Haven’t had reason to come to President Obama’s defense much these days, but the brouhaha over his “Polish death camps” misstatement is overblown.

If you haven’t followed it, Mr. Obama mistakenly used the term “Polish death camps” in a speech where he clearly meant to say “Nazi death camps in Poland.” Many within the Polish government are furious and calling on President Obama to apologize for the slip-up. A quick clarification and unofficial apology as a matter of course is appropriate, but nothing more. This was a simple matter of misspeaking and no formal national apology is required.  Everyone (hopefully) knows the Nazis created those camps, in which millions of Poles perished.

I suspect that what the Poles are really upset about is President Obama’s now famous conversation with Russian President Medvedev, in which, thinking his words weren’t be recorded, he told Medvedev that his Administration would take up the issue of removing U.S. missiles in Poland after he is re-elected. The President said he needed “space” to get through the election.

To the Poles, who have been sold out in every conceivable way generation after generations to the benefit of either the Germans to their West or the Russians to their east, the President’s remarks smacked of treachery.  They may not be wrong in that.  If a real apology is required, it is for that.  Not for a stumble of the tongue.