Mayor Makes Limp-Wristed Apology

Al Krieger, the mayor of Yuma, Ariz., told the Yuma Sun on Sunday that he is apologizing for a Memorial Day speech, where he criticized the proposed repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" by saying, "I cannot believe that a bunch of lacy-drawered, limp-wristed people...could do what those men have done in the past."

But, based on his apology, it doesn't sound like the critical national response to Krieger's Memorial Day speech did much to change his attitude toward gay people.

In his latest phone interview with the Sun, he said, "As mayor I must respect the lifestyle choices of others, no matter how disagreeable they are with my personal beliefs or my personal moral standards.... I apologize for my comments at the Memorial Day service at Desert Lawn cemetery on Memorial Day."

Prior to Friday's apology, Krieger defended his comments by comparing himself to some of the nation's forefathers. During an interview with the local NBC affiliate, KYMA, he said: "I'm reluctant to compare myself to George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, but I did get some feedback, and I don't think I said anything different than what they would have said."