Definitions by Noah Napster
teachable moment
What you say when you intend to cover for your own mistake by implying the person you wronged is also culpable but should join with you to "move past" your wrong. It allows you to avoid actually apologizing.
Once Obama read the police report and realized his comments told us more about his own views than they did the Cambridge police he concocted a media event to caste the whole ordeal as a "Teachable Moment" in order to "spread the blame".
teachable moment by Noah Napster July 31, 2009