By Daniel Borchers
Ann Coulter exceeded expectations at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the nation’s largest annual gathering of conservatives. Coulter’s potty mouth once again scandalized the conference, upstaging presidential candidates and political leaders alike. Coulter’s rabid rhetoric took many by surprise as she said:
“I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate ,John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so [gasps, laughter, applause] so I’m kind of at an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards.” – Ann Coulter, CPAC, 3/2/07
Every year, Coulter’s vicious words overshadow the theme and tone of CPAC, but this time Coulter personally felt the heat for her venomous folly. At least 8 newspapers have dropped Coulter’s syndicated column, her website lost advertising revenue, and “At last count 43 conservative bloggers have written an open letter protesting the keynote speech.”
To prevent her career from totally bottoming out, the October release of Coulter’s sixth book was promptly announced. Will her efforts at damage control, sans apology, actually work? Cynicism suggests, yes.
King David poignantly asked, “Why do the wicked prosper?” The psalmist concluded that their present pleasures are fleeting and hat the wicked will have their eternal punishment.
Did I say “wicked?” Assuredly so.
Consider the willful evil originating in Ann Coulter’s heart and expressed in her words and behavior. Coulter’s words are carefully-crafted to inflict the greatest harm and achieve the deepest response. Jesus so perceptively said, “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Out of Coulter’s mouth comes abusive language, character assassination and elimination rhetoric – yes, death threats!
Not content to sully a crème-de-la-crème conference comprised of genuine conservatives and grassroots activists, the very next day Coulter besmirched Christians and even Jesus Christ Himself by repeating her juvenile “joke” at a Reclaiming America for Christ Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
“I spoke at CPAC yesterday … and I said I was going to also have a few remarks about the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, but apparently you have to go to rehab if you use the word ‘faggot.’” – Ann Coulter, RAC, 3/3/07
Coulter values clearly differ from those sponsoring this event. According to her own peculiar moral compass, using the F-word must be the best approach to “reclaim” America for Christ. Somehow, I can’t envision Jesus saying that word.
But Coulter even surpassed herself, practically advocating the assassination of abortionists:
“Those few abortionists were shot, or, depending on your point of view, had a procedure with a rifle performed on them. I’m not justifying it, but I do understand how it happened.” – Ann Coulter, RAC, 3/3/07 (See video/transcript at Raw Story)
These conference organizers were not amused. Their conference summary omitted any mention of Coulter and their series of conference tapes excludes her entire session, which was to be the capstone and climax of the conference. (See also a letter from Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.)
Two nights later, an unrepentant Coulter defied her detractors to destroy her career!
“I mean, this is the same thing we go through every six months. I say something, the same people become hysterical, and that's the end of it. … This is about my 17th allegedly career-ending moment. … That's what has happened every other time for about a decade now.” – Ann Coulter, Hannity & Colmes, 3/5/07
Consider this important question: Has Coulter ever apologized for anything? Most Christians understand that repentance is a crucial aspect of the Christian life, a core Christian behavior. Repentance is, in fact, the entryway into the Christian life. But other core Christian concepts, such as truth and love, are just as foreign to Coulter as repentance.
Ironically, at the behest of CPAC Director Lisa De Pasquale (one of Coulter’s publicists),CPAC Chief of Security Floyd Resnick (also Coulter’s personal bodyguard) spearheaded a group of people who forcibly expelled me from CPAC just hours before Coulter’s offensive remarks. Why? Because of my previous criticism of their beloved polemicist. (See “A Call for Character.”)
CPAC expelled the wrong conservative.