The Indispensable Ann Coulter: At last, the truth about Liberals

June 24, 2003 | Adam Yoshida

[adamyoshida]

The Indispensable Ann Coulter: At last, the truth about Liberals

I do not believe I am exaggerating when I say that Ann Coulter’s newest book Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism (Crown Forum, $26.95) is, to date, the most important political book of the 21st century. Written in Coulter’s trademark style, the book is insightful, well-researched, and, at times, downright hilarious. But more than that, the book has something missing from far too many conservative tomes of recent years: originality and daring. Coulter takes what many conservatives already understand (and talk to eachother about in private) and spells it out for the layperson to understand: liberalism is an ideology of sedition, the Democratic Party is the party of treason, and, in this great war for the future of the American Republic and Western Civilization, the left is an ally of the enemies of freedom.

The book is a through examination of the record of the left during the Cold War, when they constantly took the side of the Soviet Union and every other pro-Soviet group, to the present-day War on Terrorism, where liberals have constantly made excuses for Islamo-fascism and consistently gone to great lengths to combat every sensible measure proposed for fighting terrorism. She artfully details how a careful campaign of liberal propaganda has succeeded in making the loyalty and patriotism (or lack thereof) of leftists a verboten subject.

Coulter is far from the first author to address many of these subjects. Earlier this year nationally syndicated columnist Mona Charen wrote a tome on the subject entitled Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got it Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First which offered an excellent accounting of anti-Americanism (and support for the Soviet Union and terrorists) among many of America’s most revered liberal icons. However, in Treason Coulter takes the arguments advanced by other conservatives to their natural conclusions: the left has, at some point, crossed the line from being simply stupid into actively working as a traitorous fifth column within the United States and they must be exposed and stopped.

Not known for being one to mince words, the book is refreshingly frank about the threat posed by terrorism. Speaking on Islamists (and liberal ‘why do they hate us’ hand-wringing) Coulter says, “They hate us? We hate them. Americans don’t want to make Islamic fanatics love us. We want to make them die. There’s nothing like horrendous physical pain to quell angry fanatics.” While the writings of many other Americans conservatives seem to contain a filter which eliminate phrases which might get them excluded from fashionable Manhattan cocktail parties, this book is pure and truthful.

Perhaps what makes this book so significant is its re-examination of the life and times of Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin. Unjustly smeared in life and viciously pursued beyond the grave, today McCarthy’s career is never invoked, save by liberals who wish to hide behind the myth of ‘McCarthysim’. Joe McCarthy, a farm boy who rose to be a lawyer, a judge, a Marine officer, and United States Senator, is maligned in the history books as some sort of dark fascist who ruined the careers of many ‘innocent’ communists. This image is rarely challenged with most conservatives feeling compelled to distance themselves from Old Tailgunner Joe by offering ritualistic denunciations of his ‘excesses’ or by claiming that he ‘hurt the conservative movement more than he helped it.’

However, in Treason, we are given, at long last, the real truth about the career of America’s most hated Senator. Joe McCarthy was no fascist; he was a true patriot who did a great service to his country by exposing many communist spies operating freely in the upper reaches of the United States government. More than that, he helped to effectively awaken the American people to the threat posed by Soviet agents and sympathizers throughout the country. McCarthy’s search was unusually restrained- the mission of his Permanent Sub-Committee on Investigations was to probe Communists in the government, and he restricted himself to doing that. His investigations exposed high-ranking Soviet agents in the State Department and Communist officers in the Army.

Coulter shows how even the most famous denunciation of McCarthy, by lawyer Joseph Welch, was a set-up. Welch’s famous, “have you no sense of decency sir, at long last” harangue is much-quoted but little understood. It followed a multi-hour session in which Welch, playing to the press, had nonsensically demanded the names of all communists known to McCarthy, at the end of which McCarthy pointed out that there was, under the employ of Welch’s law firm, an individual who had been a member of the National Lawyer’s Guild (which the Attorney General had described as the “legal bulwark of the Communist Party”). Unable to respond, Welch resorted to a typical liberal tactic- crying and emotion (hence the whole, ‘have you no decency’ thing).

Treason is nothing less than a declaration of war against the left, a manifesto for a cultural counter-revolution. Richard Nixon once said that, “if the American people knew the real character of Alger Hiss, they would boil him in oil.” The same is true of the modern left as a whole. They survive only through lies and deception, and their true nature must be exposed. Treason transgresses the old lines of polite debate and it speaks the truth. We must hope that there are still enough people listening.

