Talk about a PR nightmare

Arizona's Republican Sen. Jon Kyl will retire when his term concludes next year. It comes not a moment too soon. On the floor of the senate last week, Kyl told a whopper. Abortions, he said, are "well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does.” Actually, it is well under 5 percent. Kyl's office recognized the error and released a statement. The senator's "remark was not intended to be a factual statement.” If not a "factual statement," then what is it? Oops. Kyl, who most Americans have never heard of, is now the butt of a gazillion jokes on Twitter and the talk shows. The late night comics are having a field day.

On Twitter, the Jon Kyl jokes take this form:

Jon Kyl was sent from the future to kill Sarah Conner. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl sponsored S.410, which would ban happiness. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

And those are the nice ones. Hah!

(A quick digression: Look at that nice mug shot of Sen. Kyl (above). Is it just me, or does he look like the stereotypical "Republican" straight out of central casting? A second career in Hollywood beckons if he wants it. Just sayin'.)