Dean Barnett has coined a useful new word: "Obamanations," to describe the trouble with gaffes that Barack Obama seems to be experiencing with increasing frequency. He uses the example we noted yesterday, when commenting on the way the press pre-emptively makes excuses for him:

Barack Obama, caught up in the fervor of a campaign speech Tuesday, drastically overstated the Kansas tornadoes death toll, saying 10,000 had died. The death toll was 12...

"Turns out that the National Guard in Kansas only had 40 percent of its equipment and they are having to slow down the recovery process in Kansas," Obama said, his shirt sleeves rolled up and his head glistening with sweat.

Besides, this kind of stumble might lead voters to conclude that there's a reason why Obama sticks to vapid generalities. When he wades into the swamp of specifics, he either has nothing to say or can't keep his facts straight.