SEE UPDATES AT ENDOn March 24, HuffPost published the following original story as its top "news" story (we were only able to capture the following screen shots later in the day, when it had been demoted down the front page):
Summary: Like a child who offers an escalating series of lies to her parents of why their cookie jar lies broken on the kitchen floor, while her fingers are covered in cookie residue, HuffPost has clearly decided to triple-down on its incitement of hatred against the Tea Party, based on what we now know to be lies, smears and manipulation.
Contrary to its claims that it is a "nonpartisan newspaper," that "there is no right-wing or left-wing news," and that it is merely "ferreting out the truth, consequences be damned" (see Section A here), HuffPost is willfully ignoring the truths that have been documented in recent days, about the lies behind the racist allegations it's made against the Tea Party. HuffPost apparently is intent now to push all its chips into the center of the poker table, in the hopes that no one has been documenting the truth, and has the spine to publicize it. News flash, HuffPost: You're wrong on both counts.
Previously:3/20/10: HuffPost smears Tea Party again, on false charge of racism; user hate-fest erupts (HuffPost: "Approved!!!")
3/7/10: HuffPost smears Tea Party again: This time as racist and anti-immigrant; users unleash hate (HuffPost: "Approved!!!")
11/17/09: "Peace" activists physically assault peaceful Tea Partiers; how did HuffPost play it?
Latino Group Pushes Petition To End Tea Party Hate-Spewing (VIDEO)Excerpts (emphasis added) of this "story," written by "Laura Bassett" (no bio available):
During the health care debate on Saturday, Tea Party protesters hurled racist and homophobic epithets at House Democrats. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) was spat on by a protester, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights icon, was called a 'ni--er,' and openly gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "fa---t" and heckled with deliberately lisp-y screams.Let's debunk and clarify this stream of pablum, one deceptive item at a time.
On Wednesday, a Latino Facebook group called "Cuéntame" posted a video documenting the Tea Party hate-spewing, and asked viewers to sign an online petition to the leaders of the Republican party asking them to apologize for egging on abusive protesters.
The video, produced by Brave New Foundation, shows Republican lawmakers waving signs from a balcony and applauding the crowd of Tea Party protesters as they shout racial and homophobic slurs.
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(1) "Tea Party protesters hurled racist and homophobic epithets at House Democrats."
As documented here and in the update items, there is zero proof --- none --- that racial epithets were hurled at any black Congressman by any Tea Party protester(s). To the contrary, multiple videos taken of the scene at the location and time show it didn't happen, period.
HuffPost published this "news" story on March 24. The following videos were published on March 20 & 21 at two of the most popular conservative blogs, Gateway Pundit and Powerline, respectively, were picked up by many others, and were covered on the Fox News Channel:
Then, on March 21, photographic evidence posted at Gateway Pundit shows how many people --- including these black Congressmens' staffers --- just happened to be videotaping them as they walked through the Tea Party protest:
And Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. even filmed the entire "incident" himself, during the walk:
Not that anyone was expecting or hoping for anything untoward to happen, of course. Why, that'd be downright un-American.
Then, on March 24, these two new videos were posted at HotAirPundit --- and guess what? Both show the Congressmen walking... but neither one has even a hint of anyone using racial epithets:
And after all this, not a single person has been able to come forward with a single second of video or audio recording to show that any Tea Party protester did what was alleged.
Noted Internet entrepreneur (and former Huffpost News Editor) Andrew Breitbart even offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can provide physical proof that any Tea Party protester used a racial epithet against any Congressman at the event on March 20. So far, no takers... and we won't be holding our breaths. (Update, March 27: Breitbart has now increased his bounty offer to $100,000.)
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(2) "Openly gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "fa---t'"
And the proof of this is where, Ms. Bassett? The proof is where, HuffPost? Oh, right --- there is no proof at all.
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(3) "On Wednesday, a Latino Facebook group called "Cuéntame" posted a video documenting the Tea Party hate-spewing, and asked viewers to sign an online petition to the leaders of the Republican party asking them to apologize for egging on abusive protesters."
The video you cite did not show "Tea Party hate-spewing." What it showed was certain attendees of a Tea Party event, held on public property --- over whom the organizers had zero control --- expressing opinions that many (including us at Huff-Watch) find objectionable. And who is "Cuéntame"? See (4), below, and recall candidate Obama's claim that William Ayers, with whom he worked for years, and in whose living room he started his political career, is "just a guy who lives in my neighborhood."
