By now, most of the world knows Ann Coulter made an ass of herself at the CPAC conference this last weekend, calling John Edwards a "faggot" during her speech. This has brought on the predictable (and in this case justified) firestorm from the Left, but has also landed her in hot water with the Right. Almost all Republican candidates have denounced her, and the reaction on the Right side of the blogosphere has been severe.
Several major conservative bloggers have decided it's time for conservatives to cut their ties with Coulter, publishing an open letter to the ACU and other CPAC sponsors:
Denouncing Coulter is not enough. After her "raghead" remark in 2006 she took some heat. Yet she did not grow and learn. We should have been more forceful. This year she used a gay slur. What is next? If Senator Barack Obama is the de facto Democratic Presidential nominee next year, will Coulter feel free to use a racial slur? How does that help conservatism?
One of the points of CPAC is the opportunity it gives college students to meet other young conservatives and learn from our leaders. Unlike on their campuses—where they often feel alone—at CPAC they know they are part of a vibrant political movement. What example is set when one highlight of the conference is finding out what shocking phrase will emerge from Ann Coulter's mouth? How can we teach young conservatives to fight for their principles with civility and respect when Ann Coulter is allowed to address the conference? Coulter's invective is a sign of weak thinking and unprincipled politicking.
CPAC sponsors, the Age of Ann has passed. We, the undersigned, request that CPAC speaking invitations no longer be extended to Ann Coulter. Her words and attitude simply do too much damage.
I agree completely. Ann and other "red meat tossers," such as Al Franken or Michael Moore on the Left, do nothing to promote intelligent political dialogue. We'd all be better off without them.
But I can't resist pointing out a bit of hypocrisy here: conservatives have taken the lead in telling off Coulter. But when Joe Biden stuck his foot in his mouth with cracks about Senator Obama, or John Edwards hired potty-mouthed anti-Catholic bigots to run his campaign's blog, the silence from the Left was nearly deafening. Yet they're all over the "Coulter Incident."
Can you say, "hypocrites?"
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