Updated: Right-wing attack poodles try to take down another CNN reporter …

In his post about St. John McCain's recent jaunt to Baghdad, below, Evan touched on the report that CNN's Michael Ware laughed at McCain during his Green Zone press conference. "Heckled" is how the right-wing noise machine characterized it.

(Last week, Warre ridiculed McCain's assertion that you could shoot Mentos commercials on the streets of Baghdad without any trouble.)

The report's difficult to believe on its face -- a seasoned pro like Ware being that disrespectful, that unprofessional in a public presser?

And it shouldn't be believed. The incident -- widely reported by the right-wing noise machine as one of "heckling" -- appears to be wholly fabricated. It started with Drudge, and it's working its way around the intertubes now. This diary at Kos has some of the lowlights of the story's development …

Drudge got the ball rolling with the usual third-party report by an un-named military source …

During a live press conference in Baghdad, Senators McCain and Graham were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware. An official at the press conference called Ware's conduct "outrageous," saying, "here you have two United States Senators in Bagdad giving first-hand reports while Ware is laughing and mocking their comments. I've never witnessed such disrespect. This guy is an activist not a reporter."

CNN Reporter Baghad Reporter's Continued Presence Singlehandedly … NewsBusters - 42 minutes ago

During a live press conference in Bagdad, Senators McCain and Graham were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware. An official at the press conference called …

Michael Ware heckles McCain at Baghdad press conference Hot Air, MD - 2 hours ago

Everyone's already linked Drudge's account of the presser so I'll give you CNN's version, which studiously avoids mentioning who it was who made McCain so …

"An Activist, Not a Reporter" Power Line, MN - 4 hours ago

Now, Ware has gone even farther overboard. Drudge reports that John McCain and Lindsay Graham gave a press conference in Baghdad, at which Ware heckled the …

Bias? What Bias?

Jawa Report, TX - 6 hours ago

CNN Reporter Michael Ware was caught heckling and mocking the official comments made at a press conference with John McCain and Lindsay Graham in Baghdad. …

Ware: Well, let's bear in mind that this was a report that was linked by an unnamed official of some kind to a blog, somewhere on the internet. No one is going to put their name forward. We certainly haven't heard Senator McCain say anything about it, nor has any of his staff come forward to say anything about it.

I did not heckle the Senator, indeed I did not say a word. I didn't even ask a question. In fact, when I raised my hand to ask a question, the press conference abruptly ended. So what I would suggest is that everyone that has any queries about whether I heckled, watch the video tape of the press conference.

Update: Rawstory has the video