On Today, Coulter falsely asserted Clinton "has not denounced the Swift Boat veterans"; referred to "girl president"
SUMMARY: On Today, Ann Coulter falsely claimed Sen. Hillary Clinton "has not denounced the Swift Boat veterans as dishonorable and dishonest." But during the 2004 presidential race, Clinton said the ads were "not only unfair, they're flat out wrong." Coulter also said, "I think Hillary wouldn't want to be the girl president who snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in Iraq, and we are winning now."
On the February 8 edition of NBC's Today, during an interview with co-host Matt Lauer, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter falsely claimed that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) "has not denounced the Swift Boat veterans as dishonorable and dishonest." In fact, on the August 29, 2004, edition of ABC's This Week, Clinton said of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacks on Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), then the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee: "[T]hey're not only unfair, they're flat out wrong." Clinton added: "And this attempt by the Republicans to smear a man of John Kerry's character and courage goes to the heart of their pathetic campaign."
Additionally, Coulter claimed that Clinton "has not hysterically denounced waterboarding." In fact, Clinton said she opposed Alberto Gonzales' 2005 nomination as attorney general because "[m]emos prepared under his direction that same year recommended official authorization of cruel interrogation methods including: waterboarding, feigned suffocation, and sleep deprivation." Further, Clinton opposed Michael Mukasey's 2007 nomination to succeed Gonzales as attorney general, saying that "Judge Mukasey's failure to clarify his answers and categorically oppose the unacceptable interrogation techniques employed by this Administration leaves me no choice but to oppose his nomination."
During the interview, Coulter also referred to Clinton as a possible "girl president," stating: "I think Hillary wouldn't want to be the girl president who snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in Iraq, and we are winning now." Lauer ended the interview by saying: "Ann Coulter, good to have you back." Media Matters for America has noted at least six MSNBC, NBC, or CNBC hosts who have criticized Coulter, including Lauer himself, Lauer's co-host on Today, Meredith Vieira, NBC's Tonight Show host Jay Leno, NBC's Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, MSNBC's Hardball host Chris Matthews, and CNBC host Donny Deutsch.
From the August 29, 2004, edition of This Week (from the Nexis database):
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (host): You know, this morning, also in Time magazine, Laura Bush was asked about the Swift Boat ads that have been run against Senator Kerry, and she was asked if they were unfair. And she said not really. Do you agree with that?
CLINTON: Oh, I think that's unfortunate. Because of course they're not only unfair, they're flat out wrong. Even the president has, you know, regretted that they're being used in this way. You know, the bottom line here is John Kerry is an authentic war hero. In fact, that's a phrase that Zell Miller used about him in 2001. It's a phrase that anyone who looks at the record would have to repeat. And this attempt by the Republicans to smear a man of John Kerry's character and courage goes to the heart of their pathetic campaign.
From the February 8 edition of NBC's Today:
LAUER: Let me just read you one thing that Governor [Mitt] Romney said yesterday. He said, in talking about continuing his campaign or not, he said, if he continued, quote, "it would make it more likely that Senator Clinton or [Sen. Barack] Obama [D-IL] would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror." So, if you decide to support Hillary Clinton, as opposed to [Sen.] John McCain [R-AZ], would you not be aiding in a surrender to terror, according to the man you supported?
COULTER: I think he shouldn't say that since he hopefully will be running in 2012. One way I'd vote for McCain is if he picked Mitt Romney as his vice president.
LAUER: What about Huckabee?
COULTER: But I think -- no. But I think -- which is odd, because generally people say that a vice president doesn't get you any votes, but it can lose you votes. I think that is not true here; not true at all. And as for who would be better on the war on terror, I gotta say, I think it's close here. Hillary has not hysterically denounced waterboarding. Hillary has not denounced the Swift Boat veterans as dishonorable and dishonest. Both of them voted for the war in Iraq. Both of them immediately attacked it. When John McCain started to run for president, he supported the surge. If anything, I think Hillary wouldn't want to be the girl president who snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in Iraq, and we are winning now.
LAUER: Ann Coulter, good to have you back.
COULTER: Thank you.
TOMJOAD:
RATINGS.
Between Coulter's venom, Rush's & Friends self-proclaimed king-maker rhetoric; Matthews, Schuster & Carlson's stupid misogynistic commentary, we are seeing the really nasty end of what started when convicted felons G. Gordon Liddy and bigoted liars like Mark Furmann (and don't worry, I'm not defending OJ here at all) are considered to be experts in anything but their own self-aggrandizement.
Call me old-fashioned, but I do remember a time when argument could be done in civil discourse; when the news actually REPORTED news, rather than made it up, and when spewing hatred was the province of people in the Ku Klux Klan and otherrs of their ilk.
The fact that advertisers and major corporations crawl all over themselves to support these people is beyond me. It just contributes to the decline in intellectual reasoning and contributes to America as being seen as a schizophrenic society.
No matter who you are for in the Presidential campaign, I honestly believe that THIS is a part of what people want change FROM. We have listened to the rants and raves of people who USED to call THEMSELVES "entertainers" and are now squarely in the middle of becoming POLICY MAKERS in the most vile and heinous ways. We have lowered the level of intelligent discourse to new heights.
The insanity of the vitriol and pathological HATRED for one political candidate is disconcerting. Their under-the-breath bigotry towards another is disgusting. Their SILENCE on the destruction of the Constitution, outright lies, and irresponsible fiscal management under the current Administration is frightening.
I pray that the American people will give themselves a good look in the mirror and someday soon ask "is this who we have become?"
Back to you, Al.
Here is an abridgement of the two speaking turns made by the speaking (parroting) creature transcribed above:
[Turn 1] COULTER: "I think he shouldn't say that... I'd vote for..."
[Turn 2] COULTER: "But I think -- no. But I think... I think that is not true... I gotta say, I think it's close here. ...I think Hillary..."
Who cares what this creature thinks, or says?
Who? The creature itself no doubt, and it seems also the gang who spend the days of their lives bringing you "the today show", that's who...
But outside of them, there can't be but a handful of People in America, apperantly so bored or so stupid, that they care to hear the thoughts of this creature, broadcast on the PUBLIC AIRWAVES.
I'm picturing the three or four people we could count in attendance at Ann Coulter's funeral...the priest, the guy that dug the hole, the cat that fills it in and Sean Hannity. The best part being when Sean throws himself in the hole with the coffin, braying about how he can't go on without her.
sorry OT, but it was a pleasant thought
boy, the today show's ratings must be tubing. to have ann coulter on, who no one takes, well..................at all, much less seriously, is a clear sign of desperation.
i guess irrelvancy breeds it, and the today show is pretty irrelevant.