The Danger Of Attractive Facts - Or - Politico Punks Pundits

[Revoltingest]

These are dangerous times for the rational voter determined to be thoughtful about issues.
When political passions run high, people will carelessly lap up any factoid which confirms their bias.
We should all guard against seeing candidates as all good or all bad. But woe unto the punked pundit
who publishes a piece using the proffered parody.

Note: for Foxophobes, I provided a 2nd (non-Fox) link. I am fair & unbalanced.
Note: While the stunt was pulled on lefties, it could just as easily happen to any group....even vaunted Libertarians.

Columnist Paul Krugman and other commentators were apparently duped Wednesday after Politico ran a satire piece that included what -- if true -- would have been an inflammatory comment by Republican running mate Paul Ryan. Politico took its inspiration from a quote, attributed to a GOP operative, that actually ran in The New York Times. The operative reportedly said that if Ryan ever runs for national office again, “he’ll probably have to wash the stench of Romney off of him.”
The Politico piece

then blended that into satire – fantasy for some – with reporter Roger Simon writing that Ryan had taken to calling his running mate “Stench.” In fact, Ryan was so embarrassed to be part of Mitt Romney’s “floundering” campaign, Simon wrote, that he was openly sneering at the man on top of his ticket.

"Paul Ryan, I am sure, calls Mitt Romney something more dignified than 'Stench.'”​

- Roger Simon, Politico

“If Stench calls, take a message,” Ryan supposedly had been telling aides. “Tell Stench I’m having finger sandwiches with Peggy Noonan and will text him later,” Simon quoted Ryan as saying.
Krugman, a blogger for MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and a host of other liberal pundits fell for Simon's satire -- apparently finding the quote too good to not be true.

Pundits punk'd by satirical claims Ryan dissed Romney | Fox News
Politico

Hmmmm.....I wonder if someone will create a sock puppet named "Old Stench"?