Spin (Updated)

For an excellent example of how the corporate media legitimizes right-wing nutjobs, see this story by Anne Barnard from NYT:

Clearly, the idea that Ms. Khan and her partners would one day be accused of building a victory monument to terrorism did not come up — an oversight with consequences. The organizers built support among some Jewish and Christian groups, and even among some families of 9/11 victims, but did little to engage with likely opponents. More strikingly, they did not seek the advice of established Muslim organizations experienced in volatile post-9/11 passions and politics.

The first question to Ms. Barnard: How is this an oversight? You have to be traveling with a lot of baggage for that to be a primary consideration, but Barnard swallows the mantra and spits it right back out. If it weren't for the Becks and Palins who are looking for every opportunity to demonize someone (and frankly, it doesn't have to be Muslims -- look at the right-wing/Republican positions on immigrants and gays), this wouldn't be a consideration.

How Ms. Khan’s early brainstorming led to today’s combustible debate, one often characterized by powerful emotions and mistaken information, is a combination of arguable naïveté, public-relations missteps and a national political climate in which perhaps no preparation could have headed off controversy.

Blame the victim.

This article is pandering garbage. Nowhere does it mention the role of right-wing agitators such as Beck and Palin and goes out of its way to make it sound as though the opposition to the community center had been self-generated.

This is your free press at work.

Update: Adam Serwer goes at it.