[Inkie]

Ann is on Medved right now.

[eureka!]

Chris (aka section9) wrote a reply about the true assault this book constitutes on the very soul of the Rat party. Chris, if you could repost those comments here, that would be great. I'll see if I can find them....

[montomike]

And I am sure that it is foot-noted to a tee like her other great book, "SLANDER".

[goldstategop]

I expect her book to be #1 in a few days' time. Buh Bye Hillary, its been nice knowin' ya!

[broomhilda]

Just bought it at Borders for $18.86 plus tax. It was nowhere in sight at Dalton but they had Hillary books on all the display counters and all over the store. The salesman who sold me "Treason" said he was going to buy it too. It is a great book. I love helping put Hillary in the cellar, and Ann Coulter over the top.

[eureka!]

Found it. Here it is:

Anne is about to become one of the great historical conservative polemicists, and here is why.

She has taken a leaf from Horowitz' tactical playbook: she has chosen to assault the left and its party, the Democrats at a fundamental, first principles level. Her book is ambitious in historic terms, for it is a searing indictment of the Democratic Party's institutional liberalism that first began to make itself felt in the Henry Wallace campaign of 1948.

It is nothing less than a historical defense of Joe McCarthy and an indictment of his Democratic accusers. Indirectly, it will probably be a historical defense of Nixon, as well. It is an indictment of the party as soft on communism and Islamic fascism, and hard on America. She is toweringly ambitious in this effort. Not even Buckley or George Will were this critical-they merely offered a conservative critique of Democratic party figures, programs, administrations and ideology. Coulter is attempting to strip the modern Democratic party of its historical legitimacy.

The footnoting and historical research in this book must be perfect, 100% dead on. She MUST prove that McCarthy was railroaded. She CANNOT fall into the trap of defending McCarthy's attack on George C. Marshall and the U.S. Army, however. Once he started attacking the Officer Corps, Ike cut him down to size and no one ever saw the General's fingerprints. Within months of overreaching, McCarthy was censured by the Senate. He died a broken man several years later.

Smart liberals will understand what Coulter is attempting here. Her book has to be 100% dead on, because the liberal attack will be savage. Remember, this is supposed to be the Summer of Hillary's Book. Hillary herself will be livid if Coulter races past her on Amazon and in retail outlets, which, I suspect, she will.

Remember, Slander was not nearly so ambitious an effort. That volume was merely a complaint about the Democratic Party's pliant allies in the media. With Treason, Coulter is attacking the very soul of the Party, and is doing so in a matter so bold it takes even my breath away.

Keep your eyes peeled. This woman could hold high office someday.

Be Seeing You,

Chris 26 posted on 06/19/2003 1:54 PM PDT by section9 (Major Motoko Kusanagi has returned! Tanned, rested, and ready.....)

[adamyoshida]

I've read the thing (got a copy yesterday night). I think it's brilliant, simply brilliant. It reminds me why I like to call the Democratic Party the 'party of treason.' Because that's just what it is.

Watch, I think this one's going to be much-talked about. She pulls no punches in her defense of McCarthy.

[RetiredArmy]

Man, I love this woman (hey, don't let my wife see this or I am toast! :^) )

[My2Cents]

Buh Bye Hillary, its been nice knowin' ya!...

(You forgot to add) ...NOT!

[Sloth]

the left has, at some point, crossed the line from being simply stupid into actively working as a traitorous fifth column within the United States and they must be exposed and stopped.

Indeed... one thing that has irritated me about Limbaugh in recent months is, he will correctly point out that the Democrats have set themselves up to benefit from American failures (such as in Iraq), but he is careful to emphasize that he is NOT saying that they (Daschle, et al) actually WANT people to die in another terrorist attack, or WANT Americans to suffer defeat in Iraq.

However, it is perfectly obvious that they DO WANT these things to happen. The DO hate America. What's wrong with saying that? I bet Daschole got an erection every time he heard about a U.S. soldier's death during the Iraq invasion.

[MEG33]

Excellent post.

[Mears]

I have a credit due to me from my local,VERY LIBERAL,bookstore in my VERY LIBERAL city. I will use it for Ann's book,I loved the first one and also loved Michelle Malkin's book,Invasion.

