Washington Post Writer Makes Up Brit Hume Quote

Thu, Mar 20, 2008 at 9:11:27 am PDT

On today’s Washington Post Corrections page:

The Courtland Milloy column in the March 19 Metro section incorrectly said that Fox News anchor Brit Hume referred to Barack Obama’s speech on race as “blaming whites.” Hume did not say or imply that.

(Hat tip: Patrick Poole.)

Here’s the article in question, an adulatory piece about Barack Obama in which Courtland Milloy simply makes up a quote and attributes it to Brit Hume, then goes on to equate Hume with Pat Buchanan: Invited to Wrestle in a Racial Mud Pit, Obama Soars Above It.

Of course, some still could not handle the truth. Brit Hume of Fox News, for instance, thought Obama was “blaming whites” — even though Obama specifically called on African Americans to take responsibility for their lives.

That was enough to make me want to wallow in the muck again. But Obama had made a point that was bigger than Hume or Buchanan or even himself.

Very sleazy writing. It seems that falsely attributing quotes to public people is now semi-acceptable behavior at the Washington Post—cause for a correction on page 18 but nothing more.