The 'NYT' Occupy Wall Street Front Pager Was an Inside Job

Kay Merryweather, 34, an artist on the Lower East Side, volunteers at Trinity Church, giving out food. She said that during the financial crisis, when banks were receiving bailouts and financial executives were receiving multimillion-dollar bonuses, the church often ran out before the long lines of working poor were fed. “The bankers were getting all of these millions,” Ms. Merryweather said. “And we didn’t have enough food.”

But not far away, Benny Zable, 66, a longtime activist, was protesting while wearing a gas mask and a suit that read “Work Consume Be Silent Die.” He said his outrage came from the heedlessness of economic growth. “It’s the greed factor,” Mr. Zable said.

“But”? “But”??? That actually isn’t at all a “but” transition, you know! Or you don’t. Picture the conference call between the desk in New York, the lead writer and the stringers: “This movement seems fractured and confused!” says the editor. “Did you find any people who seem fractured and confused?” The stringers mumble. “Fine, I’ve got one! I’ll write this anecdotal opening thing in myself,” says the lead writer, Times’ Phoenix bureau chief Marc Lacey. “See, I’ve got a great 9/11 ‘truther’ wingnut with all kinds of stickers on his guitar case!” (Hmm, pretty well-aged stickers though, right? Pretty sure that guy was already “there” long before the Occupy movement came into being last month.) “Oh and! I’ve got some chick from Code Pink!” Everyone on the conference call goes oooh. “Jackpot,” says the desk in New York, a few blocks from where thousands of people have just completely filled Times Square the other day. With a liberal media like this, who needs Fox News?