Coulter peddled Katrina falsehoods on Fox, but the truth sneaked in -- "I don't know what the details are"
As a guest on the September 8 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter made several false statements pertaining to Hurricane Katrina and the relief efforts taking place in its aftermath.
Coulter claimed it is "manifestly true" that no one anticipated the levee breeches, then admitted she doesn't know the "details"
When co-host Alan Colmes cited President Bush's claim, made during a September 1 interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, that he "didn't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees," Coulter interjected: "That's manifestly true." But after Colmes objected to her assertion, Coulter admitted she actually did not know "what the details are about this."
In fact, Bush's claim that no one "anticipated the breach of the levees" is categorically false. The St. Petersburg Times reported on August 30 that National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield "talked about the force of Katrina during a video conference call to President Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas" on August 28. The Washington Post quoted Mayfield on September 6: "They knew that this one was different. ... I don't think [Federal Emergency Management Agency director] Mike Brown or anyone else in FEMA could have any reason to have any problem with our calls. ... They were told ... We said the levees could be topped." Moreover, just hours after the storm passed on Monday, August 29, Brown confirmed that the potential for catastrophic flooding remained. In an interview with Brown, NBC Today co-host Matt Lauer noted, "In New Orleans, in particular, they're worried about the levees giving way or the canals not holding, and they're worried about toxic runoff." Brown responded that even though the storm had weakened, there was still a 15- to 20-foot storm surge causing "the water out of Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf and the Mississippi [to] continue to converge upon Louisiana." Brown added, "So we're still ready for a major disaster."
Coulter demanded that MoveOn.org "actually help out" with the Katrina disaster, overlooking the group's national evacuee housing program
In response to co-host Sean Hannity's claim that "prominent Democrats" had "politicized" the disaster in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, Coulter complained: "MoveOn.com [sic: MoveOn.org] is down protesting outside the White House today. How about putting together some evacuee bags? How about actually helping out?"
In fact, MoveOn.org has done more than simply protest the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. In the wake of the disaster, the organization mounted a national emergency housing drive that, the group reports, has volunteered to provide more than 250,000 beds to those left homeless by the storm and flood, as the weblog Think Progress noted in response to Coulter.
Coulter falsely suggested that Barry Lynn has no church
To further argue that liberal groups have not sufficiently aided in relief efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi, Coulter stated she would like to see a "breakdown" of "how much churches are contributing versus, say, Barry Lynn's church." When Hannity asked her what church she was talking about, Coulter explained that it was a "joke," suggesting that Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, was not associated with an actual church.
In fact, Lynn is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC). Moreover, the UCC created the "Hope Shall Bloom" Hurricane Katrina Fund in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophe. The church recently increased its fundraising goal for disaster relief to $3 million.
From the September 8 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:
COLMES: Well, no one is blaming the hurricane on him. I think it's the response. And there's enough blame to go around, but you know when he says, "I didn't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees," And then Brown gets on --
COULTER: That's manifestly true.
COLMES: Thursday -- well not when he said it -- and says that he didn't know the evacuees were stranded at the Superdome until earlier that day.
COULTER: Look, I don't know what the details are about this.
[...]
HANNITY: Every prominent Democrat has politicized this before we even searched every home for dead bodies.
COULTER: Oh, yeah, and they're down -- Moveon.com is down protesting outside the White House today. How about putting together some evacuee bags? How about actually helping out? And you know, speaking of that, I think, you know, I'd like to see a breakdown at the end of this -- how much churches are contributing versus, say, Barry Lynn's church.
HANNITY: What church?
COULTER: Right, that was a joke.
HANNITY: Did he actually have one?
COULTER: Versus, you know, MoveOn.com [sic] with their putting their protest signs together. How much has George Soros given? How much has Sean Penn given?
This is why the Arizona newspaper fired Ann Coulter, and replaced her with Tony Snow.
Not "anti-conservative bias" like she claims, just more of the same old, same old lies, distortions and innuendos.
Coulter is a liar, pure and simple.
And she's not crazy. She's milking her fan club, laughing at them all the way to the bank.
That's what she does. She learned a while ago that outrageous sells. Some fans of hers that I know try to dismiss her statements as satire, and 'don't you know she's kidding?'. As far as Hannity goes, I always get a kick out of his pronouncement on his radio shaow that it's "their solemn vow" to be your source for factual information. That's always good for a laugh.
I think she's crazy enough to believe she can get away with her charade indefinitely.
"Moveon.com is down protesting outside the White House today. How about putting together some evacuee bags?" --coulter
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Instead of joining Sean Hannity to parrot talking points on behalf of the White House, why don't YOU, Ann, put together some evacuee bags?
Somebody check the temperature in Hell.
Coulter admitted she doesn't know the "details".
