Barry Smitherman knows how to say he’s sorry for his mistake.

I give him plenty of credit for it, too.

The chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission was man enough to stand up and say he is sorry for a message he posted on social media that included a noose. He intended to send a message of warning to the 16 Republican U.S. senators who voted to break a filibuster against gun-control legislation pending in the Senate.

http://www.texastribune.org/2013/04/11/texas-top-oil-and-gas-regulator-retweets-noose-ima/

Smitherman, also a Republican, opposes legislation that would require universal background checks for those seeking to buy a firearm. But he chose some poor imagery, he said, in depicting his position.

There was none of that “If I offended anyone …” language in his apology. Nor was there any of that annoying passive-voice “mistakes were made” stuff in it. He stood up and said he is sorry. Period.

I had the pleasure of meeting Smitherman in early 2012 as he was running for election to the Railroad Commission. He comes across as an erudite fellow who knows a great deal about the oil and gas industry, which the Railroad Commission regulates in Texas.

It’s curious, however, that he would weigh in on an issue over which the RRC has zero purview. Perhaps he’s thinking about running for another public office down the road, eh?

Whatever. He erred in using the noose image and said he is sorry for doing so.

Apology accepted, Mr. Chairman.