We had one of those experiences today that must be unique at some level to this era of boffo and institutionalized expressions of The Crazy. As we told you a couple weeks ago, a guy from the UK had planned to lead a protest outside the White House calling for the United States to be brought under Sharia Law. So anti-Muslim activist Frank Gaffney and his group planned a counter-rally. And as you’d imagine this was just too much of a Godzilla v. Mothra moment for us to pass up. So we sent TPM Reporter Ryan Reilly over to watch what happened.
Well, the Muslim guy from the UK didn’t show up. So the point of Gaffney’s protest sort of dissolved. So Ryan’s there. And as Gaffney’s protest is breaking up, they see this Muslim guy praying. So folks from the Gaffney protest and other protestors drift over to where he is and start yelling at him and one of the protestors starts throwing crosses at his feet. That’s the story we reported a bit earlier this afternoon.
So a bit later we get an email from a reporter at Glenn Beck’s new website “TheBlaze”. He tells us that Gaffney’s group says our report is a “lie”, and what’s our response?
And here’s where the comedy goes all the way up to eleven.
We look into it. And from what the Blaze guy relays of Gaffney’s complaint, they point out that they weren’t the only protestors there. There was another protest put on by a guy named Terry Jones. Remember him? He was the guy who caused an international crisis last year when he wanted to hold a big Koran burning hoedown down in Florida. And Gaffney’s folks say it wasn’t their people surrounding the Muslim guy. It was Jones’ group.
In other words, as relayed by the people from The Blaze, the argument goes something like this: ‘Hey, we weren’t the only hate group there. There was another hate group also protesting. And you’re saying we surrounded and chanted down the Muslim guy and we didn’t. You’re coming after the wrong hate group, guys!’
I think at the point that you’ve got to make this kind of argument you’ve got a problem. But actually, even the facts they allege are false. You can read our piece, with video, which really speaks for itself. And we’ve got more video too. Actually lots more coming in the morning. Our reporter was in the crowd and observed numerous folks from Gaffney’s protest surrounding the praying guy. In fact, one of the people surrounding the praying Muslim man was one of Gaffney’s speakers.
It’s not really clear to me what The Blaze or Gaffney’s group is even saying. But as long as clownish anti-Muslim hate groups show up to protest the Muslim fanatics, we’ll be there to bring you the play by play. Because … well, because that’s just how we roll.