What a worthless harpy. How much, exactly, has she done to help the victims?
How much, exactly, has she done to help the victims?
colmes should have asked her that. once again, he wasn't on the ball.
Speaking of Katrina, when I need a laugh I remember van den Heuvel remarking to Coulter, complaining about the liberal media (as all cons do when they're in trouble), "Oh, Ann, you live on TV."
It shut her up for a moment. Too bad nothing as trivial as details cause her to think twice about grabbing as much face time on the tube as she can still get.
COLMES: Well, no one is blaming the hurricane on him. I think it's the response. And there's enough blame to go around, but you know when he says, "I didn't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees," And then Brown gets on --
COULTER: That's manifestly true.
COLMES: Thursday -- well not when he said it -- and says that he didn't know the evacuees were stranded at the Superdome until earlier that day.
COULTER: Look, I don't what the details are about this.
If you look at Coulter's statement, it certainly appears that she's talking about the details of the folks that were stranded, NOT the comment about the levee's. I would suggest that MMFA is stretching it here. Please note that Colmes says, "there's enough blame to go around," I think that's the point. Of course the Pelosi's, the Reid's and the rest of the Democrat leadership (sic) is looking ONLY for political gain. They have no real interest in the victims, let's be honest here.
"Of course the Pelosi's, the Reid's and the rest of the Democrat leadership (sic) is looking ONLY for political gain. They have no real interest in the victims, let's be honest here." Let's be honest, yes. In reality you have no idea what the Reid's and Pelosi's interests in the victims are.
"Of course the Pelosi's, the Reid's and the rest of the Democrat leadership (sic) is looking ONLY for political gain. They have no real interest in the victims, let's be honest here."
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No. That's projection on your part. You are wrong in thinking that Democrats would think and operate the same way. They aren't. It was Bush who strummed guitar and ate cake, Cheney who went house-hunting, Rice who went shoe-shopping, when disaster struck, and the hapless, political-appointee Brown got in way over his incompetent head.
I disagree. While it may appear that she is not specifically addressing the levee issue. She is clearly trying to wave Colmes off by admitting she doesn't know all the details of the issue at hand. And if you examine her record and her statements in the past, it's clear that she just wants to go on TV and say asinine things to defend Bush and attack liberals. That was her only goal; and once again, she did not let facts or "details" get in the way of opening her mouth.
I can scarcely imagine where you would have found evidence to back up this ridiculous statement. In fact, your cute little "(sic)" comment is a dead giveaway. Not surprising that you're jumping to Coulter's defense of the indefensible. You appear to have a lot in common.
Maybe she thinks the word "manifestly" actually means "not."
Manifestly true = Not true?
"If you look at Coulter's statement, it certainly appears that she's talking about the details of the folks that were stranded, NOT the comment about the levee's. I would suggest that MMFA is stretching it here."
Well you are right in thinking there is a grey area concerning what exactly she was responding to by reading the transcript alone. Yet if you watched the video its pretty obvious she was interjecting a knee jerk response to support the President without thinking about what she was saying.
Whats funny to me is her body language. Her eyes shift to the left almost immediately after her "Manifestly True" comment. I wonder what she was thinking about in that split second before she came back to admit she didn't know the details.
"Of course the Pelosi's, the Reid's and the rest of the Democrat leadership (sic) is looking ONLY for political gain. They have no real interest in the victims, let's be honest here."
The Democrats are doing their job by being critical of this administration.
"Whats funny to me is her body language. Her eyes shift to the left almost immediately after her "Manifestly True" comment"
Someone else has pointed this out as a consistant trait of Coulter's. She always looks around like a trapped animal. Maybe that's why she acts so rabid all the time, she feels trapped by the lies coming out of her mouth.
LOVE the body language comment. Looking down & to the left is a key body language indicator that the speaker is lying. But really, is anyone shocked?
"If you look at Coulter's statement, it certainly appears that she's talking about the details of the folks that were stranded, NOT the comment about the levee's."
I would disagree. It looks to me like she means both. It's her first statement after the first statement Colmes made about the stranded people yet she seems to react in somewhat exasperation. That, to me, would indicate it's not JUST in reference to the last statement made. It looks like she's trying to back pedal and leave an excuse out to the whole conversation. I could be wrong, I'm just saying there certainly is more than your perspective.
Well, you got the "sic" right, tho you spelled it wrong.
Also: I like MMFA's title for this,"Coulter peddled Katrina falsehoods on Fox, but the truth sneaked in", truth has to be very tricky to sneak into fox news.
she's really losing it !!! she used to actually have some facts among her many lies, though she would of course twist and turn for her own personal purposes. she's now sunk to 100% lies.
and she's still on the air.
Actually, I've heard her use that "I'm not up on the details" (then what are you doing on the air?) defense in the past, including when she was too busy hawking one of her books to pay attention to some issue that the media had been all over for days.
