It isn't really an apology, and CIA chief Leon Panetta doesn't even have the manhood to make the statement himself.

A CIA spokesman is sharply downplaying Director Leon Panetta 's recent comments that appear to question whether former Vice President Dick Cheney is hoping for another terrorist attack against the United States.

"The Director does not believe the former Vice President wants an attack," CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said in a statement to CNN. "He did not say that. He was simply expressing his profound disagreement with the assertion that President Obama's security policies have made our country less safe. Nor did he question anyone's motives."

The statement comes days after the New Yorker published an interview with Panetta during which he said Cheney's recent criticism of Obama – including the decision to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba – show the ex-vice president "smells some blood in the water on the national security issue."

"It's almost, a little bit, gallows politics," said Panetta. "When you read behind it, it's almost as if he's wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point."

The statement doesn't go nearly far enough. Impugning the patriotism of Dick Cheney was a cowardly thing to do, and the fact that Panetta still has a job in this administration shows exactly how low the Obama regime is willing to sink in its effort to destroy those who fail to fall in line with its proposals.

UPDATE: You know, absent a real apology I'd rather that Panetta took the Ed Schultz route -- which at least has the virtue of being honest even as it is fundamentally disgusting.

Here's Schultz spewing his bile . . .

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Do you agree with the CIA Director that it's as if Dick Cheney hopes Americans die so that he gains a political advantage?

ED SCHULTZ: Absolutely. Absolutely.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: So you believe Dick Cheney wants Americans to die --

SCHULTZ: I want Dick Cheney to come out and say "I do not want this country to get hit, and I will do anything I can to help the president so we don't get hit."

SCARBOROUGH: You just said "absolutely."  So again, I want this on the record: you believe the former Vice-President wants Americans to die in a terrorist attack so he can gain a political advantage?

SCHULTZ: You got it, Joe.  You got it.  I think Dick Cheney's all about power.  I think Dick Cheney's all about seeing this country go conservative on a hard right-wing and I think he'll do anything to get it that way.

And a bit later . . .

SCHULTZ: I'm telling you what I think; I'm telling you what I believe. I got a lot of support when I said that on the Ed program, I got a lot of support overnight when I said it again.  I think Leon Panetta backed off of that because he probably got a talking-to.

SCARBOROUGH: But you know what?  You can also say that America took down, that we plotted to destroy and kill Americans on 9-11.  You'd get a lot of support if you said thattoo.

SCHULTZ: I don't believe that.

A bit later still . . .

MIKE BARNICLE: I certainly don't believe that the former Vice-President of the United States is sitting there in McLean, Virginia saying "you know, I hope today's the day." Do you believe that?

SCHULTZ: I really do, Mike. I do. I really believe, because I think it's all about the conservatives grabbing the power and keeping it.  These folks hate.  Just my opinion. I mean, I don't want to offend anybody.

At least Schultz is honest about questioning Dick Cheney's patriotism, whereas Leon Panetta lacks the testicular fortitude to stand by what he clearly meant. Both men and their statements are contemptible, but at least one of them is man enough to stand up and say what he believes -- and not send out a spokesperson to try to evade the clear meaning of his words.