"fact" = proposition, nonfact

[Charles Doyle]

If we wished to be charitable to the vulpine speaker (but, then, why would we?), we might plead that the phrase "preached the fact that" could mean "preached AS fact that"--though why not simply "preached that"?

Cf. Arnold's very recent posting, which notes (in another connection) the superfluity or emptiness of the locution "a fact that" replacing "which" (as deemed faulty for its lack of a definite noun antecedent).

--Charlie
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>_Fox & Friends_ news anchor just now:
>
>"And there was the professor in Wisconsin who was preaching the fact that the United States was behind 9/11."
>
>JL
>

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