The Washington Post makes clear Friday it sees Glenn Beck's Saturday rally on the Washington National Mall as big news, giving it a front-page story that notes it could be a boost for the Tea Party or a headache for the Republicans.

The piece declares Beck expects up to 100,000 participants. [His National Park Service permit claimed as many as 300,000. Is he lowering expectations?]

The article states:

When Fox News and talk radio host Glenn Beck comes to Washington this weekend to headline a rally intended to “restore honor” to America, he will test the strength - and potentially expose the weaknesses - of a conservative grass-roots movement that remains an unpredictable force in the country's politics.

It later adds:

Some “tea party” activists say the event, at which former Alaska governor Sarah Palin is also scheduled to speak, will have a greater impact than last September's “9/12” march along Pennsylvania Avenue. Though the attendance figures for that anti-tax rally are disputed, it was the first national gathering to demonstrate the size and influence of the tea party movement.

But with just a few days before the Beck rally, basic questions linger, including how big it will be and whether the event, which Beck says is nonpolitical, will help or hurt Republicans in November. Also unanswered is whether Beck can pull off the connection to King without creating offense - or confrontation with another event the same day led by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

The story also notes that some Republicans are backing away from the event:

“In general, people coming to Washington, being organized and active is a good thing,” said Doug Heye, a spokesman for Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele. “But I gotta be honest with you - I don't know about any Glenn Beck event.”

Among the information found in the half-inch thick permit pack is a restriction on the overnight private security being used by Beck's people: they must be unarmed. An invoice from National Events LLC for tents and other set-up equipment indicates a cost of at least $250,000.