American Spectator and journalist under fire (For trying to instigate violence)

[ck4829]

A conservative US news magazine has come under fire after one of its journalists boasted of being an agent provocateur at a clash between protesters and security guards in Washington.

The incident, in which guards used pepper spray on protesters trying to enter the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, was widely reported to be linked to the Occupy Wall Street protests.

Patrick Howley, an assistant editor at the American Spectator, wrote over the weekend that he had infiltrated the protest group in order to discredit it. He said: "As far as anyone knew I was part of this cause — a cause that I had infiltrated the day before in order to mock and undermine in the pages of the American Spectator — and I wasn't giving up before I had my story."

However, Howley's breathless account of his role as provocateur – which goes on to condemn the protesters' "lack of nerve to confront authority", and his own determination to escalate the protest further as he rushed past security guards into the museum – has since been altered. The magazine appears to have taken down the story, although it has been reported in the Washington Post and on the Firedoglake and Daily Kos blogs.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/10/washington-protest-american-spectator-patrick-howley?newsfeed=true

[Robb]

1. Once again, the right wing's inability to understand how technology works bites them in the ass.

You don't get "backsies" on the interwebs, idiots. :D

Amusingly, it's the predictable conclusion to anti-intellectualism.... if gravity is "only a theory," perhaps if I believe in "intelligent sucking" I can fly right out this window here. :D

[sixmile]

2. 'Lack of nerve" or presence of intelligence?

I suppose it's a fine line.

[Supersedeas]

8. note the cowardice in taking down the story and not standing by it

[Sal Minella]

3. How poignant that he was surprised when no one was following

him when he turned around to look -- and how amusing that he concluded he must be the only brave one in the bunch.

As my mother used to say -- "Everybody in the Army is out of step but Johnny."

[BobbyBoring]

4. There's no such thing as an

Internet Mulligan! They'll figure it out one day~

[SidDithers]

5. But didnt David Swanson report that he got pepper sprayed?...

did he get sucked in by this idiot "journalist"?

Sid

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. yes, I saw that too

edit: here's a link to his side of it. sounds like it was a fairly large group

scroll down to the second post

http://warisacrime.org/

[eShirl]

7. I hope he posts more about what happened.

[msanthrope]

9. Indeed. One wonders what Mr. Swanson was doing at Air and Space. I'd love to hear

about the circumstances.