An Exercise in Crisis Spinning

In the wake of his racist barrage captured on stage, Michael Richards has hired a public relations expert , someone who's hopefully quite adept in the ways of spin. Here's part of what New York publicist Howard Rubenstein had to say on Richards' behalf:

"Michael apologized profusely. He wants to heal the tremendous wound that he's inflicted on the American public, and on the African-American community."

Apart from the obvious and frightening underlying issues at work here -- issues that point to a lingering and deep-seated racist grip still at work in America -- it will be interesting to follow this story from this angle, to see how (and, truly, if) Mr. Rubenstein can help dig Richards out of this one.

If, somehow, he actually succeeds, I may never believe anyone in the media ever again...

(Side note: man, are cell phone cameras getting good these days, or what?)