A thorough expression of remorse, particularly considering that his intent was clear all along. A bunch of commenters made the same point last night that he makes here, namely, that the “cool” reception by the cadets was actually military protocol about receiving politicians politely but not ecstatically so as not to indicate political preference. Was that protocol in effect last night, though? From Spiegel:

One can hardly blame the West Point leadership. The academy commanders did their best to ensure that Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama’s speech would be well-received.

Just minutes before the president took the stage inside Eisenhower Hall, the gathered cadets were asked to respond “enthusiastically” to the speech. But it didn’t help: The soldiers’ reception was cool.

One didn’t have to be a cadet on Tuesday to feel a bit of nausea upon hearing Obama’s speech.

Sounds like the White House thought the C-in-C deserved more than politeness for the occasion. Oh well. Exit question: Is Matthews right that it’s unfair to presume the average cadet is more hawkish than Obama? Hmmmmmmmm.

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