From CNN and Reuters, snippets of the Dennis Rodman apology:

“I want to first apologize to Kenneth Bae’s family,” Rodman, 52, said Thursday in a statement released by his publicist Jules Feiler. “I want to apologize to my teammates and my management team. I also want to apologize to Chris Cuomo.”

 “I embarrassed a lot of people,” said Rodman, who traveled to North Korea with other former NBA players for a basketball game against a North Korean team. “I’m very sorry. At this point I should know better than to make political statements. I’m truly sorry.”

He said the day of the interview had been “very stressful.”

“Some of my teammates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates,” he said, adding that his dream of “basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart.”

“I had been drinking,” he said. “It’s not an excuse but by the time the interview happened I was upset. I was overwhelmed.”

 

I still feel Rodman may have inadvertently given the Bae family some hope. I know the family is outraged, but more people know about Kenneth Bae today than did after Bae’s mother went to visit Bae in North Korea last month.  That was a :30 second blip on the news, if that.

Now people are at least  wondering about Bae and talking about him in a way that could force real diplomatic action.

As silver linings go, it’s an odd one. But when dealing with North Korea, you take your silver linings where you can get them.

 

 

 

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