Well, maybe a little anyway. After a number of you wrote or called about his comments about Duke, he sent the following letter to one of our readers:
Dear Mr. Neal:
Thank you for contacting me regarding my comments about Duke basketball. I appreciate hearing from you.
As a North Carolinian, I am tremendously proud of our state's colleges and universities including Duke University, one of the premier institutions of higher learning in the world. The univresity has been a leader on important issues ranging from medical research to the arts, and I am pleased to have supported it by helping to secure federal grants for research and meeting with Duke's president, Nan Keohane, on several occasions.
It is true that my basketball loyalties lie elsewhere, but I respect Duke's basketball program. The Blue Devils provide an exemplary model of sportsmanship and success on and off the court and I am glad that they represent our state in such a dignified manner.
As you may know, I was an original co-sponsor of S. Res 67, a bill commending Duke for winning the 2001 NCAA men's basketball championship, which passed the Senate on April 5, 2001. I have enclosed the text of this legislation to this letter.
Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to keep in touch.
Yours sincerely,
John Edwards