Elizabeth Edwards called into MSNBC's "Hardball" on Tuesday to speak with Ann Coulter and ask her to discontinue her personal attacks on her husband, John Edwards ... and discontinue her personal attacks in general. Coulter's response was to belittle Edwards for calling and accused her of stopping her from speaking.
Typical of Coulter and conservatives in general. Asking for civility from them is akin, in their minds, to shutting them up. Following is an interesting part of the exchange between the two, with Chris Matthews moderating:
Edwards: I'm making this call as a mother. I'm the mother of that boy who died. My children participate -- these young people behind you are the age of my children. You're asking them to participate in a dialogue that's based on hatefulness and ugliness instead of on the issues and I don't think that's serving them or this country very well.
[Applause from the crowd]
Matthews: Thank you very much Elizabeth Edwards. (Turning to Coulter) Do you want to -- you have all the time in the world to respond.
Coulter: I think we heard all we need to hear. The wife of a presidential candidate is asking me to stop speaking. No.
That's the best Coulter could do. When confronted by someone, rather than enjoying the security of long distance attacks, Coulter is like our local former radio host, Jessica McBride ... a clucking chicken.
Evidence versus truth
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Andrew Gelman makes an important distinction in this post between the
statistical evidence for a proposition and the ultimate truth of the
proposition. T...
34 minutes ago
Coulter's reply is an illuminating admission, in a Freudian sort of way.
ReplyDeleteWhen Edwards asks her to stop making personal attacks, Coulter takes that as an admonition to stop talking altogether, as if all she does is make personal attacks.
While Coulter is abrasive, implying that Conservatives in general are the only mean spirited ones is false. I guess you've never listened to Randi Rhodes or Garafolo or Franken, or read some of the posts on Kos and Huffington. Yea, Conservatives sure are mean. Libs are wonderful and warm and fuzzy. Right. As for Mrs. Edwards, her call in was likely set up. I can't and won't defend Coulter. But give me a break as far as this set-up goes.
ReplyDeleteBill, read the article. And if it was a setup or not, Coulter proved she cannot back up her beliefs when face-to-face ... a witless wonder.
ReplyDeleteI have found nothing those three you mentioned to have ever said anything approaching what Coulter and Limbaugh have said or implied.
Hey, we are warm and fuzzy, but don't get so shook up. I used the word "conservative" in a general manner. It's not meant to implicate all conservatives, just those who are guilty and those thin-skinned, like McBride among others.
Nobody watches MSNBC. And even fewer than that watch Hardball.
ReplyDeleteMissing a point there, Tom.
ReplyDeleteThanks, now I can never eat a chicken again without getting a bad taste in my mouth. Why couldn't you compare those two to something like salamanders?
ReplyDeleteHere's the point:
ReplyDelete1. Nobody saw the original confrontation, since it was on (a) Hardball on (b) MSNBC
2. The Lefty Blogs are drumming up the hype on this. They do this every other month or so on some Ann Coulter TV appearance.
3. The Edwards campaign is using this to raise cold, hard cash. The Dying Wife vs. The Ultimate Right-Wing Villainess. Brilliant, really.
As I said, Coulter is abrasive and I won't defend her. I've never heard Rush say anything as nasty as some of the things those I mentioned have said. Of course, I've not listened to Rush in about 8-10 years, so I can't say anything beyond that time. And Quinn is warm and fuzzy! And cute to a fault. But, I wasn't talking about her! LOL ;-)
ReplyDeleteTom: Thanks for the "brilliant" thoughts.
ReplyDeleteBill: She's getting cuter by the minute. What, I'm not cute, warm and fuzzy? I'm hurt. Remember to send an e-mail when in town and available again.
Capper: McBride will be followed by the sound of chickens for the rest of her life, and aptly so.
The Silky Pony's wife--who viciously and publicly derogated Cheney's daughter during the last campaign--
ReplyDeleteIs expending estro-energy over Coulter's remarks?
Please...
[Elizabeth Edwards] viciously and publicly derogated Cheney's daughter during the last campaign--
ReplyDeletewtf are you talking about?
Silky Pony? Is there something you're not telling us, daddio?
ReplyDeleteAnd, cut it out. Your crocdile tears for Ms Cheney's privacy impress me not until the entire conservative movement agrees that marriage between consenting adults is none of their business.
And thanks for letting me "nibble on the cheese"!
ReplyDeleteIllusory--Google it.
ReplyDeleteOS: Actually, the Conservatives have conceded that a wide range of unnatural activity is 'none of our business.'
We have NOT conceded that the State should condone unnatural unions as "marriage."
Too bad. The public has spoken (in Wisconsin, about 56%.)
I guess it depends on what is considered unnatural. When the current crop of intolerant dingoes dies off, the issue can be revisited.
ReplyDeleteFYI: I did google it. She questioned Lynne Cheney's support for her gay daughter. She was not vicious nor derogative. It was a subject best left alone, IMO, though. Hard to, though, considering that prime asshole that occupies the VP seat.
What TOSOMM said. And I did "google it" before posing the question, to confirm my recollection of the debate and its aftermath.
ReplyDeleteInappropriate? Arguably. Vicious and derogatory? Spare me.
As for "public":
"Mary Cheney isn't private. She ran gay outreach for Coors, for pete's sake. She appears in public with her partner. Her family acknowledges this. She's running her dad's campaign! Whatever else this has to do with - and essentially, it has to do whether you approve of homosexuality or not - privacy is irrelevant." - Andrew Sullivan