BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Rudd apology for strip club visit

Why is a prominent Autralian politician apologizing for going to a strip club?

The leader of Australia's opposition Labor Party has apologised for visiting a strip club in New York while representing his country at the UN.

Kevin Rudd went to the club in Manhattan in September 2003 during a visit to the city as a UN observer.

Mr Rudd has released a statement apologising for any offence which his actions may have caused...

A bookish intellectual with a strong Christian faith, Kevin Rudd has a slightly dull, even nerdy public persona.

I don't apologize for visiting a strip club in September of 2003. Nor do I apologize for visiting a strip club at any other time that year or any other year. Except maybe that one where there was so much perfume in the air I had to leave within five minutes. I both regret and apologize for entering that establishment.