He seems to have crumbled under the pressure, but the statement is truly weird:
Last year, after Bristol and I broke up, I was unhappy and a little angry. Unfortunately, against my better judgment, I publicly said things about the Palins that were not completely true. I have already privately apologized to Todd and Sarah. Since my statements were public, I owe it to the Palins to publicly apologize.
"Not completely true." Discuss. And what exactly was "not completely true"? He sounds like a dissident in a show-trial. I have, sadly, no idea of the reasons for this somewhat out-of-the-blue statement. Is he trying to win Bristol back? Is he trying to gain more reliable access to his son? Or is he just trying to create a better atmosphere for the rearing of Tripp?
I suspect, for what it's worth, that the Palins have used their real weapon against him - his love for Bristol and his kid - to coerce him back into line. For the record, nothing he said struck me as in any way far-fetched. And until he tells us what exactly wasn't "completely true", there's not much more to say.
Oh, and he was awesome on Kathy Griffin.