Marketwatch’s Chris Pummer takes careful aim at an AP story about consumer confidence in the US.

Associated Press economics writer Jeannine Aversa referred to confidence falling to an “all-time low” in her first paragraph, a spin that landed the Jan. 11 story on Yahoo’s home page, a prime position for stories to reach millions of readers.

Only at the end of the second paragraph does the reader discover the result is from a Royal Bank of Canada survey begun only in 2002, a survey that is often at odds with highly tracked readings from The Conference Board and University of Michigan.

“If the story said a second-tier survey hit a six-year low, it wouldn’t get any attention,” says Ken Goldstein, senior labor economist for The Conference Board. “It doesn’t pass the smell test and it shouldn’t.”

I love a good take-down.

Which is precisely why everyone should vote for my house band over at the brand new, freakin’ awesome Whiskey in my Sippy Cup. Because I am worthy and hopeful and not at all a prognosticator of doom.

Actually, to be fair, there are a number of really good covers in that mix.