Bill Maher and Political Public Apologies On our Op-Ed page yesterday Bill Maher called for an end to fake outrage and "playacted hurt," and asked Americans to stop apologizing. Expressing contrition for unfiltered remarks is becoming an election-year tradition. National political figures are now quick to ask forgiveness when they've offended delicate sensibilities; conversely, they rarely take responsibility for truly poor decisions and harmful policies. Since Mr. Maher focused on needless apologies, I thought I'd take a look back at apologies that should have been delivered, but never were. Lyndon Johnson, for ordering covert operations in the gulf of Tonkin and then lying about it, leading to the war in Vietnam. Also for expanding the war while promising not to, and for systematically lying about the nature of the conflict to Congress and the country. Richard Nixon for Watergate. President George H.W. Bush for questioning the patriotism of Gov. Michael Dukakis in the 1988 campaign. Bill Clinton for consistently dissembling about small things to the point where it interfered with his ability to do big things. He did apologize about the Lewinsky affair. General Colin Powell for leading a virtual mutiny against President Clinton over gays in the military, leading to the damaging "don't ask don't tell" law. He did come out in support of repealing the measure in 2010. George W. Bush for misleading the nation about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, starting a war of choice in that country, and then bungling the war. Also for warrantless wiretapping, torture and Guantanamo Bay. Dick Cheney, for all of the above. John Yoo, for writing the legal memo justifying torture. Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, John Kerry and all of the other Democrats who voted to give Mr. Bush carte blanche to invade Iraq and then later claimed they didn't do that. Barack Obama, for promising to close Guantanamo Bay and then failing to do so. The Bush and Obama administrations for the arrest and torture of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen who was the victim of mistaken identity. Add in the case of Khalid El-Masri, a German citizen kidnapped by the C.I.A. and tortured because they thought he was Khalid Al-Masri, a Qaeda operative. Or any of the other victims of extraordinary rendition. Canada long ago apologized to Mr. Arar and made financial restitution. That's just a start so, please, add your examples in the comments, and feel free to weigh in on apologies generally. Should Robert De Niro have apologized for the First Lady joke? For that matter, should Bill Maher have apologized for calling Sarah Palin a word I can't use in this newspaper?