CBS analyst apologizes to Pelosi, Reid

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., May 10 (UPI) -- CBS Sports golf analyst David Feherty apologized Sunday to two top Democrats for joking that "any U.S. soldier" would kill them if given the opportunity.

In an essay for Dallas' D Magazine about his new neighbor in Dallas, former President George W. Bush, Feherty wrote glowingly of Bush and said U.S. military personnel still strongly support their former commander in chief. However, he suggested such support could threaten the lives of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"Despite how the conflict (in Iraq) has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death," he wrote.

Feherty, a native of Northern Ireland, has visited U.S. troops in Iraq and established a foundation to benefit wounded troops, Fox News Channel said Sunday in reporting his apology for the magazine essay.

"This passage was a metaphor meant to describe how American troops felt about our 43rd president," Feherty said. "In retrospect, it was inappropriate and unacceptable, and has clearly insulted Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid, and for that, I apologize. As for our troops, they know I will continue to do as much as I can for them both at home and abroad."

CBS Sports issued a statement calling Feherty's remark "an unacceptable attempt at humor" that network did not condone. The PGA Tour criticized Feherty for going "over the line," FNC reported.