From the Dept. of Contrition (Special Victims Unit)

At a brief news conference prior to his release from the hospital today, vice-presidential shooting victim Harry Whittington thanked the hospital staff and the media, and had this to say about Dick Cheney:

"My family and I are deeply sorry for all Vice President Cheney and his family had to go through this past week."

It says everything you need to know about this administration that the deepest regret and most heartfelt expression of contrition about the incident came from... the guy who had been shot in the face.

Check the transcript: in his 30-minute chat with Brit Hume, Cheney's lamentations were all directed at himself:

"The image of him falling is something I'll never be able to get out of my mind... It was, I'd have to say, one of the worst days of my life."

I'm sure it wasn't too swell a day for Harry Whittington, either.

P.S. Whittington's apology also speaks volumes about the positively medieval nature of Bush's and Cheney's relationship with those around them. Even those they call "friends." And even, even those they have blasted with birdshot. Utterly feudal.