So the new head of the Intelligence Committee doesn't know the first thing about al Qaeda.

Democratic Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas:

When asked by CQ National Security Editor Jeff Stein whether al Qaeda is one or the other of the two major branches of Islam -- Sunni or Shiite -- Reyes answered "they are probably both," then ventured "Predominantly -- probably Shiite."

Here's the whole harrowing interview. Remember how the Democrats ran on the competence issue?

IN THE COMMENTS: Our dear Reader_Iam says:

When I first heard this story, it instantly struck me that the only thing absolutely shocking about it, to me, was how profoundly unsurprising it is.