Michelle Malkin predicted it was only a matter of time before the MSM would attempt to link to the conservative movement the mentally ill man who fired several shots at the White House, but, at SayAnythingBlog.com, Rob Port tells the story in a way that forestalls that:

Jared Loughner, who shot Rep. Gabbie Giffords in Tucson, had never attended a single tea party event. He had no tea party literature in his home, and never claimed to subscribe to any tea party ideas. Yet, somehow, the media managed to turn Giffords’ shooting into an indictment of the tea party movement (and Sarah Palin).

Contrast that with the man who police officials are seeking for firing a shot at the White House. He’s actually spent time at Occupy DC events, but don’t expect the media to draw the connection. …

“Authorities suspect [Oscar Ramiro] Ortega has been in the area for weeks, coming back and forth to the Washington Mall. Before the shooting, he was detained by local police at an abandoned house. U.S. Park police say Ortega may have spent time blending in with Occupy D.C. protesters.”

That doesn’t mean he was a bona fide Occupier, but it does underscore that, in this, as in so many things, it’s the media double standard, stupid. According to Talking Points Memo, the Secret Service scoured Occupy D.C. looking for this guy. If Park Police suspected Ortega had been at a Tea Party rally, that tidbit would be included in every bit of MSM coverage of this incident. And you can bet that, if it turns out Ortega was at Occupy D.C., reporters will be careful to emphasize he was just blending in, not actually participating.

Then again, the Occupiers don’t need help from the truly deranged to prove they’re an unruly bunch: We’re up to at least 256 verified incidents of violence, vandalism or outrageous behavior. As Jonah Goldberg put it in a tweet today, “It took 2 years of MSM slander to demonize tea parties. It took 2 months of OWS behavior, despite MSM whitewashing, to become unpopular.”

Fortunately for all concerned, the suspect in the White House shooting was arrested earlier today at a Pennsylvania hotel, according to an AP report. As Ed expressed this morning, best for him to be taken into custody before he does harm to himself or someone else. It’s a relief to know he’s been apprehended.