Apolitics: Washington Or Bust

White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer apologized to WaPo and Fox News commentator Charles Krauthammer for having “overshot the runway.” Pfeifer had accused Krauthammer of falsely claiming that a bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had been removed from the White House and sent back to the British Embassy . In a blog post on the White House Blog (yes, the White House blogs too) Pfeiffer produced a smoking gun: A Churchill bust that was still at the White House. The trouble was there had been two busts. Now there is only one. (See, and I would have sworn Bill Clinton took all available busts when he vacated the White House.)

What do busts have to do with cars?

While we are on the topic of apologies, Bob Lutz could join the White House, clear the air, and apologize to Krauthammer. On March 19, the cigar-chomping, journalist-charming Lutz accused his former friend Krauthammer of “deliberately not telling the truth.” Lutz did so in the capitalist tool Forbes. Krauthammer had called the Chevrolet Volt (see, we will get to cars eventually) an example of Obama’s misguided, interventionist energy policy. And he called the car “flammable.” Lutz was incensed and flamed Krauthammer. Octogenarian former Vice Chairman flames sexagenarian Washington insider! What is this world coming to.

According to a recent op-ed post by our dearly departed Op-Ed Niedermeyer in Investor’s Business Daily, the Volt still is an example of Obama’s misguided, interventionist energy policy. 1.2 million EVs by 2015? 120,000 Volts in 2012? GM will be lucky if the Volt will hit its very much down-revised goal of 20,000 this year. In the first 7 months, the Volt sold 10,666. Despite a presidential spokesman flogging the Volt at every occasion, the Volt is outsold by cars as ignore-worthy as the Mitsubishi Galant. You want proof that this sliver of a segment is misguided? The Leaf sold only 3,543. Mention EVs these days in the industry, and if you don’t happen to talk to a C.A.R.B. official, or a Terry McAuliffe who will sell you a factory in Inner Mongolia because he ran out of Brooklyn Bridges, and the answer will be a cough, or a rapid rolling of the eyes.

If the White House spokesman can apologize for overlooking a double bust and calling Krauthammer a liar, then Lutz can follow the example set at the very top, and apologize for calling Krauthammer a liar. Do it, Bob. America loves contrition. And it will serve a worthy cause:

While we all are apologizing, TTAC will apologize as well! What did we do? You tell us. Tell us what we should apologize for, and if Lutz apologizes to Krauthammer, we will apologize to whomever for whatever our most heinous sin may be.

You decide – we apologize.