Mitt's Osama-Obama Slip

So what?

Why is a slip of the tongue news?

Mitt Romney made the quite common Osama-Obama mistake.

GREENWOOD, S.C. -- In a slip of the tongue, Republican Mitt Romney accused Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama of urging terrorists to congregate in Iraq.

In the midst of criticizing Obama and other Democrats on foreign and economic policy Tuesday, the GOP presidential hopeful said:

"Actually, just look at what Osam — Barack Obama — said just yesterday. Barack Obama, calling on radicals, jihadists of all different types, to come together in Iraq. That is the battlefield. ... It's almost as if the Democratic contenders for president are living in fantasyland. Their idea for jihad is to retreat, and their idea for the economy is to also retreat. And in my view, both efforts are wrongheaded."

Romney apparently was referring to an audiotape aired Monday in which a speaker believed to be terrorist Osama bin Laden called for insurgents in Iraq to unite and avoid divisions. The authenticity of the tape aired on Al-Jazeera television could not be immediately confirmed.

Romney also said: "It's my personal belief that having someone like John Edwards, a senator, who goes out and communicates that there is no global war on terror — that it's just a Bush bumper sticker — I think that is a position that is not consistent with the facts."

Romney quickly corrected himself. He didn't even get the entire "Osama" name out.

Although Romney's spokesman Kevin Madden said it was just a simple mistake, the Obama camp chose to take a swipe at Romney's err.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said, "Apparently, Mitt Romney can switch names just as casually as he switches positions, but what's wrongheaded is continuing a misguided war in Iraq that has left America less safe."

Whenever a Republican is criticized for saying "Osama" instead of "Obama," I think back to Ted Kennedy's slip.

Was that an AP story?

On January 12, 2005, during questions after a speech at the National Press Club on the future of the Democratic party, Kennedy said:

Why don't we just ask Osama bin -- Osama Obama -- Obama what -- since he won by such a big amount. Seriously, Senator Obama is really unique and special.

Remember CNN's Osama Obama gaffe?

CNN apologized Tuesday for mistakenly promoting a story on the search for Osama bin Laden with the headline "Where's Obama?"

A spokesman for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama said the apology was accepted.

The blunder came Monday evening on Wolf Blitzer's news show, "The Situation Room." Both Soledad O'Brien and Blitzer offered separate apologies during CNN's morning show on Tuesday.

CNN called it a "bad typographical error" by its graphics department.

"We want to apologize for that bad typo," Blitzer said. "We also want to apologize personally to Sen. Barack Obama. I'm going to be making a call to him later this morning to offer my personal apology."

Tommy Vietor, Obama's press secretary, said he appreciated the bloggers and activists who brought the error to light so quickly and helped make sure it was corrected.

The Obama campaign can tolerate mistakes by Ted Kennedy and CNN, but it won't cut Romney the same slack.

The lib media and Obama's campaign want Romney's slip of the tongue to be seen as an intentional attack.

Lame.