NEW YORK – Top conservative commentators are pressing President Obama to embark on a “more sincere apology tour” to take responsibility for misleading comments he made about certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Although in 2009 many of them blasted the president for supposedly apologizing to other nations for America’s wrongdoings—what they called an “apology tour” at the time—many conservatives now believe that it’s “time the president take to the road again.”
On Thursday, President Obama told NBC’s Chuck Todd that he was sorry that many Americans have had their health insurance policies terminated because they do not meet minimum requirements established by the Affordable Care Act. Since 2009, Obama has repeatedly insisted that, under the sweeping law, Americans who like their health insurance plans could keep them—an insistence that now seems misleading or dishonest, as thousands of Americans lose plans they wish to keep.
Dana Perino, former Press Secretary for George W. Bush and current co-host of Fox News’s “The Five,” said that President Obama failed to prove that he’s truly sorry for misleading Americans, and offered some suggestions on how he might win back the nation’s trust. “I don’t know,” Perino said. “Maybe he could get down on his knees and beg for America’s forgiveness, and perhaps admit he’s a Muslim while he’s down there. Only then will we know he’s being sincere.”
“Personally, I’d really like to see Obama ride all across America in a tour bus with the words ‘I’m a Liar’ written across its side,” said Greg Gutfield, another “The Five” co-host. “And I think he should definitely wear a dunce hat for the remainder of his second term, to prove just how sorry he is.”
Shortly after Obama began his first term, many conservative commentators accused the president of embarking on what they called an “apology tour” in which he allegedly traveled the world, apologizing to other nations for America’s historic misdeeds. Columnist Jeff Crouere, who condemned the president’s actions back then, now believes that an apology tour is actually called for.
“In 2009, Obama was apologizing for things America had supposedly done,” Crouere recently said. “That showed great weakness, and we just couldn’t tolerate it. But if he’s running around saying sorry for his own, personal mistakes, then I’m all for it. In fact, it’s about time.”