You are reading that correctly, sadly. Politico was finally shamed into reporting on political terrorism and the life-threatening tactic of SWAT-ting. How did they “report” it? As a little “hoax” and an “elaborate practical joke.” No, really.
.@Politico says swatting is an "elaborate practical joke" http://t.co/4ggFuMlf Romney hair cutting? Much worse… @liberty_chick @patterico
— Simon Templar (@SimonTemplarPV) June 12, 2012
Conservative bloggers are the new targets of a series of “SWAT-ing” attacks — a decade-old hoax used to draw a SWAT team to the door of a political enemy.
It’s a bizarre series of events that’s consuming prominent conservative web sites, pitting conservative writers against a former federal convict — or his backers — who says he isn’t even familiar with SWAT-ing: an elaborate practical joke in which SWAT teams are falsely sent to someone’s home after a violent crime is reported. Those behind the SWAT-ing often mask their actual phone numbers, making the calls appear to originate from within the victim’s home.
Beginning in July 2011, prominent conservative bloggers like Erick Erickson of Redstate.com and Patrick Frey of Patterico’s Pontifications say that police began receiving the prank phone calls that triggered their actions. A short time afterwards, SWAT teams were on their doorsteps.
Side-splitting, huh, Politico? Just a little prank! Shorter Politico: “What? It’s just like Punk’d or something! Rubes!”
Only, you know, not so much; it is an act of political terrorism with potentially life-threatening results.
Blogger Ace of Spades and other conservatives on Twitter rightly take Politico to task.
https://twitter.com/ewoelke/status/212315496798883841
hey @politico when the SWATter claiming to be @ewerickson said "I'm going to shoot more people" was that an "elaborate practical joke"?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
What do you think cops do, @politico, when "elaborate practical jokers" tell them an armed and dangerous suspect will shoot more people?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
.@politico : "an elaborate practical joke in which SWAT teams are falsely sent to someone’s home after a violent crime is reported.
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
Does @politco agree with @jmsummers that SWATting is an "elaborate practical joke"?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
@AceofSpadesHQ Guns are evil. Unless a SWAT team points them at innocent people. Then they're funny! @politico
— PoliMath (@politicalmath) June 12, 2012
https://twitter.com/bikermailman/status/212424424035598337
hey @politico did you hear that 85 Congressmen signed a letter directing holder to investigate "elaborate practical jokes"?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
Precisely. As Twitchy reported, first Senator Chambliss called for action. And yesterday Representative Adams (R-Fla.) led an 85-member effort asking the Department of Justice to investigate SWAT-ting. You know, that “elaborate practical joke.”
.@AceofSpadesHQ, you can't expect @jmsummers to do exhaustive legwork like use Google when writing a story. That'd be journalism. @politico
— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) June 12, 2012
Bingo. The article further went on to give credence to political terrorist Brett Kimberlin’s claims, already debunked here, that he is the actual victim.
Reprehensible, Politico. Journalism is hard. As is having a moral compass, evidently.
Update:
Nearly close of Business and @politico and @jmsummers have neither corrected nor apologized for calling SWATting "elaborate practical joke"
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
.@dylanbyers do you agree with @politico and @jmsummers that SWATting is an "elaborate practical joke"?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
.@repsandyadams do you agree with @politico's and @jmsummers' assertion that SWATting is an "elaborate practical joke"?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
Ace of Spades has an idea to teach Politico a sorely needed lesson.
New policy on @politico: Your stories will be attributed to you, as required. But you will never have an actual link from me again.
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
I imagine this policy will be widely adopted. Consider the permanent embargo an "elaborate practical joke."
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
a guy got nine years in prison for this particular type of "elaborate practical joke," or, as the prosecutor termed it, "Felony."
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
More Twitter users give Politico the business as well.
RT @bob_owens: @politico and @jmsummers think SWAT-ting is "an elaborate practical joke." Nervous cops w/ drawn weapons are a RIOT.
— Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) June 12, 2012
@jmsummers @AceofSpadesHQ Jokes are funny right? Which part of this story made you giggle?
— Bret (@bschlyer) June 12, 2012
Hey @politco and @jmsummers – exactly which part of the "elaborate practical joke" of SWATting is the funny part? @AceofSpadesHQ
— Bret (@bschlyer) June 12, 2012
It's an "elaborate practical joke" when it's directed at cons. Of course, when Tea Partiers jeered Democratic senators, that a hate crime.
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
https://twitter.com/AceofSpadesHQ/status/212630190935916544
Update:
Calls for Fox News, ABC to change their wording.
.@foxnews your article on SWATting describes it as a "prank." It is not a prank, it is a serious felony. Please correct http://t.co/uPFvtPGs
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
@AceofSpadesHQ @foxnews Heard ABC radio news report that also called it a "prank". When it happens to them, will it still b a "prank"?
— Arthur Moore (@ArthurMooreIV) June 12, 2012
Fox did not, however, refer to it as an elaborate joke. They also explained that it is potentially deadly. Still, the word “prank” needs to change.
the difference, I anticipate, between @foxnews and @politico is that fox will change this wording, now that it's called to their attention
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
and no I didn't notice that, just as I didn't notice @politico's wording until @SimonTemplarPV pointed it out.
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 12, 2012
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