CNN just can’t bring itself to apologize for a gross mischaracterization, during its interview with Sarah Palin, of something written in National Review. Greg Pollowitz of NRO’s Media Blog gets to the bottom of CNN’s editorial cowardice:

So he clearly, explicitly intended it to sound as though National Review were criticizing Governor Palin. That’s flatly dishonest and the apology is bunk, as is the self-pitying nonsense about “there’s always going to be people out there that are going to criticize.” Yeah, we’re going to criticize when you make stuff up and then don’t have the honor to admit the full extent of your misdeed. We’re funny that way.

In case you’re wondering what this flap is all about, here’s what CNN’s Drew Griffin asked Palin:

Yeah. Governor, you’ve been mocked in the press. The press has been pretty hard on you, the Democrats have been pretty hard on you, but also some conservatives have been pretty hard on you as well. The National Review had a story saying that, you know, I can’t tell if Sarah Palin is incompetent, stupid, unqualified, corrupt or all of the above.

Here’s what Byron York wrote in National Review:

Watching press coverage of the Republican candidate for vice president, it’s sometimes hard to decide whether Sarah Palin is incompetent, stupid, unqualified, corrupt, backward, or — or, well, all of the above.

CNN has scrubbed its transcript and edited its video of the interview to delete the embarrassing question. Again, typical.