Flashtraffic: Comments on Moran's comments

"If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq we would not be doing this," claimed Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), who now says he regrets that he "singled out the Jewish community." So do his embarrassed colleagues: Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle pronounced March 3, the date of the Moran gaffe, "a sad day"; House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said the remarks were "offensive"; presidential candidate and Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman said Rep. Moran was "morally wrong." The No. 2 House Democrat, Steny Hoyer, characterized his colleague's statement as "stupid," but said stupidity should not be a barrier to public office: "If we all resigned every time we said a stupid thing, we might all be gone." The chastened Rep. Moran agrees with that: "I don't intend to resign."