Another unfortunate name gaffe from Opposition Leader Kim Beazley this morning, this time when attempting to express his condolences to Rove McManus on the day of his wife Belinda Emmett’s funeral.

Bomber opened a door stop in Sydney this morning with these words – listen here: 

“…Today our thoughts and the thoughts of many, many Australians will be with Karl Rove as he goes through the very sad process of burying his beloved wife. And I just want him to know that my thoughts and the thoughts of my colleagues are very much with him today.”

The Opposition leader had mixed McManus up with Republican strategist Karl Rove, George Bush’s senior political advisor in the White House.

Beazley’s brain has let him down before, with Peter Beattie labelling it a “senior’s moment“:

  • In August the Opposition Leader mistook outgoing Reserver Bank governor Ian Macfarlane for his namesake, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane. Beazley then launched into a political attack, claiming that Mr Macfarlane’s views on interest rates proved he was out of touch with ordinary Australians, before being corrected.
  • In April Beazley was embarrassed when during a radio interview he couldn’t remember the names of Labor’s five South Australian senators.
  • The forgetful Opposition leader mispronounced Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile’s name.
  • Upon being told that Bali convicted drug user Michelle Leslie would walk free in November last year, he got the model’s name wrong — “What are your thoughts on what’s happened to Michelle Leslie?” Adelaide presenter Leon Byner asked Mr Beazley straight after a news break.  Beazley stammered for several seconds, according to a Daily Tele report before hesitantly replying, “Oh, well, I’m glad she’s out. Michelle Lee, I think.”

Beazley’s office has now released a statement, admitting that the Labor leader “misspoke.”