Why Is the U.S. Apologizing to China About Human Rights?

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Red in the Face

The State Department is pushing back against allegations that it, in essence, apologized to China over potential human rights violations here in the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner told reporters Friday in a discussion about human rights, the U.S. delegation brought up Arizona's new immigration law, calling it a "troubling trend in our society."

Both of Arizona's Republican senators demanded a retraction and apology from Posner, calling his remarks particularly offensive. And Indiana Republican Congressman Dan Burton slammed the comments made to what he called "one of the most repressive societies in the world."

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley insisted Posner was actually standing up for America by describing how debate functions in a civil society.

Under the Bus

Reverend Jeremiah Wright says President Obama threw him under the bus during the 2008 campaign.

Wright says in a letter to a charity group that the Obama administration considers him toxic. The president's controversial former pastor wrote: "I am 'radioactive,' Sir. When Obama threw me under the bus, he threw me under the bus literally! Any advice that I offer is going to be taken as something to be avoided."

Not on the List

And finally, it's a good bet that Washington's most infamous wannabe socialites — the party-crashing Salahi's — are not on the guest list for Wednesday's state dinner honoring Mexico's president.

There are new security procedures in place, and the White House isn't talking about them.

Meanwhile, Tareq and Michaele Salahi say they are owed an apology over the incident in November, when they came uninvited to a state dinner. They told Radar Online, that if a similar misunderstanding happened at their house, they would have been gracious because, "the American way is to love people…" and, "You would check the list and say, 'Oh, you're not on the list. Could I give you a bottle of wine and send you home?"

— Fox News Channel's Lanna Britt contributed to this report.