The Associated Press’s story on last night’s Democratic presidential debate is now accompanied by this correction:

In a story June 27 about the Democratic presidential debate, The Associated Press reported erroneously in some versions that former Vice President Joe Biden worked with Republican segregationist senators. In fact, the senators were Democrats.

A reader wonders: “How many times can reporters and editors make this mistake?” Good question! But I am not sure it is a mistake. I wouldn’t be surprised if some reporters, knowing that the Republican Party was founded primarily to oppose slavery, and being fully aware that the Southern segregationists were all Democrats, keep saying “Republican” on purpose, in order to smear the Republican party and to confuse readers into thinking that segregationism was a bipartisan phenomenon.