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.

From the Politico article:

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.

Trending

https://twitter.com/bikermailman/status/212424424035598337

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.”

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:

Ace of Spades has an idea to teach Politico a sorely needed lesson.

More Twitter users give Politico the business as well.

https://twitter.com/AceofSpadesHQ/status/212630190935916544

Update:

Calls for Fox News, ABC to change their wording.

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.

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Tags: ace of spadeserick ericksonKimberlinPattericoPoliticoswatSWAT-tingTerrorismtwitterUnited States Department of JusticeUnited States House of Representatives