The Obama administration's thumb on the scales

Among the many disturbing aspects of the George Zimmerman trial is the degree to which outrage appears to have been ginned up. A sad but routine local incident became the latest chapter in our National Disgrace: Episode 1,409,332, more or less. A highly symbolic and emotionally charged vehicle has been rolled out for another run around the block, even though it shows signs of wear and desperately needs a tune-up.

Cable news media shares a lot of blame, not only on the left but also right-leaning Fox News. Is the public truly demanding round-the-clock courtroom coverage and chatter, or is this some kind of virus in the newsroom? If so, a few newsmen are immune, such as MSNBC’s Chuck Todd, whose barely concealed frustration during his Daily Rundown show last week went viral.

But then, the media is just doing what comes naturally. The Zimmerman case is a classic two-fer: Courtroom drama is a staple of television entertainment ever since Perry Mason, and added to a favorite narrative template (that race relations in America are as bad as they’ve ever been), it’s a surefire attention-grabber and ratings bonanza.

So the media behaving in an irresponsible manner is not news. But if the Obama administration took sides in the case, that would be newsworthy and entirely out of bounds. When the president made his famous remark about his hypothetical son looking like Trayvon Martin, it sounded like a huge non sequitur. But now it appears to have been something of a policy statement, because an arm of the Justice Department was directly involved in organizing the rallies and protests that led to Zimmerman being jailed without bond.

Last week, Judicial Watch obtained records showing that members of the DOJ’s Community Relations Service (CRS) were dispatched to Sanford, Fla., in March to assist with rallies and protests. “My guess is that most Americans would rightly object to taxpayers paying government employees to help organize racially charged demonstrations,” remarked Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton.

The allocated funds aren’t much—a little more than $5,000—but taxpayers’ objections would have less to do with the amount than the purpose. What possible reason could the Justice Department have for helping organize protests in a potentially explosive case? If an injustice was done, couldn’t the local residents have managed to protest on their own? Does the CRS, which was established as a “peacemaker for community conflicts and tensions arising from the differences of race, color, and national origin,” have a special calling for outrage?

This news comes at the worst possible time, with the media obsessing over whether an acquittal for George Zimmerman will lead to rioting in the streets. I’m going to go out on a limb and say no. Outrage can burn only for a brief time on its own, and attempts to pump it up again yield diminishing returns. The Trayvon Martin Foundation has called for a nonviolent reaction to the verdict, whatever it is—a word of caution that may help.

Not a word from the administration. They’ve already spoken, with that big fat thumb on the scales of justice.