"'Bring 'em on' is the classic example, when I was really trying to rally the troops and make it clear to them that I fully understood, you know, what a great job they were doing. And those words had an unintended consequence. It kind of, some interpreted it to be defiance in the face of danger. That certainly wasn't the case."
Is that an apology? Perhaps a thread of regret?
"I don't know if you'd call it a regret, but it certainly is a lesson that a president must be mindful of, that the words that you sometimes say. ... I speak plainly sometimes, but you've got to be mindful of the consequences of the words. So put that down. I don't know if you'd call that a confession, a regret, something."
Yeah. Put that down, mainstream media. "Mr. Bush issues quasi-regretful non-regret-based statement which may or may not be regret or a confession. Definitely not an apology -- or maybe a regretful confession of pseudo-guilt? If nothing else, Mr. Bush issues statement of 'something'."
So the tens of thousands of casualties as a result of these statements... Any thoughts, Mr. Bush? Didn't think so.