The Washington Post had to issue a correction on a column from their "conservative" blogger Jennifer Rubin after she falsely claimed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was taking his time on the House of Representatives' Wuhan coronavirus package bill.
Rubin initially wrote, "Finally, the Republican-led Senate is fiddling while Rome burns. The failure to take an immediate vote on the House's relief package last week was emblematic of the sloth and irresponsibility of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell."
The issue with Rubin's charge was that the House's bill did not reach the Senate until Tuesday, the day she wrote her column.
Rubin was called out by Republicans for the baseless accusation.
Does @JRubinBlogger or the Post editorial page have editors? How does one of Washington’s biggest newspapers let egregious errors like this make it to publication?
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) March 18, 2020
The House’s relief package made it to the Senate *today.* This deserves a correction. https://t.co/VIFddn67z9 pic.twitter.com/mkkcjFVKOR
The correction from the Post states the following:
"An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) delayed a vote on the House’s coronavirus relief package. In fact, McConnell vowed to move at "warp speed" on the bill and it was only delayed due to a demand from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) for an amendment on the bill. This version has been updated."
The correction, however, is still wrong:
1 step forward: @JRubinBlogger issued a correction!
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) March 18, 2020
2 steps back: She still got it wrong. The bill was delayed due to errors in the House that kept it from getting to the Senate before Tuesday. The Senate will be passing it Wednesday.
You’re the Washington Post. Inexcusable. pic.twitter.com/6xVWNAxK4j
Rubin has been on quite the streak lately with terrible hot takes. She recently said on MSNBC there are going to be more Republicans dying from the Wuhan coronavirus than Democrats because they are taking the disease more seriously.