Sunday we published a satirical piece by nationally syndicated columnist Rick Horowitz, making fun of the outlandish claims being used to attack health care reform. Rick’s column invented 22 more even more bizarre provisions in the health care bill, mocking the lies being used to stop the reform effort.

One example:

“Page 1,042 NO PROHIBITION on sending 'socially unproductive' seniors into low Earth orbit.”

The full column is on Rick’s web site.

As is always the case with satire, some didn’t get the joke and took Rick’s column literally. Here’s one email he got, from a doctor in Anchorage:

YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. Your article "There's Nutty Stuff in That Health Reform" is full of lies and distortions. Do really think that the insurance industry is your friend? Outright lies such as published in your poor article should have consequences, like JAIL. Your position is ignorant of facts and good intentions. YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

Here’s hoping that doc is better at practicing medicine than he is at reading a newspaper.

-- Matt Zencey, editorial page editor