UNPRECEDENTED!

A conservative actually apologized for something!!!

WASHINGTON — A contrite U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., Tuesday gave a full apology for critical comments he made about the late Sen. Paul Wellstone in a Capitol Hill newspaper.

Coleman was quoted Monday in Roll Call as saying, "To be very blunt, and God watch over Paul's soul, I am a 99 percent improvement over Paul Wellstone. Just about on every issue."

But just when 100 angry Minnesota Democrats began organizing a protest outside of Coleman's St. Paul office, the freshman senator apologized and promised to speak respectfully of Wellstone's memory.

"I apologize for those comments which diminished the memory and legacy of Sen. Wellstone," Coleman said in an interview. "The people of Minnesota should expect more from this senator. When it comes to comments about my predecessor, anything about his legacy, I'll do my best to act that way, and speak that way, in the future. And I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

Asked if he wanted to explain the context of the Roll Call remarks, Coleman replied, "No, it doesn't matter. The context doesn't matter if the inference, or the perception, is something else. I need to hold myself to a higher standard. I think the legacy of Sen. Wellstone deserves that."

Obviously, the soothing voice of Garrison Keillor was what did the little weasel in.