By E.J. Montini | Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 11:38 AM | Source: AZCentral.com
Sheriff Joe Arpaio did something earth-shattering Monday, something that I don’t believe he has done since the early 1990s.
He apologized.
And this time, it was for something done under HIS watch.
In ’93 Arpaio apologized to the four men falsely accused of murder in the 1991 Buddhist-temple massacre, a botch investigation that led to Arpaio first being elected. That investigation was conducted by the previous sheriff and a few years later Arpaio said, “I’m sorry. This is something that needed to be said, and it was something that should have been said. I’m doing it.”
I don’t recall him doing it since, until Monday.
Arpaio apologized this week to victims of what could be hundreds of botched investigations of sex-crimes cases by members of his office.
“If there were any victims, I apologize to those victims," the sheriff said.
If?
There definitely were victims and they definitely were ignored.
Supposedly, there will be ramifications within the sheriff’s department but they haven’t been announced yet.
Meantime, Arpaio goes merrily along, unapologetically ignoring those who now call for his resignation.
And why not?
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
These are the words of a man with millions in the campaign war chest and no high-profile opponent challenging him for reelection.
A man who hasn’t apologized for any of the deaths that occurred in his jails.
(Once telling me that he would “never” do such a thing.”)
Hasn’t apologized for the problems with his department’s budget.
Hasn’t apologized for the political investigations against perceived enemies in county government.
Hasn’t apologized for federal investigations or publicity stunts or anything else.
I’m sorry but, I’m not convinced that Joe’s sorry, about anything.
Why should he be? In politics, being elected and reelected again and again means never having to say you’re sorry.
