This could be written about many blog sites...eh? They've finally hung their portrait.



"Today, the Washington Post had a really terrible headline on its front page: “Bloggers turn mosque into national spectacle.” Here’s a shot:



Yessss. It’s bloggers who’ve turned this into a national spectacle, not at all the politicians and mainstream media reporters who’ve decided that there’s worth in repeating the drivel that fringe conservatives put up on the web without any due diligence. Take the phrase “Ground Zero Mosque” that’s so prominent here. Or, hey, let’s take a look at the piece that’s under that headline.

Long before President Obama waded into the vociferous debate over the so-called Ground Zero mosque, a group of conservative writers and bloggers critical of Islam had seized on the issue and helped transform it into a national political spectacle.

While some have dismissed them as bigoted attention-seekers, their attacks on the proposed Islamic center in lower Manhattan have gained currency in recent weeks among some Republican leaders. And their influence appears to be growing.

Did you catch that? Some people — don’t know who, but they sound unreputable — think that the people who write about the Park 51 Islamic Community Center being some kind of wellspring for birthing American-born terror babies are nuts. But not the Washington Post! The Post takes those bigots seriously, because they’re influential.

Sigh. There’s more:

They are organizing a Sept. 11 rally against the proposed Islamic center in lower Manhattan that will feature former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. They advise the FBI and other government security agencies on the threats posed by Islamic radicalism, headline “tea party” events and attract millions of readers concerned or curious about Islam to Web sites with names such as Jihad Watch, Creeping Sharia and Stop Islamization of America.

“People on the Hill, their staff read these sites, they show their bosses. . . . They push these subjects into the spotlight, often at a time when major media isn’t doing that,” said Cliff May, a columnist and former spokesman for the Republican National Committee who runs a think tank focused on religious extremism and religious freedom.

So, they “advise” the FBI. Doesn’t that sound official? Strange how JihadWatch isn’t listed as an active partner on any of the FBI sites. I’m sure that the reporter, Ms. Boorstein, just failed to mention her source on that one, too. Surely it was someone at the FBI, not just an eager conservative who lists “advises FBI” on his resume because, once upon a time, someone at the field office picked up when he placed his eighteenth “THERE ARE MUSLIMS OUT THERE OMG!” call of the day.

But hey, don’t worry. This piece has all kinds of serious reporting going on. Boorstein took the time to talk to a real expert in the field, Daniel Pipes, about Robert Spencer, who runs Jihad Watch:

Jihad Watch is widely read in many quarters in Washington, particularly among conservatives.

Daniel Pipes, perhaps the most prominent U.S. scholar on radical Islam, said he considers Spencer a “serious scholar.”

“I learn from him,” said Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, a conservative think tank, who writes a biweekly column for the National Review."

More....
http://open.salon.com/blog/saturn_smith/2010/08/18/washington_post_blames_bloggers_for_park_51_controversy


THANKS! We can always use some more hate...

Considering this mosque story was featured in neary every paper around the world along with all the major newstations I find it hard to believe it was a bunch of bloggers who brought this story to the general public.


Kinda of surprised this story wasn't from that great,epic,and brilliant smirkingchimp.com.

Robert Spencer (MA, Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) has been studying Islamic theology, law, and history in depth since 1980.

That is not quite like billy bob, bloggin from grandma's basement..

Takes a lot of protesting to get the attention for the State Media to report anything.

Nice big, in yer muslim, pedophile, face protests finally made the news.

Something progressives and Libs would rather not be heard.

We won't be silenced.

Screw that Tower of Terrorists they want to erect.

The Great Passing of the buck!


I blame Al Gore for Global Warming with all the hot air he spews!

Hatemongering and fearmongering seems to be the only way for the right wing to get any attention at all these days.

Hatemongering and fearmongering are the only thing both the DNC and GOP understand. The DNC and GOP also try to do everything "for the children."

The problem is that it really is a scary world out there. There is justifiable reason to make war unfortunately becasue our neighbors are not necessarily like minded as us.

