I'm not condemning his alcoholism. I'm condemning him getting special preferential treatment from the Sheriff of Malibu.

There is a big difference.

The fact that he had his handlers issue a statement on his behalf was to be expected. Hell, it might have taken Cheney a week, or whatever, but he made the mea culpa statement because not making it (which would have been Cheney's preference) was causing problems with the administration's supporters and poll numbers.

Did anyone really expect that Mel Gibson's publicist would NOT issue a statement in an attempt to salvage the situation as best as could be done? Come on. Nobody is that naive anymore, are they?