By Glenn Whitney

Memo to Gordon Brown (and your minders, Peter Mandelson for instance).

This is an unqualified apology:

“I am very sorry for offending you. I can well imagine I have hurt your feelings. I was out of line. I acted unthinkingly and insensitively. I am very, very sorry.”

This is not an *un*qualified apology:

\"I do apologise if I\'ve said anything that has been hurtful.\"

And that’s what Brown actually said to a woman he was caught on microphone but in private calling \"a bigot\" after having a lively exchange with her over immigration on the campaign hustings.

It was a similar sort of caveated apology he gave after writing a condolence note filled with misspellings and poor penmanship last November to a mother whose son had recently died Iraq.

For more detail on what is likely to be the decisive gaffe of Brown’s career, check out: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8649853.stm