The American Media likewise sells misery, pain, and fear too. They love to toss in just enough "Hope" to keep the audience fixated. There is no such thing as truly "Objective" media from any source. They need spectacular stories to sell.

People will also seed disinformation to make people react the way they hope for effects they want to have like diverting people's attention away from the real BS going on.

Also sensationalism has a bad habit of turning mole hills into mountains. False stories are fed to us all the time as well as a lot of half truth. The media filters the information we get and many of the people working there have their own political agendas and a power to reach millions with their message.

Both right and left wing need hate and fear mongering to exist!

Please stop trying to make the left wing seem like saints. They are just as much a part of the problems this nation is suffering from.

LOL...looks like their beloved media cant even come up with a worthwhile story, so they gotta resort to blaming everything on somebody else...this time, its the "bloggers" who are responsible!!

ROTFLMAO, and then certain people actually give credability to stories like this!!

Too funny!! grasping at straws seems to be the method of operation here for the leftists.

If you dont agree with the left or the media, you're a racist.
If you dont care for the govt., you're a bigot.
If you dont follow the rest of the world, you're a fearmonger or a warmonger.

Their accusations dont work, this is all they have to try to hold onto any form of credibility. They are losing and they know it.

Australia and the rest of the British occupation are tiring of Muslims gain9ing political power.

'Park51' ... 'Studio 54' ... see any similarities ... ?

Maybe you're right, I bet few smart Tarheels like him would waste their time mingling with haters...but then again all you have to do is spend a few minutes to see just where the haters like to congregates and where the rumors and lies usually start.

billy.

we dont care...only reason I know is because I heard it from here...

Anyone ever notice anything coming from the left side of these issues is nothing but slander,name calling,racist accusations,hate mongering,etc,etc,etc,.It seems the left can't seem to have any sort of debate because the first thing out of their mouths is that son of a bi***,crazy,hitler saluting,right wing,racist,homophobe is standing on the corner.


It is very different from what the people on the right side of these issue post.The right doesn't start posts with a hissy fit,name calling,and all the other crap.The right can actually post some newsworthy story or fact with out calling the person the disagree with 120 different cuss words before the debate ever starts.

Probably no sense even bothering to read what the usual posters in here offer.95% of it is nothing but slander and name calling.

well, thats because one side is perfect and the other side is imperfect....Ill leave it up to you all to decided which is which....

The Leftists never have (a) facts or, (b) truth on their side. Their only weapon is the 'Olbermann Gambit' - foam at the mouth, attack the poster, and divert attention from the fact that they showed up at a gunfight with a knife.

Oh - and post reams and reams and reams of meaningless 'facts' and 'data' ... it's the 'overwhelm the system with bullshiit' tactic ... but it's still meaningless pap.

It's actually kind of funny.I listen to the liberal talk shows now and then and all they are talking about is this person is a racist that person is a racist.This person is a moron and a homophobe.Never talking about the real issues or even covering the news out there because all they are doing is name calling and making fun of the right wingers.

I can tune into someone like Mark levin or Dan savage and they are talking about upcoming bills,rallies,local and worldwide news,etc.That is why Fox news has the #1 spot and others like Cnn are dying a slow death.People can actually see news instead of some A-hole talking about how stupid right wingers are for a hour.

Yes, the left just hangs on to the name calling and accusations.
They have no viable platform to base any kind of truth off of.

They hate America so badly, they'll do anything to bring it down.
They seem to be two-faced. They say they want to honor and/or pay respects to the victims of 9/11 but they are clearly on the side of those who were responsible.

Even their beloved Messiah said he'd stand with the Muslims, and true to his word (which is about the only time he's been true to his word), he's doing exactly that!!

The leftist liberals are desparately holding onto the last grasp of "hope & change" that they were promised, and that they bought hook, line, and sinker from their beloved leader.

They cant stand the fact that the majority of true Americans can see right thru the lies and BS that was in the kool-aid they drank when they voted for this fraud of a president and his criminal co-horts.

The liberals just dont want to admit what a mistake they made, so in order to hide their shame, they simply resort to name calling and false accusations against those they dont agree with.