SF Chronicle's outrageous smear

In the San Francisco Chronicle, reporter Bob Egelko tries hard to smear someone as a racist while covering the Bay Area Patriots' Groupa-Palooza meeting in Marin County:

Bay Area Patriots describes itself as nonpartisan. But most of the visible campaign activity on Sunday was on behalf of Republicans. There were also a few Libertarian and American Independent candidates - one of whom, Jerry Leidecker, an American Independent running for Congress, wore a shirt showing President Obama with what appeared to be watermelon juice on his lips. [Emph. added]

Watermelon juice? Have a look at that shirt for yourself:

This is clearly a depiction of Obama as Batman's arch-enemy, the Joker. The original Obama-as-Joker graphic was created by a left-wing Kucinich supporter but the graphic has also been adopted by others who, noting the stark contrast between Obama's policy positions as a candidate and as president, suggest that Obama was playing a joke on the American people.

Regardless of whether one prefers Heath Ledger (shown at right), Jack Nicholson, or Cesar Romero playing the Joker, everyone knows that the Joker wears clown make-up. Did anyone watching a Batman movie ever look at the Joker and think he had "watermelon juice" on his face?

Even if one mistakes the clown make-up for a juice, then, of all the possible red juices, is there any reason to think it was watermelon juice?

Reporter Egelko continues:

Asked about the apparent racial reference, Leidecker turned around to show a caricature of former President George W. Bush on the back of the shirt, labeled, "Fascist."

The back of the shirt shows Bush-as-Joker:

When he saw this, reporter Egelko should have given up on his racial watermelon interpretation but he didn't. The Chronicle's layers of editors and fact-checkers did not stop him either.

Mr. Leidecker's American Independent Party supported Alan Keyes for President.

PREVIOUSLY on last Sunday's groupa-palooza in Marin county:
•Obama supporters try but fail to outnumber tea partiers at the Marin groupa-palooza
•Former AP reporter fears for the children if they are exposed to tea partiers

For more pictures of the groupa-palooza, see Larry's slideshow.

PREVIOUSLY on tea parties in the San Francisco bay area:
•3 in 10 Californians identify with tea party protests
•To protest Obamacare, San Francisco holds a sick-in (Nov. 15)
•A Tea Party greets Obama in San Francisco (Oct. 15)
• Videos of the October 15 San Francisco Tea Party
•San Franciscans speak to Nancy Pelosi (Aug. 14)
•The San Francisco Tax Day Tea Party Protest in Pictures (Apr. 15)
•Farmers protest in San Jose (Nov. 21).
•Tea Party breaks out in Palo Alto (Nov. 21)
•Rep. Eshoo's health care town hall (Sep. 2)
•Rep. Speier's town hall meeting (Aug. 23)