Why is this Ted Rall threatening to sue Ms. Coulter?
Uh, Rall called Republicans Nazis for years. How is that not libel if this b.s. is?
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Ann Coulter Lies; You Decide: Should I Sue?
Republican columnist Ann Coulter spoke earlier today to the Conservative Political Action Committee, where the audience included 1000 right-wingers including Vice President Dick Cheney. There, among other things, she is reported to have said the following:
"Iran is soliciting cartoons on the Holocaust. So far, only Ted Rall, Garry Trudeau, and the NY Times have made submissions."
She lied. I have not submitted anything to any Iranian publication. I have no intention of doing so. And I have said that in public, repeatedly.
Obviously, in making such a statement, Coulter crossed the line into outright libel--she intentionally stated a mistruth intended to harm my reputation. And obviously a libel suit is called for. Problem is, it costs many thousands of dollars to file such a case, much less pursue it through the courts. (I know this from personal experience.)
So what do you, dear readers, think I should do? Should I do what no liberal has been willing to do as of yet--hold a lying neoconservative to task for smearing them? I'll do it with your support--but I need your help to decide. Thus I hereby I announce
THE FIRST ANNUAL ANN COULTER LAWSUIT OPINION POLL
To vote NO, simply email chet@rall.com with a message telling me that you vote no. Feel free to impugn my patriotism if you feel so moved.
To vote YES, please email chet@rall.com along with a solemn pledge stating the amount of financial support you are willing to contribute to support my legal challenge to Coulter's libelous statement.
If enough YES votes come in with enough serious pledges, I'll see Ann in court. If not, well, chalk up another victory for the Right.
UPDATE (Sat. 11:45 AM EST): Votes are currently running 3-to-1 in FAVOR of suing Ann Coulter. And people are putting their money where their mouths are! Pledges already total more than $1500; since it costs about $6000 to draft and file a libel lawsuit in New York, where both she and I live, we're a quarter of the way to having enough to get the ball rolling. If that number continues to rise, I'll be in touch with the pledgers about putting their contributions into my lawyer's escrow PayPal account and start things going.
Some have asked whether she'll be able to use the "just funnin'" defense. She'll certainly try, but I doubt her claims of "humor" or sarcasm will fly with a jury since (a) she's not funny and (b) her audiences take her literally and she knows it. But this will all depend on my attorneys, a team with expertise in libel law. If the pledges keep coming, I'll know whether it's even financially feasible to proceed. Of course, I could sue and lose. But, as emailers have remarked variously: (a) it'd be amusing nevertheless and (b) would finally hold her accountable for her over-the-top libelous statements about Americans with more patriotism than they could ever dream of.
I guess I should have explained why he wants to sue.
When Ann Coulter spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last week, she said "Iran is soliciting cartoons on the Holocaust. So far, only Ted Rall, Garry Trudeau, and the NY Times have made submissions." It was an obvious joke. But Rall is such a sensitive little baby that he wants to sue.
Rall imagines that he has some good reputation to damage.