Aso puts foot in his mouth twice in one day

Gaffe-prone Prime Minister Taro Aso has done it again. This time, he made two slips of the tongue in a day.

Discussing the shortage of doctors at regional hospitals in a meeting with prefectural governors Wednesday, Aso accused many physicians of lacking "common sense."

Later that day, he criticized the parents of kindergarten children while addressing an audience in Tokyo consisting mostly of — you guessed it — the parents of kindergarteners.

Talking to the governors in his office, Aso said, "I readily understand that hospitals in rural areas are having trouble getting doctors. There are many (doctors) who lack a fair degree of common sense. Their values are very different."

When asked by reporters later in the day what he had intended by his remarks, Aso said, "I apologize if decent doctors felt offended."

Aso also said that doctors will be held responsible for the current shortage of physicians, drawing protests from doctor groups, including the Japan Medical Association.

On Thursday, Aso retracted his remarks in a meeting at the prime minister's office with Yoshihito Karasawa, president of the Japan Medical Association, a supporter of Aso's Liberal Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of the federation of PTAs at private kindergartens on Wednesday, Aso said, "I respect the kindergarten director who said that the people who should be disciplined are mothers rather than children."

He apparently mistook the meeting as a gathering only of kindergarten teachers as some of his remarks appeared to be addressed to them. "Some of you will be having trouble with the parents who are behind the children," he said during his speech.

Apparently realizing that he had blundered, Aso toned things down midway through his speech. "Children should be raised with affection," he said.

Informed of Aso's remarks on doctors, Toshio Nakagawa, an executive board member of the medical association, looked stunned and said: "I can't believe it. I'd like to confirm (what Aso said)."

Mamoru Kurokawa, representative of an 800-doctor group, said: "I was surprised. It is a shame as the remarks cannot be taken as the words of a prime minister of a country and lack consideration."