with my statements, then I really won’t be doing my job.

– Dick Durbin, 6/17/05

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Previous:

Durbin Watch: Daley says apologize
Durbin Watch: Read his lips
Durbin Watch: The drubbing continues
Durbin Watch: Cheney and more
Durbin Watch: History lessons
Durbin Watch: MSM reax
Gitmo vs. Cook County Jail
The treacherous Dick Durbin
Hitler, Hitler, everywhere