Fictitious Lincoln quote won't die

Don Young, a Republican congressman from Alaska, is moving up in the ranks of the most simple-minded lawmakers in Washington.

A few hours ago, Young expressed disdain for congressional critics of the war in Iraq by using a bogus Lincoln quote that's been widely discredited in recent days (including in this post by The Rascal).

You'd think that one of Young's staffers would have been keen enough to steer the boss away from such potential embarrassment. Or perhaps they figure the folks back home in Alaska are dumb enough to be swayed by the phony reference to Honest Abe.

After all, those people also have elected the detestable Ted Stevens to the U.S. Senate.