Dueling Numbers at the White House

Some journalists could use some fact-checkers. I've seen three separate stories quoting three completely different figures for the number of people who will be on the South Lawn of the White House to welcome Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday. Delaware Online's The New Journal says that 5,000 will be at the White House. Our own Charlie Spiering has used the figure of 10,000. And an April 14 story in the Washington Post Express quotes a figure of 12,000. That number is duplicated in this story.

Early stories had indicated it would be an intimate sized group. The Washington Post and Niagara Falls Review stories say that it will exceed the 7,000 on hand for Queen Elizabeth's visit.

At any rate, National Catholic Register correspondent Charlie Spiering will be on site, as will several sources we are in contact with. We'll see if we can't get a firm number on how many will be in attendance.