Americans Outraged by Ann Coulter’s Liberal Use of Insults

By Linda Orlando

Politicians, celebrities and millions of other Americans are again outraged at Ann Coulter for making the right wing look so wrong. New York Senator Hillary Clinton referred to Coulter’s latest book as a "vicious, mean-spirited attack" because of the statements Coulter made about a group of widows in New Jersey. The women—Kristen Breitweiser, Lorie Van Auken, Mindy Kleinberg and Patty Casazza—were all left widows when their husbands died in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on 9/11.

After losing their husbands, the women were part of the group that pushed for an independent commission to investigate the attacks, and the four women also campaigned for John Kerry’s presidential candidacy in 2004. In her latest book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," Coulter calls the four widows "self-obsessed" because of their continued push toward the government changing how the country is guarded against future attacks. Coulter says "I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands’ deaths so much," and that the women act "as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them." In a reference to the town where two of the women live, Coulter said, ""Mostly the Witches of East Brunswick wanted George Bush to apologize for not being Bill Clinton.".

Countless Republicans, including New York Gov. George Pataki, were angry and shocked by Coulter’s attack on the 9/11 widows. Pataki told reporters that he was "really stunned, and I don’t think it’s at all fair or accurate," adding that for grieving family members who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks, the suffering 4½ years later has not lessened. Clinton echoed his remarks by saying, "I know a lot of the widows and family members who lost loved ones on 9/11. They never wanted to be a member of a group that is defined by the tragedy of what happened."

Coulter says that the widows have been using the deaths of their husbands for their own political gain. "These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much," she wrote. Former Rep Tim Roemer, a member of the 9/11 commission, urged people not to buy her book, saying that American’s shouldn’t contribute to her profiting from her "hate-filled attack" that he called "reprehensible and undignified."

Rep. Rahm Emanuel spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives Thursday saying that Coulter is a "hatemonger" and he called on other Republicans to join him in openly criticizing her remarks. "I must ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: Does Ann Coulter speak for you when she suggests poisoning ... Supreme Court Justices or slanders the 9/11 ... widows? If not, speak now. Your silence allows her to be your spokesman."

Emanuel’s comment about the Supreme Court Justices was in reference to Coulter’s January appearance at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, when she said, "We need somebody to put rat poison in Justice Stevens’ crème brulee." She later shrugged off the comment by saying that she was only joking. Her assassination jokes have been targeted at a number of high-ranking government officials, even the President. About Bill Clinton, she once said the only real question was "whether to impeach or assassinate." When Clinton announced he would be establishing an office in Harlem, Coulter was quick to comment, writing, "After all other suitable office space in Manhattan had dried up—and also after spending the weekend golfing at an all-white club in Florida—Clinton announced he would take an office in Harlem. As one of my friends remarked, that should be nice: Having escaped a mugging on the way to work, Clinton's female employees will then have to face an accused rapist in the office."

Ann Coulter has a well-deserved reputation for shooting her mouth off irresponsibly about whatever and whoever she wants to. The New York Observer quoted her as saying, "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building." In her TownHall.com column last August, Coulter wrote, "To expiate the pain of losing her first-born son in the Iraq war, Cindy Sheehan decided to cheer herself up by engaging in Stalinist agitprop outside President Bush's Crawford ranch. ... After your third profile on 'Entertainment Tonight,' you're no longer a grieving mom; you're a C-list celebrity trolling for a book deal or a reality show."

The four 9/11 widows issued a joint statement in response to Coulter’s unprovoked assault, saying that the feel they have been slandered. "Contrary to Ms. Coulter’s statements, there was no joy in watching men that we loved burn alive. There was no happiness in telling our children that their fathers were never coming home again. We adored these men and miss them every day."

Coulter said during a speech last October that liberals always accuse conservatives of repressing their speech, so she feels they should be repressed. "Frankly, I’m not a big fan of the First Amendment," she said. For someone who feels that way about freedom of speech, she certainly seizes every opportunity she can to abuse her right to it.