When Did Listing Facts Become A Smear?

Think Progress has this "shocking" headline:

EXCLUSIVE: E-mail Reveals That McConnell Staffer Propagated Smear Campaign Against Graeme Frost

How did the McConnell staffer do this? By this e-mail:

"Seen the latest blogswarm? Apparently, there’s more to the story on the kid (Graeme Frost) that did the Dems’ radio response on SCHIP. Bloggers have done a little digging and turned up that the Dad owns his own business (and the building it’s in), seems to have some commercial rental income and Graeme and a sister go to a private school that, according to its website, costs about $20k a year ‹for each kid‹ despite the news profiles reporting a family income of only $45k for the Frosts. Could the Dems really have done that bad of a job vetting this family?"

Can someone explain to me how this is a "smear??" Let's see. He points out that bloggers found that the Dad owns his own business and building and that the kids go to private school. He then expresses disbelief that the Democrats would put this child out there as an example of why we need an expansion of the SCHIP program without finding out that they might not be that needy.

I just had to laugh at the notion that this is somehow a "smear." Listing facts about a person, who the Democrats put out there as a response to the President, is a "baseless smear?"

Good grief.