by the Left Coast Rebel

Today’s New York Times features a 5 page (9 print) expose, a supposed all inclusive investigative piece on all of the many details, groups and personalities that are involved in the national Tea Party movement. It is written by David Barstow, a so-called ‘investigative reporter’ that gained notoriety and a Pulitzer for exposing a ‘covert Pentagon campaign to use military officers that used Bush administration talking points when discussing the war on terror at various media outlets.’

Amusing, I consider, that this David Barstow of the New York Times most likely considers himself a ‘citizen activist’ for the little guy and a journalistic truth-seeker. Amusing, perhaps even the more so – because he confronts the Tea Party movement under the guise of the most jaded prejudice’ and guilt by association that I have possibly seen yet. I wonder how David Barstow of the New York Times would feel if one applied the same metric and reporting standard to his special interests? And to think that the vast majority of Tea Partiers are merely addressing and protesting the grievances that they perceive held against them by our government. Is this not in the spirit of ‘A Dangerous Business‘, and grievances held by workers towards big-business, “When Workers Die?” Are not Tea Party activists able to petition their own government? Are not Tea Party activists able to address grievances that they feel are directed at them via a coercive state? Are not David Barstow’s interests able to claim injustice towards business in the same fashion? I digress.

What I find most fascinating, as I am simply sure that you will too – is the fact that the New York Times article initially sucks in the reader with the story of an older, mainstream, Republican woman. One that shares the concerns many of us do in this nation right now. A woman and citizen that the NYTs writes – ‘… awoke to see Washington as a threat, a place where crisis is manipulated — even manufactured — by both parties to grab power.’

But this is merely a sleight of hand for what is coming. The deck of cards that David Barstow is playing shades all patriots and concerned citizens as one and as all, of a right wing anarchistic cabal intent on overthrowing the government:

—Then she went even further.

Even further from what? To denote even one must assume that the NYTs is under the premise that one that views Washington with distrust is way-far out-there. My suspicion is validated by the next paragraph, only the fourth paragraph into a 5 page piece:

Worried about hyperinflation, social unrest or even martial law, she and her Tea Party members joined a coalition, Friends for Liberty, that includes representatives from Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project, the John Birch Society, and Oath Keepers, a new player in a resurgent militia movement.

And in the spirit of avoidance of boring you with a line by line dissection of the New York Times hit piece against the Tea Party movement, I will easily sum it up for you, being that I read it – so you won’t have to. It essentially comes down to this – Line by line, David Barstow at the New York Times takes the fringe element that is part of the Tea Party movement (as they are in any movement, hence the term ‘fringe’) and paints Tea Partiers as extremists at best. In this pool of characters he throws in everyone – GOPers, Ron Paul fans, John Birchers, Glenn Beck fans, the Oath Keepers, End-The-Fed folks, fans of Ayn Rand, Resist.Net members, WorlnetDaily and others. He maligns, smears and castigates without substantive evidence, echoing Big Sister-Napolitano’s DHS Domestic Terrorist memo. I guess that we should be surprised.

And that peaceful little-old lady, the GOPer turned Tea Partier that began the NYT hit piece? Well she closes the article as well, with a quote:

“Peaceful means,” she continued, “are the best way of going about it. But sometimes you are not given a choice.”

And there you have it.

Sourced at the New York Times. Linked at Memeorandum. Posted at Lucianne.