I don’t know if this was planned or just an example of what happens when a person has trouble distinguishing facts from wishful thinking, but the latest iteration in the conservative Benghazi conspiracy theory may have been dealt a mortal blow. It’s worth pointing out the whole basis of the recent thrust was some emails supposedly revealed to ABC News showing the WH was involved in crafting talking points after the attack. That in itself is hardly surprising, but the GOP glommed onto it like it was the missing Nixon tapes. Then the WH released the actual emails showing that the purported emails — which it turns out were merely scrawled notes taken by Republican lawmakers/staffers — ABC based their scoop on were, at best, misleading and may have been intentionally cooked by GOP sources.

TPM — The discrepancy between the documents ABC was provided and the official records has led White House officials, congressional aides, and outside observers to the conclusion that a GOP member or staffer falsified notes or tendentiously interpreted administration emails — and then leaked them — to create the impression that the White House had sided with the State Department in an intra-agency dispute to protect President Obama from political blowback.

It’s beginning to look like even this luke warm controversy was in itself faked and cooked by conservatives sources looking to create a scandal out of thin air. Cue the usual suspects whining that it’s all part of the as yet unstated eleventy-billion dimensional WH conspiracy. But I get the feeling talking to reporters that members of the media far and wide know full well ABC News got spun, they’re not amused at all, and the leaker who leaked the fake shit may be praying he or she does not get outed right about now. It could mean censure, dismassal or legal action depending on what kind of security agreement the original leaker[s] signed and/or broke.