In a February 3 statement on the House floor, Rep. Barney Frank responded to false claims that circulated in the right-wing media that he had planned to introduce a bill on universal voter registration.

Media Matters for America documented how the claim originated with Wall Street Journal writer John Fund and spread to other right-wing media figures and outlets, including The Washington Times, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck.

In his floor statement, Frank recounted how the falsehood spread through the right-wing media: “It begins with a lie from this editorial writer from The Wall Street Journal. It is then a lie repeated by all of his right-wing colleagues.”

In concluding his remarks, Frank stated: “I hope people will take from this the lesson to be very skeptical when these right-wing propagandists - Limbaugh, Beck, or The Washington Times, or The Wall Street Journal editorial board -- propagate these vicious smears.”