Regrets are Lame

BostonHerald.com - National Politics: Bring on the 2nd thoughts: Bush admits some `regret'

FOXNews.com - Politics - Bush Learned Lesson From 'Bring 'Em On'

Why would he do this? He admits that he meant them at the time. I loved them and I think that many people voted for him because he is plain spoken. Do not apologize for the very thing that makes you great! Do you also regret the bullhorn incident?

There is no way that this "regret" will make any inroads with people who did not like "bring it on" or "Osama dead or alive." It does make me think that he is weakening in the second term. Besides, are we not defiant in the face of danger? I sure as hell hope we are.

See also Jonah Goldberg who says

neither of these statements ever bothered me, though I can see the case for regretting both, particularly the Osama thing. Personally, I don't mind if the world thinks we turn into a bunch of crazy cowboys when you attack us

Another story on this is here:
Round II: Slip won't show again, Bush promises US - The Economic Times

President Bush said he regretted sending the wrong impression of the United States when he used phrases like “bring ‘em on” and “dead or alive” in his first term and pledged to be more diplomatic...
"Our public diplomacy efforts aren’t very robust, and aren’t very good, compared to the public diplomacy efforts of those who would like to spread hatred and vilify the United States,” Mr Bush said. But he said he thought US efforts to aid tsunami victims would help improve Washington’s image abroad.

Yeah, those people "who would like to spread hatred and vilify the United States" respond well to diplomatic rhetoric. Come on! The aid to the Tsunami victims is the diplomacy of the US.

I love Bush because he says these things. I want my President to lead with strength and clarity of moral vision. I do not want him to bend to political sensibilities.