We've seen it happen before: disinformation, disseminated for political reasons, becomes a talking point, and then, maybe, conventional wisdom. And there's a real risk of this happening with respect to the House's health care proposal.

Time's Mark Halperin is linking to this morning's Associated Press story, which repeats the claim--based on the claim of one anonymous Democratic aide--that the bill will cost $1.5 trillion. But the Congressional Budget Office--normally the arbiter of these things for reporters--says the bill will cost significantly less. One trillion dollars, specifically. And that's the number House health care leaders--and most reporters--cite on the record when asked.

Not the AP, though. They seem to be standing by their flimsy story. Flimsy or not, though, it's starting to take hold.