Defending former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) on the September 28 edition of Fox News' DaySide, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter attacked reporters and liberals, claiming that “they want it to be against the law to be a Republican, and they would like us in Guantánamo.” Her comments were made in the context of discussing, with DaySide co-hosts Mike Jerrick and Juliet Huddy, a question that a reporter posed to White House press secretary Scott McClellan: “Is the President concerned that there's a stench of corruption around the Republican establishment in Washington?” “The stench of corruption means Republicans are in power,” Coulter said. Later, she claimed, “They want us all in Guantánamo. And, by the way, I want to say, if you're a Republican in Washington and you haven't been indicted, you're doing something wrong.”

Coulter also said the accusations against DeLay are minor compared to the Monica Lewinsky scandal: “They had a president getting oral sex from an intern on Easter Sunday in the Oval Office, and what they have on DeLay is which account a campaign contribution went into.”

From the September 28 edition of Fox News' DaySide:

HUDDY: We also have Ann Coulter, who is champing at the bit to jump out on this one. The stench of corruption, did you hear that one?

JERRICK: That's from a journalist, an objective journalist -- [from a reporter's question earlier at a White House briefing]

HUDDY: Oh, but you're talking about the Republican Party. I'm sure you've got some comments on that.

COULTER: The stench of corruption means Republicans are in power. They had a president getting oral sex from an intern on Easter Sunday in the Oval Office, and what they have on DeLay is which account a campaign contribution went into.

[...]

JERRICK: Conversely, though, [the House GOP caucus rule requiring the majority leader to step down if indicted] could be part of a self-preservation mode. If he is going to have, you know, what some -- some people call stench on him, he can say, “I have to step down, it's a rule,” instead of saying, “Well, I need to get out of the picture here because it's bad for my other friends here who are running mid-term elections.”

HUDDY: Taking a little of the spotlight.

COULTER: Right. That's true. I'm just always very hesitant to be referring to a stench rather than a conviction, because there's always a stench around Republicans, whether -- I mean, as long as there are enough liberals to scream corruption, there's always going to be a stench.

JERRICK: You smell pretty good today.

COULTER: Thank you.

JERRICK: I don't know what perfume it is, but it's fantastic.

COULTER: This is no different from the prosecutor going after Rush Limbaugh and every ruling that comes out goes against the prosecutor. This is just going -- they want it to be against the law to be a Republican, and they would like us in Guantánamo.

HUDDY: Ann, stay with us, if you don't mind. Do you mind sitting here for a second?

COULTER: I would love to.

[...]

HUDDY: And the culture of corruption according to [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi [D-CA]; the stench of corruption according to a -- or suggested by one of the media. Final thoughts?

COULTER: They want us all in Guantánamo. And, by the way, I just want to say, if you're a Republican in Washington, if you haven't been indicted, you're doing something wrong.

JERRICK: But it does not help -- I mean, three times admonished by the House Ethics Committee, Tom DeLay was. I mean, this is just perfect fodder for anybody running against a Republican.

COULTER: What were the admonishments for? Was that the travel that it turned out that they've all gone on?

JERRICK: Still, you know how that becomes a blur in political debates.

COULTER: That's the way liberals operate, stench, corruption, corruption. [Jerrick holds How to Talk To a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter next to her] Oh yes, buy the book.