Why is Levi Johnston making nice with the Palins?

Levi Johnston is calling a truce in his war of words with Sarah Palin, or possibly surrendering. Johnston, who fathered a child with Bristol Palin, tells People that he "publicly said things about the Palins that were not completely true," blaming post-breakup anger and "youthful indiscretion." Why is Johnston apologizing now? And if he lied before, should we believe him this time around? (Watch an AP report about Johnston's apology)

Perhaps Levi and Bristol are reuniting: Johnston's apology certainly lends "a bit more credence" to the rumors that he and Bristol are rekindling their romance, says Christopher Weber in Politics Daily. If the couple can move past the "cattiness" he showed in painting Sarah Palin as a mopey, "uncaring opportunist eager for fame," that can only be good for their son, Tripp.

"Levi Johnston apologizes to the Palins"

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Palin's "put the screws on Levi": "Palinland" is as secretive as North Korea, says Andrew Sullivan in The Atlantic, but it sounds like a "panicked" Sarah Palin is holding a "metaphorical gun" to Johnston's head, using his access to Tripp as a "weapon" to keep him from talking to neighboring biographer Joe McGinniss, or other inquiring minds. How else to explain not only the apology, but also his threats to disown his own sister if she doesn't keep quiet?

"Something is happening in Palinland"

He realized he was a media pawn: The explanation is pretty simple: Johnston "lied" about the Palins, says Don Surber in the Charleston, W.V., Daily Mail, and now he's grown up enough to apologize. That's more than we can say about certain media "goons" who paraded this "jock from a troubled family with a big chip on his shoulder" around just to "get back at Sarah Palin."

"Palin gets an apology"

He was going through spotlight withdrawal: "It's nice to think that Levi finally got contemplative about the damage his comments may have caused," says Josh Duboff in New York Magazine, but it's more likely that it's just been "far too long since he had snared headlines," and he knew an apology would spawn juicy ones. That, or he thinks the gesture is "totally going to help win back his old girlfriend."

"Levi Johnston apologizes to Sarah Palin"