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(4) "The video, produced by Brave New Foundation, shows Republican lawmakers waving signs from a balcony and applauding the crowd of Tea Party protesters as they shout racial and homophobic slurs."
First, who is "Brave New Foundation"? Hint: It's no stranger to HuffPost: as documented here, only four days earlier --- on March 20 --- HuffPost took what amounted to a press release from BNF that was filled with inflammatory smears against the Tea Party, and disguised it as a "news" story. Unsurprisingly, this "article" incited hateful, misconception-drenched user comments, which HuffPost went on to review, approve and decide to publish.
Second, no "Republican lawmakers"... were "applauding... Tea Party protesters as they shout(ed) racial and homophobic slurs." It didn't happen --- period --- as the BNF video shows.
If Ms. Bassett and HuffPost were even remotely interested in "ferreting out the truth, consequences be damned" (see Section A here), they never would have made such inflammatory claims (which, by the way, Ms. Huffington recently claimed are prohibited at HuffPost).
Noted Internet entrepreneur (and former Huffpost News Editor) Andrew Breitbart even offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can provide physical proof that any Tea Party protester used a racial epithet against any Congressman at the event on March 20. So far, no takers... and we won't be holding our breaths. (Update, March 27: Breitbart has now increased his bounty offer to $100,000.)
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(2) "Openly gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "fa---t'"
And the proof of this is where, Ms. Bassett? The proof is where, HuffPost? Oh, right --- there is no proof at all.
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(3) "On Wednesday, a Latino Facebook group called "Cuéntame" posted a video documenting the Tea Party hate-spewing, and asked viewers to sign an online petition to the leaders of the Republican party asking them to apologize for egging on abusive protesters."
The video you cite did not show "Tea Party hate-spewing." What it showed was certain attendees of a Tea Party event, held on public property --- over whom the organizers had zero control --- expressing opinions that many (including us at Huff-Watch) find objectionable. And who is "Cuéntame"? See (4), below, and recall candidate Obama's claim that William Ayers, with whom he worked for years, and in whose living room he started his political career, is "just a guy who lives in my neighborhood."
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(4) "The video, produced by Brave New Foundation, shows Republican lawmakers waving signs from a balcony and applauding the crowd of Tea Party protesters as they shout racial and homophobic slurs."
First, who is "Brave New Foundation"? Hint: It's no stranger to HuffPost: as documented here, only four days earlier --- on March 20 --- HuffPost took what amounted to a press release from BNF that was filled with inflammatory smears against the Tea Party, and disguised it as a "news" story. Unsurprisingly, this "article" incited hateful, misconception-drenched user comments, which HuffPost went on to review, approve and decide to publish.
Second, no "Republican lawmakers"... were "applauding... Tea Party protesters as they shout(ed) racial and homophobic slurs." It didn't happen --- period --- as the BNF video shows.
If Ms. Bassett and HuffPost were even remotely interested in "ferreting out the truth, consequences be damned" (see Section A here), they never would have made such inflammatory claims (which, by the way, Ms. Huffington recently claimed are prohibited at HuffPost).
So what kinds of user comments did this maliciously inflammatory, proof-less "news" story incite --- and which HuffPost chose to publish?
Here's a sampling of the peaceful, policy-compliant comments that users submitted in response to the incitement of this "news" story, each of which appeared only because HuffPost reviewed, approved and decided to publish it:
(Note: Users with more than 25 "fans," meaning they are not hit-and-run "trolls," whom Ms. Huffington likes to blame for "offensive comments," are bolded)
Here's a sampling of the peaceful, policy-compliant comments that users submitted in response to the incitement of this "news" story, each of which appeared only because HuffPost reviewed, approved and decided to publish it:
(Note: Users with more than 25 "fans," meaning they are not hit-and-run "trolls," whom Ms. Huffington likes to blame for "offensive comments," are bolded)
First up: What would a HuffPost news thread (about any subject) be without anti-Semitic conspiracy theories? (See report here)
jeanrenoir 210 fans permalink
OF COURSE these are the kind of demagogues who've been running our country for years. They invaded Iraq to fight a proxy war for their Likud handlers in Jerusalem. [...] From Bush, Likud's sock puppet, on down.
Posted 01:33 PM on 3/24/2010
Explicit calls for violence:
lumpy gravy 5 fans permalink
yeah, no need to censor them. it would be better if people started kicking their teeth in.
Posted 01:47 PM on 3/24/2010
Obamas Spine permalink
Believe me, we're ready. We're going to start taking an arm for an arm, tooth for tooth etc. Wait for us to start spitting on republiklans and throwing bricks into their offices, and threatening the lives of your representatives children (and we don't just "threaten"). We're ready 4 u!
