Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) confused the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram with a mid-sized Florida city during an appearance Tuesday on CNN, the Sun Sentinel newspaper in Florida reported Wednesday.
Gosar said that if the U.S. were to pay ransom to terrorists, then “every American citizen traveling abroad becomes a subject in regard for kidnapping and then the plight of how much money has been captivated in the Boca Raton group.”
On Friday, his office issued a news release making light of the gaffe, saying that the congressman “had been awake for almost 24 hours and had given many interviews that day.”
Michael Squires, the politics editor for the Arizona Republic newspaper, posted a screengrab of the news release:
Really? pic.twitter.com/ABCjqUw27P
— Michael Squires (@mgsquires) February 13, 201
Actually this one is kinda funny.
“the plight of how much money has been captivated in the Boca Raton group.”
Well, we do know that it’s much less since the Madoff scandal.
Sleep deprivation also makes for some great TV viewing at my Boko Haram condo.
Fortunately, after a brief skirmish the rebel forces in Boca Raton and surrounding areas were put down in time for the early-bird dinner special.
If I were a reporter set to interview him now, I’d be tempted to open with a question seeking what he knows on shades of pale.