O'Neill backpedals on "unflattering comments"...

[onehandle]

Nice backbone there, Mr. Secretary.
____________________________

O'Neill denies use of secret papers

Ex-Treasury chief also says he would take back Bush 'blind' comment in new book.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Ousted Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said Tuesday he wishes he could take back unflattering comments he made about President Bush in an upcoming book but doesn't believe he gave its author secret documents.

whatever...

http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/13/news/economy/oneill/index.htm?cnn=yes

[salinen]

1. The neos have

threatened someone he loves. Bu$h admin. are a bunch of pigfuckers.

[tom_paine]

8. Yep. Undoubtedly.

And the Busheviks are as dangerous as a nest of snakes. O'Neill must know that they mean business.

Boy, would I love to have been a fly on the wall at the Rove-O'Neill meeting, which I'm sure bore no small resemblence to the meeting between Hitler and the opponents he couldn't just arrest or kill outright.

This is a pattern and no coincidence. Of course O'Neill was threatened. He's lucky to still be alive. Twenty years from now, he wouldn;t. In fact I'm still not sdure O'Neill isn't going to get depondent and "kill himself" with untraceable ratshot.

[derby378]

2. Too late for that...

Besides, the Bush administration doesn't value truth - they value loyalty. As in obedience. That's what got O'Neill fired in the first place.

[BigBigBear]

3. They sure found a way

to get to this guy.

[lancdem]

4. This is absolutely no surprise

As Josh Marshall noted, from John DiIulio on down, any admin. insider who criticizes Bush ends up apologizing and backtracking. These people are nasty.

Edit: Of course, this won't stop the book from selling. And perhaps O'Neill did this on purpose - putting his comments in print, but then backpedaling, knowing they're still there for the record.

[montanacowboy]

5. I thought O'Neil said

he was too and had too much money - I guess not huh? always a way to intimidate someone - everyone backs down - cowards all

[wryter2000]

6. Doesn't matter

It isn't O'Neill's book. He was just one of over a hundred sources.

The book is #1 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com. Franken is still #1 on the NYT list.

[rocktivity]

7. Backtrack? This doesn't even qualify as remorse

"I used some vivid language that if I could take it back, I'd take that back, because it's become the controversial centerpiece," O'Neill said...

"I wish I could take it back" is backtracking. "I'd LIKE to take it back" is backtracking. "I'm sorry I said what I did" is an apology. "I SHOULDN'T have said what I did" is a confession of guilt. "IF I could take it back" is a moral victory!

rocknation