I think conservative women are much better looking than the libs and these two ladies are georgeous.(This has nothing to do with the books,just thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth)

[My2Cents]

From World Net Daily:

Ann Coulter's 'Treason' tops Hillary's 'History'
On 1st day of release, conservative pundit trumps senator's memoir on Amazon chart

Attorney, author and WND columnist Ann Coulter's latest book, "Treason," surpassed Sen. Hillary Clinton's "Living History" on Amazon.com's best-seller list on its first day of official release.

Coulter's book is currently listed as No. 5 on Amazon's best-seller list, while Clinton's book has dropped from a high of No. 2 to No. 10. Topping sales at Amazon is the latest Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

Even before "Treason" was released, it skyrocketed up the Amazon charts in pre-order sales.

As WorldNetDaily previously reported, the week "Living History" was released it was bumped from the No. 2 spot by a paperback title tying the recent war to Bible prophecy called "Beyond Iraq."

"Treason," a follow-up to Coulter's best-selling "Slander," contends that liberals have been wrong on every foreign-policy issue from the fight against communism at home in the early Cold War days to the struggle with the Soviet empire to the current war on terrorism.

"Liberals have a preternatural gift for always striking a position on the side of treason," writes Coulter. "Everyone says liberals love America, too. No, they don't." From Truman to Kennedy to Carter to Clinton, America has contained, appeased and retreated, she says, often sacrificing America's best interests and security. With the fate of the world in the balance, Coulter argues that liberals should leave the defense of the nation to conservatives.

Re-examining the 60-year history of the Cold War and beyond – including the career of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the Whittaker Chambers-Alger Hiss affair, Ronald Reagan's challenge to Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall," the Gulf War and America's present war on terrorism – Coulter reveals in "Treason" how liberals have been "horribly wrong" in all their political analyses and policy prescriptions. McCarthy, exonerated by the Venona Papers if not before, was basically right about Soviet agents working for the U.S. government, writes the best-selling author. Hiss turned out to be a high-ranking Soviet spy (who consulted Roosevelt at Yalta). Reagan, ridiculed throughout his presidency, ended up winning the Cold War. And George W. Bush, also an object of ridicule, has by all accounts performed exceptionally in responding to America's newest threats at home and abroad.

[My2Cents]

From Bill Press last week in World Net Daily --

if there were ever any doubt about the huge, hungry and unsatisfied liberal audience lurking out there, didn't Hillary Clinton settle that question once and for all? In just one week, Simon and Schuster recovered the former First Lady's entire $8 million advance, selling 600,000 copies of her new book – and her book tour has barely begun. "Living History" could become the best-selling nonfiction book ever....

BWAAAHHHAHHAHAAAAHHAA....

[tom h]

"Man, I love this woman (hey, don't let my wife see this or I am toast! :^) )"

My wife is apolitical and just yawns when she hears more about the famous Republican babe Ann Coulter. My advice to you is to confess your infatuation in advance rather then be caught staring longingly at her cover photo in the wee hours.

[Havisham]

Ann's last book, 'Slander', was so important that another author, Tammy Bruce, 'borrowed' large parts of it for 'The Death of Right and Wrong'. Bruce is a charismatic if voluble addition to the conservative cause. Ann Coulter is not charismatic but what she's written is completely original and superbly documented.

[ChocChipCookie]

Keep your eyes peeled. This woman could hold high office someday.

Make it so!

[jwalburg]

I have a credit from our bookstore, too, and plan to do the very same thing. I hadn't heard of Malkin's book, but I like her columns. What is the focus of her book, may I ask?

[newgeezer]

liberalism is an ideology of sedition, the Democratic Party is the party of treason, and, in this great war for the future of the American Republic and Western Civilization, the left is an ally of the enemies of freedom.

Yeah, whatever. Now, who's going to make prescription drugs affordable for everyone and, after that, who's going to ensure everyone has equal access to excellent healthcare?</sarcasm>

In other words, Ann Coulter is absolutely right. But, she's just preaching to the choir. Election Day 2004 is going to be a real battle if any of those traitors can get some traction. Brokaw, Rather, and Jennings will do everything they can to provide a winning message, and that's where the mushy middle -- those who can't spell 'Constitution' let alone recite it -- get their news. The doom and gloom economy will continue to lead the nightly news right up to that day. You ain't seen nothing yet.