Correction: Independent incorrectly reported hip surgery-Obamacare story

 
The Colorado Independent briefly posted a story this morning reporting from a Congressional Quarterly transcript that U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner in a 2011 House hearing revealed he had undergone two hip replacement surgeries. That is incorrect. The transcript misidentified the speaker. It was Colorado U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette speaking about her hip surgeries at the hearing, as her office has confirmed.

We regret the error.

The apparent revelation that Gardner had undergone the surgeries seemed well worth reporting — the Congressman being a 39-year-old who has spoken about his health care repeatedly when expressing his opposition to the Affordable Care Act. For that reason, The Independent reached out repeatedly to the Congressman’s campaign and to his congressional offices, by phone and email, seeking to confirm that he had undergone the hip surgeries and asking for comment before publication. We received no response. Gardner and DeGette are both members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee where Rep. DeGette made her comments on the surgeries, long-term health care and pre-existing conditions.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Who cares about accuracy as long as you are first to report the story! Journalistic integrity at it’s finest…

  2. Look, we all make mistakes.

    For example, I thought the Colorado Independent practiced journalism.

    I have three questions:

    – Why was the Independent looking at a three-year-old Congressional Quarterly transcript in the first place? Just casual reading?

    – Does the Independent expend as much energy examining Senator Udall’s background as it does Representative Gardner’s. Never mind, I already know the answer.

    – How was the mistake discovered?

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