"It's hard to talk when you're teabagging," Cooper explained. Gergen laughed, but Cooper kept a straight face. MSNBC's David Shuster weaved a tapestry of "Animal House" humor Monday as he filled in for Countdown host Keith Olbermann. The protests, he explained, amount to "Teabagging day for the right wing and they are going nuts for it." Go To Site

ABC News’ Brian Ross speculated this morning that the alleged shooter who attacked a Batman premier in Colorado might be a member of the Tea Party. His suggestion — since retracted by ABC — continues a trend of media figures wrongly tying such tragedies to the Tea Party since 2010. Go To Site

And while they appear to make it look like it’s all about anti-government and anti-IRS, they fail to mention his anti-Catholicism, anti-Bushism, anti-capitalism and pro-communism. I guess it doesn’t fit the preferred narrative. -Stephen Spruiell on Press attempts to associate Joe Stack to Tea Party. Go To Site

Brian Ross of ABC takes heat for another blunder

Liberal, Incompetence, Oops, Press, Smears

Ross came under attack again Friday when he reported that James Holmes, the suspect of today’s theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., may have connections to the tea party — basing that on a single web page that listed an Aurora-based “Jim Holmes” as a member of the Colorado Tea Party Patriots... The report — which no other media touched and ABC News and Ross later would apologize for — drew immediate criticism from right-wing bloggers and ultimately from journalism experts on both sides of the aisle who felt that Ross irresponsibly sought to politicize the tragedy and engender controversy.

Colorado shooting: ABC News draws possible James Holmes tea party connection

Liberal, Hate, Character, Oops, Press, Smears, Teaparty

ABC News has suggested that James Holmes -- the suspect in today's shooting in Aurora, Colorado -- may have a connection to the Tea Party. ABC's Brian Ross reported this morning that there is "a Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado, page on the Colorado Tea party site... talking about him joining the Tea Party last year."

Brian Ross, media malpractice consequences: Falsely accused Tea Party member receiving threats

Liberal, Character, Oops, Press, Teaparty, Bias

As Twitchy reported this morning, ABC’s Brian Ross shamefully tried to tie the Tea Party into the Aurora shooting tragedy. By doing so, he falsely accused a Tea Party member named James Holmes as being the suspect. Mr. Holmes has now had to turn his phone off, due to all the threats he is receiving.

Alienated in Austin

Liberal, Character, Press, Smears, Teaparty

"But after reading his 34-paragraph screed, I am struck by how his alienation is similar to that we're hearing from the extreme elements of the Tea Party movement." -Jonathan Capehart in Washington Post describing Joseph Stack, attempting to associate him to Tea Party

What Do We Know So Far About This Pilot Who Crashed a Plane Into a Building in Austin? -- Daily Intel

"In fact, a lot of his rhetoric could have been taken directly from a handwritten sign at a tea party rally." -Chris Rovzar, NY Mag

MSNBC Host, Guest Consider Whether Tea Partiers Are Addicts, 'Delusional'

Liberal, Smears, Teaparty, Media

Bashir later asked: "So you're saying that they are delusional about the past and adamant about the future?" "They are adamant about achieving something that's unachievable, which reminds us of a couple of things. It reminds us of delusion and psychosis," Peele responded.

ABC President: Ross report hurts coverage

Liberal, Oops, Press, Smears

ABC News president Ben Sherwood told staff today that last Friday's incorrect report by Brian Ross detracts from the network's otherwise excellent coverage of the Colarado theater shooting, network sources tell POLITICO.