If Bernie Bernstein were a real reporter, he would not last long at The Washington Post or any other legitimate news organization.

Fortunately, he is not real. But an unknown number of people in Alabama got a call this week from a man claiming to be Mr. Bernstein, supposedly a reporter for The Post on a clumsy expedition to dig up dirt on Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for senator.

Al Moore, a pastor in Creola who is not related to Roy Moore, played a voice mail from a private number to WKRG-TV, a local news station.