Passport mess blamed on official

WASHINGTON - The current passport mess is rare among government foul-ups: A top federal official has publicly taken the blame and expressed regret.

“Over the past several months, many travelers who applied for a passport did not receive their document in time for their planned travel. I deeply regret that,” says Assistant Secretary of State Maura Harty, who is in charge of U.S. passports. “I accept complete responsibility for this.”

The government started requiring more Americans to have passports on Jan. 23 in an effort to thwart terrorism. By summer, more than 2 million people were waiting for passports; half a million had waited more than three months since applying for a document that typically was ready in six weeks.