Robertson: "I did say 'assassination,' after all

Pat Robertson now admits that, yes, he did in fact call for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. He didn't really mean it, though.

Bro. Robertson issued a press release Wednesday afternoon to "clarify" his murderous remarks.

Is it right to call for assassination? No, and I apologize for that statement. I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him.

On the heels of his apology, however, Robertson goes on to cite the example of a WWII-era German theologian who (taking Robertson's word for it), threw his lot in with people who wanted to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

The brilliant Protestant theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who lived under the hellish conditions of Nazi Germany, is reported to have said:

“If I see a madman driving a car into a group of innocent bystanders, then I can’t, as a Christian, simply wait for the catastrophe and then comfort the wounded and bury the dead. I must try to wrestle the steering wheel out of the hands of the driver.”

On the strength of this reasoning, Bonhoeffer decided to lend his support to those in Germany who had joined together in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Bonhoeffer was imprisoned and killed by the Nazis, but his example deserves our respect and consideration today.

There are many who disagree with my comments, and I respect their opinions. There are others who think that stopping a dictator is the appropriate course of action. In any event, the incredible publicity surrounding my remarks has focused our government’s attention on a growing problem which has been largely ignored.

I was wrong, except that I wasn't. I'm sorry, except that I'm not.

Stay tuned.