Gibbs Walks Back Line That Ahmadinejad Is ‘Elected Leader’ of Iran

During today’s press gaggle, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said he made a mistake by calling the just-sworn-in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the “elected leader” of Iran:

MR. GIBBS:  Well, let me correct a little bit of what I said yesterday.  I denoted that Mr. Ahmadinejad was the elected leader of Iran.  I would say it’s not for me to pass judgment on.  He’s been inaugurated, that’s a fact.  Whether any election was fair, obviously the Iranian people still have questions about that and we’ll let them decide that.  But I would simply say he’s been inaugurated and we know that is simply a fact.

Forgive me for missing yesterday that Gibbs said even that. The blog of the National Iranian American Council called Gibbs’ initial remarks a “gaffe.”