There's more than sliding profits that's rocking the New York Times — there's a brewing "made up quote" scandal. Involving quote-inventor Maureen Dowd! And Harry Truman! And the one guy who's making a stink about it!

Blogger David Rothman is trying to get to the bottom of Dowd's Truman quotation, which she first used in the paper on March 10, 1989. Dowd cited Truman saying: "If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog."

Or was it, as Rothman believes, "get a dog"?

He's trying to hang on to some modicum of accuracy, so he tried contacting Dowd with the Times' web form; no response. He can't find her email address (you mean she's no longer answering liberties@nytimes.com?). And public editor Clark Hoyt not only won't give it to him, but he doesn't want to get involved in the matter at all — because the supposed infraction took place before his tenure began last May.

Except even the Times' own writers continue citing Dowd's version of the quote — which even the Harry S. Truman Library can't find a record of.

Even the Harry S. Truman Library can’t find an earlier appearance of the quote, just a similar line in an old play, whose author, Samuel Gallu, obviously might have used dramatic license: "You want a friend in life, get a dog!"

No grudge against Ms. Dowd. The substitution of "in Washington" for "in life" is pure genius, in my opinion—however it happened.

[...]

Is there a statute of limitations on possibly inaccurate quotes, including those accessible via the Web?

Michael McElroy in Clark Hoyt’s office has e-mailed me: "As for the Truman quote, its use was before Mr. Hoyt’s tenure and therefore outside of our purview." Hoyt’s term began on May 14, 2007. As recently as January 27, 2007, the Times had published Harry Hurt’s article with the Truman-related dog quote—oft-repeated over the years in one form or another in the Times and elsewhere. Should just a few months have mattered?

Besides, on or about September 27, 2007, Sam Roberts’ draft podcast script paraphrased the quote:"In Washington, Truman once said, if you want a friend, get a dog."

Directly or indirectly, Ms. Dowd was almost surely Roberts’ source. Would Roberts have done the paraphrase if he’d been in touch earlier with the Truman library? For all I know, there may be other recent usages of the quote or variations. And what about the future? Just how much hair-splitting does Clark Hoyt’s office need?

I’d hope there wouldn’t be a statute of limitations if I went another route and formally requested a possible correction by the Times. But I’d rather not. I like Ms. Dowd’s columns and would rather give her a chance to do a funny essay about the true origins of the quote or nonquote.

Come on, MD! As a fan—and as someone all too aware of his own imperfections—I’m rooting for you to level with Thackeray.

Oh, and worth noting? Just today, the Times issued a correction, for Dowd's column last Wednesday, where she's accused of making up a quote.

[Teleread]