[Update, 10:21 am Eastern on Monday: Knoller responded on Sunday on Twitter to the criticism he was receiving online, stating that 'I wasn't aware there was any slur or pejorative associated with that term. The moment it was pointed out, I stopped using it." (H/t: Clay Waters of TimesWatch, Stephen Gutowski of NewsBusters).]
CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller revived the use of a vulgar sexual term to refer to Tea Party protesters on Saturday afternoon via Twitter: "Obama's motorcade arrives at Capitol Hill. Boos and jeers passing tea bagger protests."
A last-minute demonstration, organized by a coalition of 30 conservative organizations and featuring actor Jon Voight, filled the West Lawn of Capitol Hill on Saturday afternoon. President Obama arrived later in the afternoon to meet with Democratic congressmen, and the chief executive encountered the shouts of the conservative protesters as he entered the halls of Congress.
CNN's Anderson Cooper was among the first to use the "tea-bagging" or "tea-bagger" term almost a year ago on April 14, 2009. Since then, the vulgar reference has been used by many liberal members of the mainstream media, including Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann of MSNBC, CNN's Candy Crowley, and more recently, by left-wing radio flamethrower Mike Malloy.
