You just had to know there was going to be more to this story.

On Tuesday, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell issued a proclamation declaring April to be Confederate History Month (not to be confused with the Emancipation Proclamation).

I'll just let that sink in for a minute. Because it gets better.

Apparently, in his original proclamation, the Republican governor left out what is obviously an insignificant (his own word) detail in this whole Civil War thing: slavery.

Bob McDonnell left slavery out of his proclamation, saying he had included the "most significant" issue. Wait for it, 3...2...1 and BAM, apology.

"The proclamation issued by this Office designating April as Confederate History Month contained a major omission. The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed," McDonnell said in a statement.

So it went from being insignificant to "major omission". Here's what he said before his apology, in response to missing slavery:

"There were any number of aspects to that conflict between the states. Obviously, it involved slavery. It involved other issues. But I focused on the ones I thought were most significant for Virginia."

Alright, you are the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, correct? This is the same state that housed the capitol of said Confederacy. Also, without question, its most famous son was none other than a slave-owning, "All Men Are Created Equal" writing, founding father - who just happened to have a few kids with one of his slaves. So obviously this isn't significant for Virginia. (Full disclosure: I live in Virginia - sort of. I live in Arlington, which might as well be DC.)

I should also add that I did like another part of McDonnell's apology:

"Slavery was an evil, vicious and inhumane practice which degraded human beings to property, and it has left a stain on the soul of this state and nation."

I'll say one thing: this guy has great writers. That's how he got elected to that seat in the first place. But here's the thing, and take this really serious because my readers here know that I very rarely speak serious ill of elected officials: I don't think he really believes that.

No, I am not saying McDonnell is wishing the days of slavery would return. I'm just not sure he thinks Virginia has much of a "stain" from slavery. I'm not sure I do either, but I'm not from here. When you think about slavery though, you think Thomas Jefferson sure, but then attention moves to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, etc. That said, McDonnell had absolutely no business leaving it out.

If you're sitting there thinking, "how in the world did this guy get elected," just stop. Here are the answers: an awful Democratic candidate named Creigh Deeds, who couldn't seem to get off of McDonnell's extremely conservative leanings, which did include a thesis that says working women are hurting America. Second, a toxic health care debate. And third, Virginia's ridiculous need to be "different" from everyone else. You know, like leaving the Union to do whatever it was that was more significant than slavery.

All of this is why I went down to the mall to visit my guy Abe on the way home last night. Engraved into the north wall of the memorial is his second inaugural address, which, despite McDonnell's statements about the insignificance of slavery, says this in its opening lines:

One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war.

And, with all that is given to the Gettysburg address, about whether a nation so charged could survive, it was the end of that inaugural speech that provided the road map.

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

We would all do well to remember that more often than not. Not, "with malice in our hearts," but, "with malice toward none."

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I really just have a couple of links, because I wanted to leave you with all of that above.

- Mine safety concerns were raised at the same mine in question on the day of the explosion that has so far killed 25, with four missing and likely dead as well. Contrary to the lead in the article, rescue workers have been forced to stay out of the mine due to high levels of toxic gases, namely methane (CH4).

- And presidents of what were once the world's most dominant superpowers signed onto an historic new START treaty this morning in Prague. Despite all that has happened domestically with President Obama, this is yet another sure symbol of his influence abroad.

- This has to be the dumbest person in the world. Seriously.

- Finally, here is the newest Tiger Woods ad from Nike. Almost sickeningly brilliant: