The heavens open: CNN corrects Novakula

I just fell off my chair and through a hole in the Earth's mantle.

Judy Woodruff just apologized for Robert Novak's misquoting Howard Dean about Social Security.

You'll remember that Media Matters reported that Novak first stated on The Capital Gang that Dean, at a speech in Cornell University, "said, yes, Social Security has a big problem, over the years it's going to lose about 80 percent of the benefits."

Of course, Dean said 1) that benefits would be reduced to about 80 percent of the total, which would be a reduction of 20%; 2) he "would not endorse" privatizing of Social Security, adding that "[h]e acknowledged that while there were indeed problems with the program, turning to Wall Street was not the answer."

Novak didn't mention that part.

But Judy Woodruff and CNN just did.  She corrected the record, claiming that Novak misquoted Dean, and that he doesn't agree with the Bush position that Social Security is in crisis.  Then she said "we're happy to make the correction."  Then I puked in my mouth.

But I was happy to see the record corrected officially.  Predictably, Novak didn't do it himself.  He's on Crossfire now, and I'm sure he'll remain silent.

UPDATE: We're still waiting for the RNC to follow suit on the correction. Hold your breath at your own peril.