We’ve previously noted how WorldNetDaily has studiously avoided reporting on controversies regarding the upcoming National Tea Party Convention WND editor Joseph Farah is speaking at — from accusations of profiteering to barring of news media except for those guaranteed to provide fawning coverage (like WND).
Now, the convention is seeing major speakers drop out — Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and Marsha Blackburn. Both cited the for-profit nature of the convention which, as right-wing blogger Erick Erickson summed up, “smells scammy.”
WND does its best to spin this in a Jan. 29 article by Chelsea Schilling, which portrayed the withdrawals as the result of “conflicting advice” over whether a sitting membe of Congress could take part in a for-profit event.
Schilling further whitewashes the nature of the criticism of the convention itself, stating only that “Critics contend that the Tea Party Nation should have filed for nonprofit status” and giving organizer Judson Phillips ample space to defend himself without any of those nasty facts to contradict him:
Phillips said the idea of sending out letters to supporters and telling them, “The world is ending, but for $50 we can put it off for a couple of weeks,” didn’t sit well with him.
[…]
“My vision for Tea Party Nation was to use the capitalist system to support our activities,” he said. “The whole idea of begging for bucks is absolutely repugnant to me. I’m not saying people who have nonprofits and seek donations are bad people or anything like that. I’m just saying, for our group, I don’t like it.”For critics who suggest Phillips might turn a substantial profit on the convention, he had these words: “That’s not why I started this. It’s not true. I haven’t quit my day job, nor do I anticipate quitting my day job.”
He joked, “I think we’re going to have just enough to take a few of the volunteers out for a lunch on the dollar menu.”
No mention of the blackout of non-sycophantic media. No mentiton of the massive speaking fee Sarah Palin is reportedly receiving. NO mention of Erickson’s “scammy” quote.
Such slobbering coverage (plus the fact that the boss is on the speaking schedule) is presumably why WND got one of those scarce press passes — and why it can be counted on betray its proclaimed principles and not raise a First Amendment ruckus over such hostility to the First Amendment as it did with the United Nations.