Rachel Maddow, Just Wrong or a Liar?

From Newsbusters, Rachel Maddow Exposed for Lying About Wisconsin Having Budget Surplus.

To sum up, from Rachel;

I’m here to report that there is nothing wrong in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is fine. Wisconsin is great, actually. Despite what you may have heard about Wisconsin’s finances, Wisconsin is on track to have a budget surplus this year.

And from the left-leaning Politifact;

Our conclusion: Maddow and the others are wrong.

There is, indeed, a projected deficit that required attention, and Walker and GOP lawmakers did not create it. [...]

The confusion, it appears, stems from a section in [Director of the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau Robert] Lang’s memo that -- read on its own -- does project a $121 million surplus in the state’s general fund as of June 30, 2011.

But the remainder of the routine memo -- consider it the fine print -- outlines $258 million in unpaid bills or expected shortfalls in programs such as Medicaid services for the needy ($174 million alone), the public defender’s office and corrections. Additionally, the state owes Minnesota $58.7 million under a discontinued tax reciprocity deal.

The result, by our math and Lang’s, is the $137 million shortfall.

So is she lying or just wrong? I'm sure she'll be clarifying any moment now. Not reading the fine print is an honest mistake (albeit shoddy journalism) that can be corrected easily by issuing an apology and/or correction. Lying in journalism, would be bad....Clarifying any moment now.

NOTE: I did not get to this story early, I'm just piling on.