Apologizing isn't easy for some

Neither Republican National Committeeman Pat Rogers nor Bernalillo District Attorney Democrat Kari Brandenburg has the slightest idea of how to issue an apology. You'll note I cite a person from both parties to prove, just like Fox News, I am fair and unbalanced.

Perhaps an example of a sincere, heartfelt apology will help Rogers and Brandenburg get the idea. Here goes.

Last week I did a terrible thing. Trying to make a point about carpet bagging beauty queens I said that were it my goal to win a community spelling bee I would probably choose Clovis. I picked on Clovis for no good reason. Just made it up. How stupid am I? Real stupid. I dishonored the town further by calling it Clovas. The Clovis News Journal and the citizens of this community have been solid supporters of this column from day one. And how do I reward them? A slap in the face. They deserve better.

To the people of Clovis, I want to tell you I am sincerely sorry.

Better than that, know this has been a learning experience for me and I will not be taking cheap shots in the future.

Pat, Keri, is that so hard?

The Republican Party official is probably a pretty good guy who would be a lot better off if someone would confiscate his laptop. Rogers can't seem to resist sending regrettable emails. It has cost him a seat on the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, and worse yet, as in "ouch," he lost his job as vice president of the Modrall Sperling law firm.

The column is not long enough to recite Rogers' email woes, but the one that toppled him was sent to top honchos of Gov. Martinez. She had attended an annual summit with tribal and pueblo leaders. That seems a smart and reasonable thing to do. For reasons only his befuddled judgment would ever understand, Rogers decided to make cute with the situation.

Referencing Allen Weh, who ran in the GOP primary won by Martinez, Rogers wrote Weh "would not have dishonored Col. Custer in this manner." The howl heard around the state was not one of laughter but of derision.

Rogers followed with a lame apology and said his remark was a poor attempt at humor. Then, in his letter of retirement from the law firm, wrote the clamor is really the fault of politically motivated accusations that are "patently false and highly inappropriate." As they say … really?

The district attorney's office objected when criminal Christopher Blattner was sentenced to jail back in 2007 but was given a short amount of time to gets his affairs in order. Blattner took a hike and no one noticed he was gone until he wound up back in court in 2009 for drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 12 years in jail but, guess what? The sentencing order was never given to the New Mexico Department of Corrections.

As a result, Blattner got out with good time in 2012 when he should not have been released until 2015. When the cops finally figured all this out they went hunting for him. Blattner shot at them during a prolonged SWAT standoff. He is in custody again, but it is most disturbing that he is being questioned in the disappearance of a 62-year-old woman.

To her credit, DA Brandenburg said "even if you have one mistake out of 10,000 … we need to fix it." That's an appropriate response had it been accompanied by "when things like this happen, we are going to find out who dropped the ball and fire them." Instead, she said,

"The miracle is that most (sentencings) don't go wrong."

It's a miracle when the courts sentence someone they actually go to jail? Really?

My Clovis gaffe seems tame compared to these instances but nonetheless, Clovis, I am sick with remorse. I meant to say Espinyolla.

Ned Cantwell — has learned his lesson. He can be reached at: [email protected]