For some reason, the media seems to think it's the strangest thing in the world that George Bush refuses to acknowledge even the most obvious mistakes made by his administration.

As a PR exec who's been around the block a few times, I am occasionally asked, "What is he thinking?" (or by the more hardcore politico types, "What is Karl Rove thinking?")

The answer is really very simple.

The last time we had a president who truly admitted mistakes -- or showed any sincere introspection whatsoever -- he was run out of office on a rail.

Can you believe, in 1979, we actually had a president who told the American people these words:

In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.

Braver words have rarely been spoken by a politician. In fact, this remarkable speech by Jimmy Carter -- hence derisively labeled the "malaise speech" -- is one of the most honest, heartfelt addresses I've ever read by a president.

And look where that got him.

So, in other words, it's NOT Bush's fault, or Karl Rove's fault. None of it.

It's your fault, and mine.