But here's the deal. You folks are working very, VERY hard to miss the real point here, which is that the media are busy creating your public image for you, and you have no way to fight back.
The Tea Party movement is going to find it self marginalized as a bunch of loons, unless and until it can get some sort of centralized structure in place to manage a coherent message.
All you've got now is energy ... which is great, except that it's not focused. In politics, unfocused energy belongs to whoever can put their own spin on it -- even your opponents -- which is what you see happening now.
The race baiting thugs in the media will continue lose in their quest to slander civil, law abiding Partiers.
You cannot inoculate against slander, but each instance can be disputed. The record of slander can be published for all to see.