Posted 02:11 PM on 3/24/2010
chiodo08 24 fans permalink
...I have an idea...since the government don't have the courage to do anything...how about just turning around while the rest of us do...from my experience a bully a hole won't let up until you beat them down....let's get on with it...I think they will be VERY VERY surprised in the amount of weight progressives can "bring"....
Racism:
white mende man 76 fans permalink
teabaggers = white tr@sh
Posted 02:12 PM on 3/24/2010
freshmind 33 fans permalink
So Black conservatives like Thomas Sowell, Herman Cain, they're racists too? You libs keep this up, you sound more deranged and desperate every day.Posted 02:29 PM on 3/24/2010(reply) LMPE 152 fans permalink
Thomas Sowell and Herman Cain aren't racists. Just Oreos.
Posted 02:31 PM on 3/24/2010And various forms of hate, implicit threats, and urgings of fascist action
leyvadaniel 28 fans permalink
I don't like it and I will deffend the United States from UnAmerican/Anti- American teabaggers as much as needed. They are domestic terrorists and should be prosecuted for crimes against their own country.Posted 02:02 PM on 3/24/2010
jasonb-w permalink
It's time to start calling the Teabaggers what they are - a hate group that is rapidly morphing into a domestic terrorist group. Their concerns are NOT legitimate. Their beliefs are based on lies, bigotry and terrifying pride in their ignorance. Their exercise of free speech is very American. The philosophy they espouse is totalitarianism led by white Christians. That is not American.Posted 01:47 PM on 3/24/2010
profitforless 14 fans permalink
Those loons don’t care who they hurt because their selfish and racist – If your white your alright, if your black stay back. Tea party mentality is a nutshell.
Posted 12:57 PM on 3/24/2010
hcbrand 3 fans permalink
Tea Party was best alternative name to these top contenders:
1. We Hate You Party
2. Whites Only Party
3. I'd Just As Soon Shoot You As Look At You Party
4. I Can't Smell My Freedom Party
thehoopoe 45 fans permalink
Those people should be arrested. Calling someone a "n*****" , a "f*****"? Isn't that a hate crime? An assault?Posted 12:45 PM on 3/24/2010
mltmama 4 fans permalink
The Rethugs want these people to do their dirty work. They want someone killed. Period. Then they'll say they didn't want anyone hurt. These poor, ignorant people. They're being used and don't realize it.Posted 01:05 PM on 3/24/2010
alaskim 3 fans permalink
This behavior is sickening. The Republican support of this movement and it's hate-mongering ignorance only solidifies the building disgust. White, racist, homophobic idiots have finally found a comfortable home where their idiocy is applauded. [...]Posted 01:27 PM on 3/24/2010
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UPDATE 1, Mar. 26: Noted blogger documents mainstream media's eight years of ignoring open death threats against President Bush by radical leftists
For those unfamiliar with him/her, "Zombie" is a prolific documenter of radical leftist and radical Islamist hate speech, threats, and the convergence between these two ideologies. He/she sleuths, photographs and takes videos primarily in the San Francisco area, and is also a competent essayist. Frustrated with the leftist media's outpouring of outrage over the acidic nature of some of the signs at Tea Party events --- and its willful blindness in the face of eight years of incalculably worse at events hosted and attended by radical leftists --- "Zombie" put together a blockbuster report:
Death Threats Against Bush at Protests Ignored for Years
Excerpts (emphasis added):Alas, if only it were that simple. Because the bald fact is that people threatened Bush at protests all the time by displaying menacing signs and messages — exactly as the anti-Obama protester just did in Maryland. Yet for reasons that are not entirely clear, none of those Bush-threateners at protests was ever arrested, questioned, or investigated (at least as far as I could tell).
Don’t believe me? Then keep reading. Because this essay exists for one reason only: To prove beyond any doubt that explicit and implicit threats to Bush’s life were commonly displayed at public protests throughout his term as president. Below this introduction you will find dozens of examples of such threats — unaltered photographs from a wide variety of sources, along with links verifying their authenticity.
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UPDATE 2, Mar. 28: HuffPost again publishes an egregiously misleading headline regarding the Tea Party, incites more hate
See an accounting of this latest outrage here:
3/28/10: HuffPost: "Many" Tea Party activists are "on the dole." Really, HuffPost? Of course not. User hate-fest erupts (HuffPost: "Approved!!!")
More to come, as HuffPost provides the raw material.
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