November 01, 2010 03:49 PM UTC

Buck's apology to Colorado

• 16 Comments
• by: Jason Salzman

Ken Buck has one more day to lay out an apology to Colorado–and score some political points in this tough race.

Two journalists, you recall, ABC’s Jake Tapper and NBC’s David Gregory, asked Buck if he regretted how he handled aspects of a 2005 rape case, including his public comment that a jury could consider it a case of “buyer’s remorse,” even though the suspect admitted to the rape.

Buck refused to offer up any apology.

But it’s not too late for Buck to apologize. I mean, why not?

And his apology could go beyond the rape case, and cover a whole series of regrettable statements over the past year.

Here’s what Buck’s apology might look like.

Dear Mr. Tapper, Mr. Gregory, and the people of Colorado:

I know people don’t choose everything in life, but I’m on safe ground when I say voting is a choice.

To win your trust, I’ve got to own up to my mistakes and apologize.

So, my friends, that’s what I’m doing, saying I’m sorry-really sorry for a lot of things during this campaign.

To start with, I’m sorry for my dumbass comment about how a jury could see that horrible rape case as one of buyer’s remorse.

Looking back, I don’t know how I could have dropped the case after the suspect admitted to raping the victim. It was my responsibility to do whatever I could to try to convict the guy, given his admission.

I’m sorry for how I acted in that case, and I will see if there’s any way it can still be brought to court.

To you gay people out there, I’m really sorry.  I know your sexual orientation is no more of a choice than mine. It was insulting and hurtful of me to compare gays to alcoholics.

I will show my respect to you by supporting basic civil rights for guys, including gay marriage and the end of the military’s silly don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy.

To women, it’s true what Michael Bennet has been saying. I’ve been insensitive, to say the least, and I regret it.

I mean, if I were a woman and some male were running for the Senate and told me that I had to birth a baby conceived as a result of rape, I’d be upset.

It’s not fair, and I’m sorry.

The sad part about my behavior is that I’ve tried to have it both ways. I’m against the Pill, for example, in front of one audience, and then I’m for it speaking to another, but really I’m against it, because of my extreme abortion stance.

I will show my new respect for women, now, by fighting for their right to choose.

This apology letter could go on for a long time, as you probably know if you’ve been following my unfortunate musings during the campaign-and I admit right here that my own musings have been worse than Scott McInnis’, in many ways, even if he was knocked out of the race.

Because what I’ve done is say anything I needed to say to impress the people in front of me.

If I needed to endorse the Personhood Amendment, I’d do it. Abolish the separation of church and state? Sure. Fundamentally oppose Social Security? Yes. Privatize Medicare? Yup.

I did all these things because I thought I had to, if I had a prayer of defeating Jane Norton in the primary.

But I realize now that what the Republicans want most isn’t the politician that I have been in this election. Neither do you. Neither does the Tea Party, for that matter.

What everyone wants is a person who says what he believes. No more hoaxes.

I’ve resisted apologizing for some reason, and I even told my friend Jeff Crank that I didn’t really regret anything recorded on the campaign trail, even all those instances where I was saying whatever I thought I needed to say to get elected.

But trust me, my remorse now is real.

I’m sorry, and I hope you’ll think about this letter when you vote tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Ken Buck

P.S. Thanks to Stephen Colbert, Ft. Collins Coloradoan, PrgressNow, ColoradoPols, The Colorado Independent, Mike Littwin, The Denver Post, 9News, 7News, CBS4, Fox 31, Meet the Press, Saturday Night Live, Craig Silverman, Greeley Tribune, David Sirota, Jane Norton, Ross Kaminsky, Scott McInnis, and especially Michael Bennet, who all helped me see the dead-end path I was on, and helped lead me to this day of apology.