AMERICA'S Fox News apologised today for posting phoney quotes from US Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on its website. Carl Cameron, a Fox reporter who covers the Kerry campaign, wrote an item that had looked like a news story but had made-up Kerry quotes, said Paul Schur, a Fox spokesman.
The item was not intended to be posted on the site. "Carl made a stupid mistake which he regrets," Mr Schur said. "And he has been reprimanded for his lapse in judgment.  "It was a poor attempt at humour."  The phoney item read in part:

"Rallying supporters in Tampa Friday Kerry played up his performance in Thursday night's debate in which many observers agreed the Massachusetts senator out-performed the president. "'Didn't my nails and cuticles look great?  What a good debate!' Kerry said Friday." The item also quoted Kerry as saying of himself and President George W. Bush: "I'm metrosexual - he's a cowboy." After withdrawing the item, Fox posted a statement on its website apologising for the error.

It said: "The item was based on a reporter's partial script that had been written in jest and should not have been posted or broadcast. We regret the error, which occurred because of fatigue and bad judgment, not malice." Mr Cameron had been a political reporter for Fox News since 1996, Mr Schur said.  Asked about the incident, Kerry spokesman David Wade said: "America would be stronger if only George Bush could admit his mistakes as easily."