Oliver North on Why He Didn't Attend Reagan's Funeral

After reading this story in the Sydney Morning Herald, I don't know whether to wipe away a tear or recommend he try some anti-psychotic medication:

Oliver North, the decorated marine who personified the Iran-Contra scandal with his ramrod-straight testimony to Congress, made a final sacrifice for his former boss: He did not attend former president Reagan's funeral.

Recalling words he had on Wednesday with the former national security adviser and Reagan confidant William Clark, North said: "I told him I did not think I should be a distraction at this, and if I went, I would be.

"Every doggone camera in the place would be shooting pictures of me instead of paying attention to what was going on," North said.

The host of the Fox News Channel program War Stories with Oliver North said he was sure the media would have tried to make something out of his presence if he had turned up at the Washington National Cathedral.

"I had the national press corps camped on my front lawn for nine straight months" during Iran-Contra, said North, who was a national security aide in the Reagan White House. "And that's not what this is about."

"I revere Ronald Reagan. I certainly spent plenty of time with him in the past and I know I'll be with him in the future. Those of us who know where we are going, and know why we are going there, have no doubt that he is now in that shining city on a hill."

One thing's clear: Ollie's spending way too much time around Bill (yes, the universe really does revolve around me) O'Reilly.

BTW, that's not violin music you hear in the background. That's the sound of my self-righteous retching.