Bill Hamilton, who oversees political coverage and edited the article, said that he was “a little puzzled” that readers didn’t see that the paper was trying to call into question rumors that Obama is secretly a Muslim and was educated in an Indonesian madrassa. Hamilton apologized that the story was misunderstood.

Since the article was published there have been angry e-mails, Hamilton said, and allegations that the Post is swift-boating the Illinois senator by discussing rumors at length, without mentioning whether they’ve been thoroughly discredited by other media.

Columbia Journalism Review’s Paul McLeary said that the Post played up the rumors about Obama’s Muslim ties, including one that the young Obama was educated at an Indonesian madrassa, without mentioning that a CNN reporter went to Jakarta almost 11 months ago and debunked the rumor.

Hamilton said that the story originated in recent weeks, following discussions with political reporters who noted how a small segment of the public—despite evidence to the contrary—believed that Obama was Muslim, or at least had a Muslim education.

Hamilton said that story was to point out the rumors that had existed. “We didn’t say it was a false rumor. To me, a rumor is not true.”

Source: Politico through Poynter Institute Romenesko