Japan's New Trade Minister Resigns

Did he learn nothing from Gilbert Gottfried? Japan's trade minister Yoshio Hachiro, resigned Saturday after making a comment about the nuclear crisis that was deemed highly insensitive. While visiting the Fukushima Daiichi power plant Thursday with other government ministers, Hachiro drew criticism when he referred to the evacuation zone around the plant as "a town of death." He later told reporters he had only meant to express his concern over the dire situation at the plant and his commitment to cleaning the area so that residents could return. His gaffe and subsequent departure does not bode well for the new government, which just took office eight days ago when Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was sworn in.