Posted on 03/03/2007 8:01:55 PM PST by llevrok
Ann Coulter is not African-American, does not sing and never said “If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?” However, she is the closest the Republicans will get to Sister Souljah.
Coulter has made a career of interspersing insightful and cutting political criticism with outrageous and morally repugnant remarks. She attracted considerable attention with her crack about the group of 9/11 widows dubbed the “Jersey girls,” with a line in one of her books, “These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. These self-obsessed women seemed genuinely unaware that 9/11 was an attack on our nation and acted as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them. ... I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much.”
Then, there was her crack about Muslims at last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC): “I think our motto should be post-9-11, ‘rag head talks tough, rag head faces consequences.’” At CPAC on Thursday, in endorsing Republican presidential aspirant Mitt Romney, who needs more bad press like a hole in the head, she piped up with this one: “I was going to say something about John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot.’”
It's about time for a presidential contender, perhaps all of them in the spirit of Newt Gingrich’s crusade for improving public discourse, to say “enough.” Coulter’s never-ending stream of venom is not amusing, unhelpful to Republicans, and not in keeping with the ideals of a party that fancies itself as the proponent of a colorblind society and heir to Lincoln.
It is not “caving” into political correctness to distance and indeed condemn such remarks as unworthy of a political event like CPAC. To the contrary, it is altogether fitting that a group that ostensibly searches for the best in conservative ideas, rewards political courage and encourages intellectual debate, should be able to differentiate the amusing from the offensive, and the clever from the vile.
Conservatives take great glee in condemning ideological opponents who share stages with Al Sharpton or give a convention seat to Michael Moore. It would certainly boost their credibility to toss their own baggage out.
Would it be a stunt to call out Coulter, who obviously revels in the attention of provocative pronouncements? No. Excommunication is not being suggested, just a public rebuke. By clearly stating her comments are beyond the bounds of civil discourse and her presence not a welcome addition to a mature political party, the Republicans could do themselves a world of good. How often does a party have the opportunity to display some measure of dignity, restraint and self-reflection.?
So who will play the role of Bill Clinton to Coulter’s Sister Souljah? It would be a sad commentary on the GOP if the answer is “no one.”
Jennifer Rubin is a writer who lives in Virginia. Her columns appear in the Weekly Standard, the American Spectator, Human Events, abc.com and National Review Online.
$10 is riding on it. Gnight.
LOL. Are you kidding? She is their biggest draw. I attended the conference, which set attendance records and included over 3,000 college students. Ann is a rock star. The room was filled with SRO and the overflow was larger than the number that was in the room. They were forced to watch on closed circuit TVs throught the hotel.
CPAC will do anything to get her to come back next year, including begging.
Not a chance, Ms. Coulter will have another best seller after this, conservatives who are seeking a voice have found one in Coulter.
And personally she is not one of my favorite pundits, however she does tear the mask of liberal hipocracy every time she says one of these "rocket lines" the head right to the front page and will keep the lefty bloggers busy on their usual hate fest.
Say what you will Ann, that is your choice sometimes i agree, sometimes listening to your interviews is like chewing aluminum foil.
Deal.
And that doesn't mean any squishy middle of the road stuff. I don't think he will even mention it.
Or he will say what about what so and so said about some conservative.
Except there would have been no punch line for her joke. No one was sent to rehab for saying Girly Man.
"Huge difference between a speech and FR."
Yes, Ann has balls, she is not afraid of faggots. We hide behind the anonymity of our little screen names.
"The difference is class and no class."
We have no class? I am insulted I think.
"Funny how some jokes fall flat only AFTER the fact, when certain pundits scratch their behinds and get the clever idea that they can make themselves look good to the liberal "mainstream" newsrooms by pretending to take "the high road" - - in other words, they run like scared bunnies."
I think you've nailed it. A lot of these self-righteous nobodies are hoping to get some "street cred" from the MSM by bashing Coulter over a joke.
They are the Chuck Hagels of punditry. But without Chuck Hagel's quiet dignity.
And they will still be nobodies tomorrow and the day after, because they don't have the courage of their convictions.
Hell, most of them don't even have convictions.
I wasn't there but I'd agree. Conservatives are so hungry for somebody with convictions and the spine to defend them that they'll crawl through glass to see them. All the RINOs, moderates and the civil, big-tent types have to pretend they have both attributes. Nobody is fooled but the other jellyfish.
Oh, my aching butt! Like us ancient Freepers give a rat's patoot what "leading bloggers" or "politicians" say about ANYTHING.
Put a sock in it, JR.
This discussion is symbolic of the trouble we're in. Somebody has called it the "feminization" of America. While in the middle of a war that could decide our future survival, do we have the luxury of quarreling about niceties and not/niceties?
I think many have come out in force against Ann's judgment of the timing and tactics of the remark.....Ann can say this stuff most anywhere but at a large CPAC convention was childish....hey, I'm not bashing anyone's opinion, I have mine, but when you say RINO's are coming out against her, well you have to include on that list:
Hugh Hewitt
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/
Michelle Malkin
Right Wing News
http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2007/03/ann_coulters_juvenile_comment.php
The Christian Defense Coalition
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/340052384.html
Captain's Quarters
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/009308.php
None of these I would call RINO's.....maybe you would
I realize Ann's prisons and manor
Are you a Lasker fan?... Your tad line.
Careful...Rudy, McCain and Romney will denounce you as mean and non-pc! Next we'll see posts on John Edwards' website begging for "Carlo cash"...:)
The fight for survival, I suspect, will begin and end with the control of the Republican Party. If conservatives lose, all is lost. Ain't no belly rubbin' going to make the beast roll over and purr. Get used to it.
"Conservatives take great glee in condemning ideological opponents who share stages with Al Sharpton or give a convention seat to Michael Moore. It would certainly boost their credibility to toss their own baggage out. "
B*ll SH*T! That's all spagetti spined conservatives ever do, it's about time to tell them to go to h*ll!!
Keep it up, Ann Coulter!! I support you!!
See post # 60. ed.
"Good" conservatives respond: "That's just awful, but we do have free speech. It's close to the bounds, though. Dare we ask the DNC to comment. We could say pretty please."
Ann Coulter makes joke about John Edwards: "Crucify her! Crucify her! She discredits conservatives," say the "good" conservatives. "We're sorry, we're sorry. Please, we are not like that hateful women. Please, please forgive us."
It would certainly boost their credibility to toss their own baggage out.
"We will. We will. Oh please forgive us. Please! Please!" say "good" conservatives.
Mean while, no one is talking about hypocrite Al Gore, as many here on FR have noted. Mission accomplished.
I guess Ann got their attention.
Yes, I'd call all of them RINOs.
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