Just days after I chuckled at the idea that conservative ideologues are finally going to build their own Huffington Post or Talking Points Memo (i.e. a serious and respected online hub for reporting and commentary), the Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb proves why the dream remains a joke: conservatives don't do journalism. Period.

Sure, yesterday Goldfarb tried, but the results were rather gruesome. Goldfarb's scoop was that the White House, and specifically chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, had threatened to close Nebraska's Offutt Air Force Base if Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) did not “fall into line” regarding health care reform." (The claim was categorically denied by the White House and by Nelson's office. Ouch.)

As Jamison Foser noted, Goldfarb's claim was illogical, his sourcing was a joke, and Goldfarb, a former McCain flak, has a history of making stuff up. So it wasn't surprising when Goldfarb showed up on Glenn Beck's show yesterday and was forced to retract a key part of his claim. (See below.)

Why wasn't that surprising? Because the right-wing blogosphere has no real history of practicing journalism. That's not part of its repertoire. It prefers to just make stuff up.

UPDATED: Even Nebraska's Republican senator doesn't believe Goldfarb's 'reporting.'