reason prevails: "In a press conference yesterday that focused primarily on Iraq and the Terri Schiavo situation, President Bush  publicly apologized for intelligence failures leading up to to the war.  'In retrospect,' the President said, 'we could have protected our country more effectively through other means, had we been more forthcoming about the information we had.   But we are in this effort now, and we intend to see it through to the best possible end.'   The President indicated that he would seek more active U.N. participation in Iraq's democratization process, adding that 'the recent report exonerating Kofi Annan of wrongdoing' will help him spur domestic support for closer U.S./U.N. collaboration in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Regarding Terri Schiavo, the President said that 'Americans of all beliefs can join together in supporting the family in their moment of tragedy.'   He added,  'Belief is a personal matter.  The Federal government should not seek to impose the beliefs of politicians on individuals, nor should it ride roughshod over the sanctity of the family, states' rights, or an independent judiciary.'   He added, 'While my personal beliefs are pro-life, the Schiavo case was essentially a family matter, and it is unfortunate that it was treated as a political one.'"

...

The President's press secretary, Scott McClellan, reiterated the President's support for active investigations of corruption, wherever they occur, adding 'Of course, it is April Fool's Day.'"

(Via Night Light.)