Testy about truthiness: Stephen Colbert. (AP Photo/HO/Comedy Central/Joel Jefferies)

AP reporter Heather Clark. (AP Photo)

It's every reporter's nightmare: a fake news show, an angry accusation, a panel of linguists caught up in a monumental argle-bargle. OK, maybe not EVERY reporter.

But it came true for Heather Clark, a reporter in the AP's bureau in Albuquerque, N.M., and she has a few choice words for one late-night Comedy Central host. For starters: "It's not like Stephen Colbert is a David Letterman or Jay Leno."

If you manage to stay up past "The Daily Show," you may have heard about Clark, who ended up in Colbert's dog house after she dared not mention the "Colbert Report" host in a story she wrote about a group of linguists who had settled on a word that best reflects the year 2005. A word Colbert claims as his own, one he says he pulled out of his "keister."

"Truthiness." Does it mean anything? Possibly. Did Colbert invent it? He most definitely didn't. Or maybe he did. It depends on who you ask, and whether they heard the question. Either way, there's no way The Associated Press is a bigger threat to America than bears.

The point is, it's time for Clark to say her piece. Here's her side of the story:

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Truthiness be told, I never had seen "The Colbert Report" until my name graced its "Dead To Me" board this week. And it's not like Stephen Colbert is a David Letterman or Jay Leno.

When my neighbor Mike Prokos called me with the news that I have the dubious honor of being the only individual on Colbert's "Dead To Me" board, I was relieved. Usually when Mike calls it's to warn me that my St. Bernard is terrorizing large vehicles in the neighborhood.

But then I had to turn my attention to my 3-year-old twins, who are in the throes of potty training. Yes, Mr. Colbert, you rank lower on this mom's list of priorities than certain, shall we say, bodily fluids.

Then the e-mails came pouring in -- more than 400 and counting as of Friday. (This story probably won't help.)

The typical e-mail demanded that I apologize to Colbert and write a correction. But there were some standouts among them.

My favorite was from a blogger who said he was from the Philadelphia area: "I hope, in fact, I am sure, Colbert will invite you on the show where you both may win the 2006 award with the word mistakimess." So how about it, Colbert?

And this: "How dare they question your truthilarity!" That someone signed his e-mail "Western Otto."

The e-mails also renewed my faith in the human race. For starters, there were only four obscenities among them and only one pseudo-biblical reference to the fact that I'm going to someplace hot and toasty for all eternity. That said, I must say that a certain blogger who demanded I make amends by doing a certain act in public should seek professional help.

And thanks to those few voices of support among you. I won't mention you here by name, lest you suffer my fate.

To the rest of you in the blogosphere -- get back to work, you people! Who are you? Why are you wasting your time with this drivel?

And oh, the names you people can come up with -- "yellow journalista," "crap-eating monkey," "Republican." Ouch!

Now, listen up. Many of you insist that Colbert "coined" the word "truthiness."

In fact, Colbert himself is the epitome of the word -- as in "truthy," not "facty." Mr. "Truthy" -- witty intellectual that he claims to be -- did not coin "truthiness," though he did popularize it. The Oxford English Dictionary has a definition for truthy that dates back to the 1800s and includes the derivation "truthiness."

And for the record, I did mention Colbert's show in the initial article that was read far and wide -- or at least across New Mexico (though I did NOT credit him for inventing the word!). Seems, though, that the reference to Colbert was edited out by our national desk, which often tightens stories and drops information that they feel isn't all that important.

So here's my answer to the unidentified blogger who wrote, "Please, please, tell Colbert he is right!!! Otherwise, we will hear about it for months." For the reasons listed above, no can do.

But I will say that I watched Colbert's show for the first time Thursday. It was funny.

And that's not just truthy. That's a fact.

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asap contributor Heather Clark works in the AP's Albuquerque bureau.

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