If White House aide Kelly Sadler told the McCain family she would publicly apologize for the joke she told last week about Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., she should make good on her promise. Both because it’s the right thing to do, and because it would accelerate this sad story’s departure from the news cycle.
As the senator says his goodbyes, his loved ones should not have to endure a prolonged battle over this unfortunate joke. If White House officials are, for some reason, preventing her from issuing that apology, they should not be.
But deputy press secretary Raj Shah had a reasonable approach to the controversy at Monday’s briefing, conceding he “underst[ood] the focus” on the issue, but also insisting it’s “going to be dealt with and has been dealt with internally.”
Again, so long as that does not preclude Sadler from closing this chapter of the news cycle with a public apology, that seems fair enough. The same applies to Shah’s concerns about how Sadler’s words leaked to the press in the first place. “If you aren’t able in internal meetings to speak your mind or convey thoughts or say anything that you feel without feeling like your colleagues will betray you, that creates a very difficult work environment,” he said.
Of course, nobody should feel comfortable joking about the health of an ailing war hero, let alone within the confines of the White House. But it’s perfectly fair for the White House to be concerned both about Sadler’s comment and about how it made its way into the press. The joke was stupid, but White House leakers are using the media to undercut one another, and the entire controversy has probably exacted a toll on morale in the West Wing.
That is, of course, secondary to the pain the ordeal has caused the McCain family. Thankfully, the outpouring of upset over the comment has drowned out any defenses of it. But if the White House wants to keep further conversations internal, save a public apology from Sadler, that’s fine. In fact, it’s probably better for everyone that we put it behind us.
