Goldman Sach's Mea Culpa on Global Fiscal Horror: "We apologize"

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein ponied up a formal apology today for the cheap credit role that Goldman Sachs played in the global fiscal carnage we've all grown to love over the past 18 months, according to the Wall Street Journal MarketWatch: "We participated in things that were clearly wrong and have reason to regret," Blankfein reportedly said, adding "we apologize."
Goldman received, and paid back, more than $10 billion in taxpayer funding as part of the federal Troubled Assets Recovery Program (TARP).
Goldman also announced that it is creating a $500+ million support program for small businesses, including tapping an advisory panel that features economic all-stars like Warren Buffet.
Critics charge that the support program is nothing more than flimsy smoke to blunt an expected announcement that Goldman Sachs will shortly be paying out up to $23 billion in executive bonuses before the end of the year.
Strategic reputation management and trust building? Or more of the same that brought us all here in the first place?