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MSNBC plays the "balance" game, pretending that we all hear about these rumors equally:

Barack Obama is not a member of a socialist party. John McCain is not a foreigner. Sarah Palin is not Trig's grandmother. And Joe Biden is not dropping out of the race.

Oh, and they're not all having sordid affairs.

But it's Rumor Season again in this country, and with just days to go before the election, both campaigns are frantically knocking down these rumors — often spreading virally on the Internet — along with a steady stream of other nasty hints and allegations that range from the questionable to the outrageous.

One thing you can believe: It'll only get worse between now and Election Day.

Still, it's nice to see news organizations debunk falsehoods.