"Don't have the details" is code for "love me, right or wrong" to the fans and core supporters who, much like Bush adherents, would rather BE fools for sticking to their hero than admit they HAVE BEEN fools for coming to their senses.
"How much has Sean Penn given?"
I read that Sean Penn actually went there and saved some people stranded on rooftops. Was that just a rumor?
brabantio - Monday September 12, 2005 03:04:41 PM EST
No it is not a rumor I have seen bits of press video showing him doing just that.
Solon, There's a photograph of Sean Penn walking around the city with a shotgun. Under the photo is this caption:
=Sean Penn stuns fans as he is pictured in NY POST roaming the streets of hurricane hit New Orleans -- armed with a shotgun!...=
It's featured on the Drudge Report...I KNOW you guys LOATH that website...but HOLD your nose and go have a look IF you're interested ;-)
[link to www.drudgereport.com]
Ick. Someone needs a web designer.
Plus I didn't see a photo.
"Plus I didn't see a photo."...by Sagra
Sagra, it was there yesterday--as you (probably) know Drudge changes his "page" pretty often. Geez, had I thought anyone would be offended I NEVER would have left the link. I left it for Solon, since Penn's name had come up. Really NO BIG DEAL.
No offense taken, Jeter. I was interested in seeing the photo. It's not your fault that Drudge's layout is atrocious.
[link to www.eonline.com]
It might have belonged to one of the people he pulled out of the water.
I really feel for him. I've had this urge to go help people myself.
I think many of us have felt betrayed. We wanted help to get to them, and we know that if we all jumped into our cars and went there it'd be pandemonium -- so we were all pacing in front of our televisions waiting for the US calvary to arrive. When it didn't get there we felt like the pandemonium would have been better! Sean gets smeared simply because he's a celebrity... but this time he's done many of us wanted to do. I can't fault his reaction.
"It might have belonged to one of the people he pulled out of the water.
I really feel for him. I've had this urge to go help people myself.
Sean gets smeared simply because he's a celebrity... but this time he's done many of us wanted to do. I can't fault his reaction"....by sagra
I agree. Good point about the gun--IT likely could have belonged to a survivor... Like I said in my last post (which has vanished) Sean Penn is ONE celebrity that does MORE than TALK...he actually goes out and does SOMETHING.
Now read this FAST...posts are disappearing here QUICKER than you can say: FLAG.
Well they are off-topic ;-)
"That's manifestly true."
One could make the argument that since Bush said "I don't think anyone anticipated...", that is technically difficult to disprove, and Coulter could have based her statement on that. However, it would strongly suggest that Bush didn't read the memo regarding the three most likely catastrophes from FEMA in 2001, which listed that possibility and also listed a terrorist attack on NYC. It would also suggest that he has fostered an environment of such sycophancy that nobody ever thought or dared to tell him such a thing, even when he was cutting so much money from the relevant repair project.
If she really wants America to believe that Bush doesn't read material of such importance and/or keeps advisors who don't tell him these things, that's fine by me. That doesn't exactly help his case much.
brabantio - Monday September 12, 2005 03:19:02 PM EST -
It would also suggest he wasnt listening (maybe he was playing a video game) while the head of the National Hurricane Center Max Mayfield WAS TELLING HIM that the levees breaking was a definite danger.
That is part of the story I hadn't heard! The idea that George is lying almost seems to be the better option for him, lest he live up to the "oblivious" title that so many conservatives cried foul over.
Now there is a person Mrs Laura Bush ought to be genuinely upset about for misrepresenting the republican party.
wolf kotenberg - Monday September 12, 2005 04:38:32 PM EST
I am upset she misrepresents our species
"I don't know the details..." is becoming the essence of punditry. It's usually followed by: "...but my _point_ is still..."
It's not about facts anymore; it's about "truth". I'm sure Ann doesn't really care about the "details" because it's the philosophical point that matters most. The "truth" is that my ideas are right, my agenda is best, and everyone should agree with me because my opinions are morally sound. If the facts don't bear me out, then the facts are wrong and we need to either find new ones or discredit the sources of the ones we have.
-mid
I think you're giving her waaay too much credit for having beliefs.
Coulter claims to be a Constitutional Attorney. Problem? I keep trying to figure out whose.
Coulter claims to be a Constitutional Attorney. Problem? I keep trying to figure out whose.
by star diva
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Possibilities:
1.Constitutional Attorney's just another running joke.
2. She actually is a constitutional attorney-for Fox News
Coulter's idea of a joke is blatent lie/threat that she couldn't get away with; Barry Lynn is an atheist. Coulter to pass it off as true that Lynn didn't have religion, but when caught just brushed it off as "I'm just kidding."