Anne Coulter would go away if everyone stopped paying attention to her. Giving her venues to spout her nonsense from gives her the illusion of credibility.

9/11 really was the best thing that ever happened to the Bush Administration.

This passage, taken from the transcript of attorney Joseph Welch's historic encounter with Joe McCarthy during the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings, is SO apt right now:

"You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

What this country needs is millions of people who are willing to say "Enough!" to idiots like Ann Coulter. In the case of Coulter, since it's quite clear she's NO LADY, I wouldn't even change Welch's "sir" to "madam" -- leave it as it is.

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Moving right along, a question comes to mind after pondering Coulter's criticism of "millionaire broads" from 9/11 -- since personal loss is apparently no grounds for speaking out or having an informed opinion about any subject, is it equally wrong for courts to solicit victim impact statements during sentencing hearings of convicted criminals? Simple logical consistency leads to a conclusion Coulter would say "yes" -- so why hasn't this issue been raised before by her?

Where was she during the recent sniper shooting trials? Never heard a peep. How about during the Zacharias Moussaoui trial? Hmmm -- not a single word there either.

Oh, silly me -- "simple logical consistency?" We ARE talking about Ann Coulter, aren't we? Forget I brought it up.

Coulter: "These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-parrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husbands' death so much."

I'm not sure if anyone's stalking Coulter, but much of the description applies almost precisely to her. I would add that I have never seen anyone enjoying the death of American democracy as much as Ann Coulter.

I never go out of my way to expose myself to Ann Coulter. And I agree with you, Katherine, that she should receive no media attention whatsoever. But when I see a quote from her in the newspaper, or an interview clip on TV or the internet, I am drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Her hatefulness, her strident-ness (not a real word, I know), her insensitivity, her meanness, her floppy icky blonde hair... they ignite a hatred in me that rivals the hate she spews. I get sucked into her vortex of nastiness; I call her every offensive name in the book and entertain violent fantasies of crushing her face or pulling her hair out, bunch by blonde bunch. I can't stand that she does this to me. SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY, Ann, you freaking bitch.

There are at least a couple of reasons why Ann Coulter ends up on TV. To make sense of it you have to look at what she offers from the right-wing perspective.

The purpose of much of right-wing punditry and commentary is not rational argument. The purpose is to keep the faithful in a state of continual outrage and umbrage. You don't make people upset by moderate and carefully-considered statements. Rather, the more the pundit spits and foams at the mouth, the more upset and outraged become the faithful. Ann Coulter is kind of the political version of the Exorcists's Linda Blair. This is a case where the medium really is the message.

The other purpose is that by staking out an extreme position, Coulter makes everyone else look reasonable, while at the same time moving the debate to the right. So Coulter can say "all liberals are evil and stupid." Then, a more "moderate" conservative voice can say "well, maybe not all liberals are evil and stupid." But the starting point of the discussion is that all liberals are evil and stupid.

Thus, there should be no surprise when Coulter says that the 9/11 widows are publicity-grubbing millionaires enjoying the deaths of their husbands. This is what Coulter DOES. This is an intentional STRATEGY. It's a rhetorical trick, a nasty trick, but just a trick nonetheless. Once you know the trick she is completely predictable.

"Coulter managed to add former ambassador Joseph Wilson to the list, too, although we're not sure how he fits into the case that Coulter is trying to make."

Both Wilson and the widows are involved with situations with innocent spouses.

Because, face it, her views are very mainstream Republican. Trust me--I live in Texas, and you don't have to search very hard to find folks who think like her. Just look at her book sales! There's millions of people in this country who think just like her. She's just their mouthpiece.

Or something like it...

"They were cutting commercials for Kerry. They were using their grief to make a political point while preventing anyone from responding. "

Hmmm... anyone remember the, "Mr. President, this little girl lost her mother on 9/11" ad, featuring Chimpy hugging the adorable blond orphan?

How awful to use grief to make a political point!

F'ing incredible.

Is classically Republican. I've seen and heard this viewpoint countless times. Both with 9-11 and Katrina, it's the same thing. Anyone who experiences or feels any emotion, grief or pain beyond what said Republican is feeling, then said victim is automatically "milking it" and therefore a 100% inauthentic fraud/opportunist. It's disgusting, and it's why I have a hard time breathing the same air as Republicans much of the time. Because the irony is, how on earth can a Republican, who by definition is nearly incapable of feeling empathy in any way, shape, or form, supposed to be the arbiter of what's appropriate when it come to dealing with pain, grief and tragedy. It boggles the mind.

Wow...seriously when can ann coulter's head just explode?...the worst thing is that she creates people who spout of ideas and obvioulsy have no evidence or proof for said views, as lauer just showed....and, wow, matt lauer stands up to more than crazy-ass tom cruise...good for him

Is there anyone else who could demonstrate the mean-spirited, hate-filled right wing agenda with such aplomb, such blindness to her own venom? Please, please, left-friendly broadcasters (if any) - book Ann Coulter on your channel! If we showcase her enough she might just win back control of Congress and the White House for us.

It's fascinating, isn't it; if you blacked out the picture and disguised the voice you might almost think you were listening to the Colbert Report...