Serious Speaking About Stupidity and Arrogance
Alberto Fernandez is a senior State Department official who, in an Arabic interview on Al-Jazeera, said that the United States would be remembered for "stupidity" and "arrogance" in its handling of the war in Iraq. I admit to not reading the whole article when it came out the other day, but I was pleased to hear that at least one senior person in the administration had his head out of his ass.

Tony Snow, the White House press secretary, was asked about the quote and gave the standard he-must-have-been-misquoted response that you give when you don't know what the hell is going on. The BBC (a news source that more of us should be paying attention to — its in the links of the right) noted that their Arabic speakers confirmed that he said what he was reported to have said.

Probably shocking no one, Mr. Fernandez has now issued a non-retraction retraction, saying:

"Upon reading the transcript of my appearance on Al-Jazeera, I realized that I seriously misspoke by using the phrase 'there has been arrogance and stupidity' by the U.S. in Iraq," Alberto Fernandez said in an e-mail sent to reporters by the State Department and attributed to him.

"This represents neither my views nor those of the State Department. I apologize."

Yeah, that should clear things up. Everything is once again right with the world. I hope that the whole world can see our steely resolve in the face of the enemy.