Ok, this one is a little tricky due to the fact that I was operating in one direction, and then, at the last minute had to veer out into another, mostly different direction. Understand? No? Let me explain:

Ethan and I chatted about doing a run down on national politicos and their screw-ups; the idea based on a TIME.com article that Ethan had read. I prepared my notes (which I’ll share with you in a moment) and was ready to go. Over at KSL, with about 5 minutes to spare, we found out that the segment was supposed to be local politicians, and everything changed. I grabbed a pad and started working my memory.

My only regret is not including the words of one Utah GOP  lawmaker, when explaining his vote AGAINST a bill making bestiality a felony, said: “They just don’t understand the rural Utah lifestyle.” The bill never passed. The reason I didn’t include it is because I can’t remember the guy’s name. So, if anyone does, include it in the comments and you win a cookie.

Here is the segment:

Download Utah Political Screwups

Here’s my notes that didn’t get used (if you click on the names, you get to see a video of them saying this stuff):

#3 Mitt Romney
April 19, 2007

“Liquefied coal, gosh. Hitler during the Second World War — I guess because he was concerned about losing his oil — liquefied coal. That technology is still there.”

—Romney, ruminating on Hitler’s scientific achievements unprompted, in a Q & A about energy policy. As the New York Sun’s Ryan Sager said at the time, you wouldn’t think that anyone running for president would have to be told, “Don’t mention Hitler in a positive light.”

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#2 Rudy Giuliani
August 10, 2007

“I was at ground zero as often, if not more, than most of the workers. I was there working with them. I was there guiding things. I was the one bringing people there. I was exposed to exactly the same things they were exposed to. So in that sense, I’m one of them.”

—Giuliani, speaking to reporters in Cincinnati and inadvertently handing his critics new ammunition regarding his role surrounding 9/11. Michael Palladino, head of the union of NYPD detectives, countered, saying the mayor’s record can’t compare to those who spent 12 months sifting through toxic debris for evidence and human remains. Giuliani later said he had misspoken and was merely trying to express his empathy for their plight.

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#1  Mitt Romney
August 8, 2007

“One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping to get me elected because they think I’d be a great president.”

—Romney, at a campaign event in Iowa, defending his five sons’ decision not to enlist in the military. Romney later argued the quote was taken out of context.*

*How the hell do you take that out of context?