Much has been written about the President's verbal gaff at a G8 luncheon last week. And I'm here to say, merde happens.

It strikes me as disingenous that journalists fault Bush for using a metaphor that in newsrooms is as common as passive voice. Having spent a great deal of time among writers and reporters, I can safely report that guardians of civility we ain't. We might get all stuffy and uptight about deploying an f-bomb in print, but in spoken language? Let's just say, you won't hear a lot of “oh shoots” and “oh dears” when writers describe something with emotional content.

Though completely reductionist, POTUS' characterization of Hezbollah's activities sums up at least one part of the equation. Hezbollah isn't in the business of cultivating roses, after all. Some situations deserve off-color descriptions.

Bush therefore shouldn't be chided for what he said but what he didn't say: That Israel should moderate its response. That the UN should pursue a multilateral solution that would include Iran and other Middle Eastern nations. That we need to better understand the issues separating Sunnis and Shiites. That more civilians shouldn't have to die.

It's what he didn't say that sucks.