To get away from _specific_ examples of tactless speech, let's talk about whether or not it's a good tactic to violently enflame your opposition.
<a href="http://www.rideside.net/drupal/node/1712#comment-10019">pamsterdam, points out one view here. (I love comment links!)</a>
I think it's a double standard. I can think of countless times when Santorum, DeLay, Frist, Bush, Cheney, Limbaugh, or <a href="http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8346">George Neumayr</a> have engaged in 'tactless' commentary.
In some ways I agree with the divisive tactics of Rove: You don't need a third of the population to win elections, so don't pander to them.
(Aside 1): Just stating that Rove uses divisive tactics is, in itself, divisive.
(Aside 2): In some ways Bush does pander, he has to name things like "Clean Air" or "Energy Independence" even if that's not the results of those initiatives.
For some reason, it seems to work like this:
Conservatives: Don't let those bastards get near your children!
America: You tell 'em!
Liberals: Don't let those bastards send your children to die in their war!
America: Gasp! They said "bastard"! And criticized the President! Don't let them near our children!
More on Karl Rove's <a href="http://www.bullmooseblog.com/2005/06/apologize-rove.html">tactlessness</a> too.
<a href="http://left2right.typepad.com/main/2005/06/i_dont_like_it_.html">A thoughtful bit on tactless speech</a>.
Rove isn't going to apologize for characterizing liberals as terrorist sympathizers, so, why should Durbin apologize? They spoke they're mind, isn't that enough? Shouldn't we reward people for speaking their mind? Is anyone _surprised_ Trent Lott secretly hopes for a segregated society? Do we think his apology has changed his opinion on that subject? Political Correctness run rampant, I say.
We've gone around this circle before, the linked post above gets it right: don't attack someone for saying something, attack what they said. Otherwise, our level of discourse ends up being _very_ constrained.
To Lott: We are not better off as a segregated society.
To Rove: The policies of this administration are at cross purposes with making America safer from Islamic Terrorism.
To Durbin: You're right, the treatment reported by the Red Cross does sound like the handy work of Nazis.
Why is that? Are we essentially a Conservative, militaristic country?
Call me naive, but I believe the US military would not have decided to detain and torture people without specific directives from the civilians in charge.
Bush has still got 42 months left on this term. It's gonna be a bumpy ride, I'm sure.
I think every thing changed after the release of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/">the greatest buddy movie ever</a>.