As I recall they tried this with the guy who flew a small plane into a building in Austin too, I think it was in 2009?
the Tea party started to get labeled as a terrorist organization by the NY times just after that.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/the-first-tea-party-terrorist/
They also tried it (successfully too) with the JFK assassination. Although it was completely known not long after Harvey was arrested, that he was a Communist supporter of Castro etc. the media continued to blame White Southern Gun Owners.
That is how they got the truly obnoxious GCA of 1968 passed.