The problem: Ferrer actually went to Catholic schools.
Ferrer's opponent, Mayor Mike Bloomberg is making a big deal out of the gaffe. So are the tabloids: "Fibbing Fernando" is how the Daily News played it.
Beyond the mistake, though, is an interesting question. Ferrer's defense is that he didn't actually write the offending remarks--an aide did. This, despite the fact that each item on his blog says clearly at the top "Posted by Fernando Ferrer." Now we all know that politicians farm out their press releases, speeches and other supposedly personal communications to staff. But a ghostwritten blog? Sure, blogging is evolving--there's no surer sign than that campaigns and magazines like ours have co-opted the form. But something about blogging demands authenticity: you are who you say you are. I hope pols learn this before campaign blogapalooza 2006 gets under way.
The whole episode has made the budding bloggers here on the 13th floor think about how we'll handle our own mistakes. Governing runs corrections when we get facts wrong in the magazine. On a blog, however, it's very tempting to do what Ferrer's staff did: simply edit the mistake out as though it never happened (you have to go to the Politicker to see a screenshot of the original version).
We'll fight that urge. If you notice that we've gotten our facts wrong, tell us in a comment as Benjamin Ballou did here. We'll note the correction in the text of the item near the mistake.
