This was going to be a story about Senator Chris Dodd's personal stimulus plan -- authoring a book about the financial crisis.
But like everything on the interwebs, the fact that he's agreed to write a book is not quite true, even though it was picked up here, here, here, and -- perhaps most telling -- here:
His friends on the other side of the aisle were quick to help. The National Republican Senatorial Committee quickly fired off a press release, suggesting a slightly different title... "13 Weeks: The Senate Banking Committee Chairman's Time in Iowa While the Housing Market Collapsed."
By mid-day Friday, we learned there is no book deal.
The Senator has not signed on any dotted line. In fact, there's still this little hurdle of the Senate Ethics Committee.
The publishing company, Crown, which is an imprint of Random House issued this "clarification" by e-mail Friday:
Um, whoops.
A publishing insider tells us that this is not Senator Dodd promoting a book deal, but really the mistake of the publisher, Crown, making an inaccurate, premature announcement.
But the best official line may be this: "If Crown and Senator Dodd reach agreement, Senator Dodd plans to donate his proceeds from this forthcoming book to charity."
The forthcoming book that isn't forthcoming.
Except that you can pre-order the book here on the Random House website, or here on Amazon for just a recession-proof $16.29!
The non-book book is expected in June.