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.“Clinton Calls Comments on Widows Mean-Spirited.”The Times story, by Raymond Hernandez, reported on theinitial Today interview, as well as the subsequent back-and-forthwith Mrs.Clinton.There would be three more New York Timesstories in the next week, including one of the toughest, by mediaThe Aftermath: The Making of a Moment73columnist Alessandra Stanley.Four stories amounts to nothing,apparently, for Ann.After all it was Clinton in the headline, notCoulter.That same morning, radio host Don Imus got into it with Repub-lican campaign strategist Mary Matalin, another Coulter defender, onhis show Imus in the Morning:IMUS: What did you make of the Ann Coulter deal?MATALIN: I take her larger point that in the absence of being ableto make persuasive arguments, you roll out messengers thatcan’t be—you know, it’s politically incorrect to argue with.ButI—I, you know, the verbiage is a little—little stressful.IMUS: So you thought her comments about these women was—were inappropriate?MATALIN: I take her larger point, which is—IMUS: Well, why can’t you comment on what she—calling thesewomen harpies?MATALIN: Because that’s not her point.IMUS: Harpies and—MATALIN: That’s completely not her point.IMUS: Well, no, but I mean, saying that they were happy theirhusbands got killed?BERNARD MCGUIRK [PRODUCER]: Their husbands were going todivorce them.IMUS: And—yes, that they’re getting long in the tooth, andmaybe ought to think about appearing in Playboy, which is anoption—MATALIN: What do you think about her point? Her point thatyou can’t—you know, Cindy Sheehan—you can’t—if youthrow yourself in the political arena, that you should be ableto, you know, to address political issues, and people should beable to speak back to you?74SoullessI like Mary a lot, but note that she does it too: We were discussing AnnCoulter, so how did the discussion manage to be about Cindy Sheehan inthe next breath? Favorite whipping girl?IMUS: I agree with her point.See, she does get smart people to agree with her underlying point, which ismore than they should do.MATALIN: Well then that’s what I agree with.Two for the underlying point.What is the underlying point? That CindySheehan isn’t immune from criticism? Did I miss the period in time whenCindy Sheehan was immune from criticism?IMUS: I agree with her point.But I think it’s repugnant and repul-sive and gutless to—and cheap and cheesy to call these womenall these names.I mean, it’s just—whether it’s right or not, Imean, you just—that’s just something—you know, you justdon’t go there.MATALIN: Well that’s her stock in trade.And that justifies it, Mary?IMUS: But I’m surprised that you won’t condemn her for these re-pugnant remarks.MATALIN: I don’t know her.I haven’t read the book.Mary and her husband James Carville must not socialize with Ann andDrudge.Different cities, different circles.IMUS: Well, you don’t have to know her.You know what Hitlerdid.Did you know him? And you can condemn what he did.The Aftermath: The Making of a Moment75Oh no! Watch out for Hitler.MATALIN: Are you comparing her to Hitler? See, this is the point.IMUS: No.No, I’m not.I’m just—of course not.I’m just saying—MATALIN: This is completely the point she’s making.IMUS: All right.You know me.You condemn me all the time.MATALIN: You lefty crazy people run around, calling us “extrachromosome” and “Hitlers” and “Nazis” and everything, andnobody says anything.She calls somebody a “harpy” and you’dthink that, you know, the whole world was on fire.At noon that day, Ann appeared on The Radio Factor with BillO’Reilly.COULTER: (Defending her attack on the Jersey Girls) I’m attack-ing the whole technique, the whole system, and the fact thatpeople, even like you, will say, “Well yes, you can attack them,but you have to use these certain words.” Well, why?O’REILLY: Well, attack the argument and not the person.COULTER: No, but that is—no, don’t give me rules on this partic-ular area—O’REILLY: I can give you rules.It’s my program.At 6 P.M., Ann appeared on Lou Dobbs Tonight.Lou Dobbs said to Ann:“You are basically.the opposite of Michael Moore.” Ann replied: “Ireject that.I am the right-wing Mark Twain.”What do you think Mark Twain would say to that?Later, at 8:56 P.M., David Horowitz on The O’Reilly Factor said:“Well, Ann Coulter is a national treasure, and her point is right on themark.”A national treasure.76SoullessOn Hannity & Colmes, Ann went so far as to say that she wasn’t atall sure that the Jersey Girls wouldn’t, at this point, rather keep theirfame than have their husbands back.Democratic strategist LauraSchwartz, a guest on the show, was appalled.COLMES: Do you think for one second these women would notgive up every piece of celebrity and notoriety they have to havetheir husbands back?COULTER: Oh, I don’t know, to give up $2 million and.COLMES: To have their husbands back.SCHWARTZ: Oh, my God, what are you saying, Ann?COLMES: To have their husbands back.COULTER: Appearing in Vanity Fair.COLMES: They would not give up.I want to be clear on this.Theywould not give this up to get their husbands back?COULTER: I don’t know.I can’t read into their hearts.But it isn’t asobvious to me as it apparently is to you.How can you say this, Ann? How can anyone say it? Even if it’s just for ef-fect, how can you say it?COLMES: Really? You don’t think so?SCHWARTZ: Ann, you know.COLMES: You’ve got to be kidding me.COLMES: Laura, you can respond because I can’t deal with her.COULTER: Why can’t I respond?COLMES: You just did.You just did.There were plenty of negative stories, but they all spelled her nameright, and kept her in the news [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]