Peggy Noonan's Open Mic Moment

Peggy Noonan found herself in a strange situation yesterday.

She's usually the one critiquing apologies made by public figures, not making an apology.

Here's the transcript and video of a conversation between Chuck Todd, Mike Murphy, and Peggy Noonan.

A summary:

Wall Street Journal columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan and former John McCain adviser, Time columnist, and MSNBC contributor Mike Murphy were caught on tape disparaging John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate.

"It's over," Noonan said.

When Chuck Todd asked her if this was the most qualified woman the Republicans could nominate, Noonan responded, "The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullshit about narratives. Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and that's not what they're good at, they blow it."

Murphy characterized the choices as "cynical" and "gimmicky."

Noonan acted quickly to explain her comments and the Wall Street Journal obliged.

She offers a long explanation about what she meant by "It's over."

Noonan says she wasn't referring to the campaign at all.

In our off-air conversation, I got on the subject of the leaders of the Republican party assuming, now, that whatever the base of the Republican party thinks is what America thinks. I made the case that this is no longer true, that party leaders seem to me stuck in the assumptions of 1988 and 1994, the assumptions that reigned when they were young and coming up. "The first lesson they learned is the one they remember," I said to Todd -- and I'm pretty certain that is a direct quote. But, I argued, that's over, those assumptions are yesterday, the party can no longer assume that its base is utterly in line with the thinking of the American people. And when I said, "It's over!" -- and I said it more than once -- that is what I was referring to. I am pretty certain that is exactly what Todd and Murphy understood I was referring to. In the truncated version of the conversation, on the Web, it appears I am saying the McCain campaign is over. I did not say it, and do not think it. In fact, at an on-the-record press symposium on the campaign on Monday, when all of those on the panel were pressed to predict who would win, I said that I didn't know, but that we just might find "This IS a country for old men." That is, McCain may well win. I do not think the campaign is over, I do not think this is settled, and did not suggest, back to the Todd-Murphy conversation, that "It's over."

In sum, Noonan doesn't think that McCain is toast. It's not over.

Noonan goes on:

I did say two things that I haven't said in public, either in speaking or in my writing. One is a vulgar epithet that I wish I could blame on the mood of the moment but cannot. No one else, to my memory, swore. I just blurted. The other, more seriously, is a real criticism that I had not previously made, but only because I hadn't thought of it. And it is connected to a thought I had this morning, Wednesday morning, and wrote to a friend. Here it is. Early this morning I saw Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and as we chatted about the McCain campaign (she thoughtfully and supportively) I looked into her eyes and thought, Why not her? Had she been vetted for the vice presidency, and how did it come about that it was the less experienced Mrs. Palin who was chosen?

In sum, Noonan regrets saying "b---s---."

She regrets that she didn't push for Kay Bailey Hutchison to be McCain's running mate. Noonan looked into her eyes on Wednesday morning and saw something.

Yeah, well, whatever.

Noonan isn't firmly behind Palin.

Who cares?

She really shouldn't be too horrified about this. She spoke her mind. She was misintrepreted. She was embarrased by the fact that she uncharacteristically blurted out a vulgarity. It could have been worse.

It's not as if she'd been caught saying stuff like Jesse Jackson did about Barack Obama during his open mic incident.

Noonan didn't say that McCain's been talking down to Republicans like Jackson said Barack has been talking down to black people. She didn't say that she wanted to cut McCain's n--- off.

Noonan doesn't have to like McCain's decision to have Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Who cares?