I'm Sure Hugh Hewitt Will Be Very Upset

It hasn't received nearly as much attention as the 60 Minutes imbroglio, but an article filled with fabricated quotes was posted on the Fox News website last week. An excerpt:

Rallying supporters in Tampa Friday, Kerry played up his performance in Thursday night's debate, in which many observers agreed the Massachusetts senator outperformed the president.

"Didn't my nails and cuticles look great? What a good debate!" Kerry said Friday….

Kerry still trails in actual horse-race polls, but aides say his performance was strong enough to rally his base and further appeal to voters ready for a change.

"I'm metrosexual—he's a cowboy," the Democratic candidate said of himself and his opponent.

A "metrosexual" is defined as an urbane male with a strong aesthetic sense who spends a great deal of time and money on his appearance and lifestyle.

Fox has retracted the story, explaining that it "was based on a reporter's partial script that had been written in jest and should not have been posted or broadcast. We regret the error, which occurred because of fatigue and bad judgment, not malice." The reporter in question was Carl Cameron.

Joshua Micah Marshall still has some questions about the affair. He also notes another recent boo-boo at the Fox campaign desk, in which the network was taken in by a tale more obviously phony than any forged memo.