We all put our foot in our mouth from time-to-time — NewMexiKen more than most — but former L.A. mayor and now California Education Secretary Richard Riordan, wins some sort of prize. From the Los Angeles Times:
In a videotaped exchange at the city’s central library Thursday, a girl asked Riordan if he knew that her name meant “Egyptian goddess.”
Riordan, who apparently believed he’d been asked what her name meant, replied, “It means stupid, dirty girl.” Some in the room laughed nervously, and the girl again told Riordan the meaning of her name. “Hey, that’s nifty,” he said.
He has since apologized.