Posted on 03/08/2005 2:01:10 PM PST by rightalien
Ann Coulter called liberal columnist Helen Thomas an "old Arab" and suggested she may be a security threat to President Bush in a recent column, and Twenty-six members of the U.S. Congress are steamin' mad.
The Detroit Free Press reports that in a letter to Universal Press, which syndicates Coulter’s column, the lawmakers criticize Universal's response to the potential controversy as inadequate.
Exactly what did, and didn't, happen?
Coulter, while arguing that liberal attacks on ex-White House reporter Jeff Gannon, formerly of Talon News, were a response to the "public disgrace and ruin of New York Times editor Howell Raines, CBS anchor Dan Rather and CNN news director Eason Jordan,” also took a shot at longtime Washington correspondent Thomas (who, by the way, called Condi Rice a "monster" and a "goddamn liar").
Coulter wrote: "Press passes can't be that hard to come by if the White House allows that old Arab Helen Thomas to sit within yards of the president.”
Although Universal removed the "Arab" reference before sending the column to Coulter's 110 newspaper clients, the politicians are upset because Coulter kept "Arab" in the version of the column that appeared on her website, AnnCoulter.com. The politicos point out that she also kept the Universal copyright under the column and didn't include a disclaimer explaining that the column was worded differently from the one syndicated by Universal.
They wrote: "Just as we would expect that similar slights against African-Americans, Jews, or Hispanics would not be tolerated, equal disapproval should be shown toward these repeated slanders directed at Arab-Americans," adding, "Loyal Arab-Americans have made heroic contributions to our military, intelligence, and Homeland Security efforts."
As a result of the stir, Coulter and Universal have reached an agreement on removing Universal's copyright from columns on AnnCoulter.com that differ from columns sent to newspapers.
Until now, the line under Coulter's columns said "copyright Universal Press Syndicate." Under the agreement, all columns on AnnCoulter.com will say "distributed by Universal Press Syndicate (c) Ann Coulter" if the print and Web versions of the column are the same.
If the versions are not the same, the line will say "(c) Ann Coulter" only. "This applies to columns that may be of different lengths, with different headlines, and with different copy from the edited version," Kerr said.
Using a Coulter copyright "corrects a longstanding error," said Kathie Kerr, director of Communications for Universal. "Universal does not hold the copyright on Ann's columns."
However, as this story was being posted, Coulter had yet to drop the Universal copyright from the Feb. 23 column on her site. "We fully expect it will be removed," Kerr told E&P.
Kerr added that she knew of no newspapers canceling Coulter’s popular column because of her "old Arab" remark.
Nor should they. It is an "opinion" column, after all, is it not? And this is still America, is it not?
What I wanted to know for God's Sake, is Helen Thomas an Arab? She certainly is old. What other question is there?
They act like calling someone an Arab was a slur. How dare they!!!! I am going to call Kiefer Sutherland. Maybe he can do a public service anouncement.
Still looking, #1. Where did I put that one Ann sent me -- must be around here somewhere....
Don't you talk about my Congresswoman like that!
You need to be much more derogatory about that loony Islamic-crazy-loving witch.
Maureen Dipsh..t of the NY Times must have said it ten times on Meet the Press alone then another several times in her excrable column. So, cool your jets with the sanctimony. She only called the old bag an old Arab. Don't like it, lefties? Tough.
Great! Now I want to see her gyrations in that thriller with Cathereine and Sean Connery at the Milennium. Recall ho wshe dodge those laser security lines!
it about 3 times to get it clean ....
Man! That's like poetry. A beautiful thing.
Humor shmuor; if it does not advance the party, (red commie party, that is) then they are agianst it.
26 cock-a-roaches hate when you shine the light of truth on them.
GO ANN!
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
When I think of Helen a toilet always pops up in my mind. I can't help myself.
I want these fools to name one. O'Reilly had two ex students from that Wahabbi school in Fairfax, and they could not muster enough courage to condemn Al Quadi. I think Ann should apologize by saying something along the lines of she is sorry to disparrage Arabs by connecting them to the someone like Helen Thomas. Some sort of backhanded apology.
I remember a chief in boot camp once said that you cannot drink that much booze. You would pass out first. He must of had HT in mind when he said that.
This is what it has come down to for the Dems. AC, number one threat! What a bunch of total losers!
Everytime I think about Goldberg I get this mental image of "Sam Malone" actually, willingly, putting his little
firehose in her station house! YYYYuuuuucccchhh! How many showers would it take to wash off,................oh never mind!
No, I think the arabs were upset that Ann was comparing them to Helen Thomas.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.