How would she know? Coulter the latest to claim terrorists support Kerry

On September 28, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter joined other media figures who have recently claimed that terrorists want Senator John Kerry to win November's presidential election. FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes co-host Alan Colmes asked Coulter if she thought that a recent claim by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) -- that terrorists "are going to throw everything they can between now and the election to try and elect Kerry" -- was, in Colmes's words, "a little over the top, even for you [Coulter]." Coulter stated: "I think it's true [that terrorists want Kerry to win]. Democrats are not particularly harsh with our enemies."

As Media Matters for America has noted, there is a conspicuous lack of evidence to support Hatch's and Coulter's claim; however, there is some evidence suggesting terrorists would prefer four more years of the Bush administration. Nonetheless, conservatives in the media have loyally echoed prominent Republicans -- including President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) -- who have made this scurrilous claim.

—A.S.