Perry Bacon, Jr.

Things are looking grim for Washington Post reporter Perry Bacon, Jr.

Mr. Bacon is the author of today's front-page story examining "rumors" (otherwise known as right-wing lies) that Barack Obama is a Muslim.

A rumor appeared on the Internet this morning that Mr. Bacon is a convicted child rapist.

That rumor has now made it onto the website of the Washington Post itself:

There is an Internet rumor that the author of this story, Perry Bacon, Jr., is a convicted child rapist.

Does Mr. Bacon deny this rumor?

If he does not deny it, should we assume that it is true?

And, why would the Washington Post continue to employ someone who does not deny that he is a convicted child rapist?

I hope that Mr. Bacon and his employers will clear this rumor up as quickly as they can, so as to limit the damage to his and his newspaper's credibility.

I know I don't want to read stories written by someone who might very well be a convicted child rapist, and I am sure that there are millions of other people who feel the same way.