Bush the humble

George W. Bush's final press conference today was notable not only as the end of an era but also as an occasion for much-belated candor. Bush finally found the courage or self-knowledge to admit to some mistakes. Stop the presses, as they used to say in newspaper circles.

He went so far as to mention the infamous "Mission Accomplished" sign announcing the end of hostilities in Iraq shortly before the country burst into flames again - one of the great arrogance-driven blunders of the age.

But in the midst of his unaccustomed expressions of regret, he reminded us why we will miss him. How's this for a wonderful Bushism? "You know, not having weapons of mass destruction was a significant disappointment," he said.

Yeah, what a bummer. We all just wanted to breathe a sigh of relief that Saddam had nuclear weapons.

At least Bush has moved beyond a general refusal to admit to screw-ups. This is more than his diehard supporters are prepared to do. Remember Abu Ghraib? They long ago had written this off as no worse than fraternity-style hazing.

Er, not exactly. Bush himself now admits the obvious, even using the dreaded word: "Abu Ghraib, obviously, was a huge disappointment, during the presidency."

Of course, other parts of the news conference were a defense of his sorry record against all the evidence. Still, this is progress. Bush has begun to flirt with reality. It's a shame it took eight years.