On the June 28 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Caplis & Silverman Show, guest co-host George Brauchler defended right-wing pundit Ann Coulter by claiming that she was “trying to be funny” when she said that she "[couldn't] really talk about" Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards because “you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot.' ” Later in the program, Brauchler likened a June 26 request from Elizabeth Edwards that Coulter halt personal attacks against her husband to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. And although he claimed that “it's [not] relevant to a discussion of why she should be president,” Brauchler echoed a line from Coulter's latest book in saying of Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY), "[S]he's got some big ol' legs."

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on March 2, Coulter said, “I was going to have a few comments on ... John Edwards. But it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I'm -- so I'm kind of at an impasse.” As Media Matters for America documented, after Coulter used the epithet, numerous newspapers dropped her nationally syndicated column. Yet referring to the remark, Brauchler stated, “I listened to that clip before, and I think she was trying to be funny -- you know, be a little coy -- and it didn't quite work out well.”

Brauchler's remarks mirrored those of Independence Institute president and talk show host Jon Caldara, who during his March 5 program on KHOW sister station Newsradio 850 KOA defended Coulter's “faggot” statement by suggesting that it was “a joke that just didn't have a solid point of reference.”

Continuing to discuss Coulter's attacks on Democrats, co-host Craig Silverman -- apparently referencing a line in Coulter's latest book asserting that Clinton has “chubby little legs” -- asked Brauchler whether he had heard that “Ann Coulter called Hillary the 'C word.' ” Silverman then clarified, " 'Chubby.' Chubby legs." Brauchler responded, “Well -- yeah, that's true, though,” adding, “I don't mean to disrespect, but ... she's got some big ol' legs.”

Although Brauchler later added, “I personally don't think it's relevant to a discussion of why she should be president,” his comments were similar to those of other media figures -- as Colorado Media Matters has chronicled -- who have focused on Clinton's mannerisms and physical attributes rather than the substance of her words and policy agenda.

Brauchler also discussed Coulter's June 26 appearance on MSNBC's Hardball with host Chris Matthews, during which Elizabeth Edwards called in. Referring to the date of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Brauchler said of Elizabeth Edwards' on-air request that Coulter stop personal attacks, “It was a very public, very -- I don't know, December 7th, 1941, way to go about doing it, wasn't it?” As the weblog ThinkProgress has documented, Edwards said to Coulter in part:

The things that she has said over the years, not just about John but about other candidates, lowers our political dialogue precisely at the time that we need to raise it. So I want to use the opportunity, which I don't get much because Ann and I don't hang out with the same people ... to ask her politely stop the personal attacks.

From the June 28 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Caplis & Silverman Show:

BRAUCHLER: I think Ann Coulter is exactly who she wants to be, and I, I think that maybe the comment where she uses the other “F word,” the homosexual “F word,” to describe John Edwards -- I listened to that clip before, and I think she was trying to be funny -- you know, be a little coy -- and it didn't quite work out well. But the, the thing is, is that the press so loves to, to vilify her and go after her -- and they can take what they did here -- and I think [caller] was absolutely right -- they took that little statement out of context and now they've turned it into “Ann Coulter is evil and she wants John Edwards to be blown up” and all this stuff. I, I'm more intrigued by the fact that Mrs. Edwards was able to somehow magically get a phone number that got her on the air with Chris Matthews at Hardball to confront the unsuspecting Ann Coulter. I mean, come on, man -- I mean, how many times is John Edwards gonna rely on a family member to drum up interest in his campaign?

SILVERMAN: Interesting. Did you hear when Ann Coulter called Hillary the “C word”?

BRAUCHLER: N -- “cowardly”?

SILVERMAN: “Chubby.” Chubby legs.

BRAUCHLER: Oh. Well -- yeah, that's true, though.

SILVERMAN: Isn't that --

BRAUCHLER: Ah -- well, I mean, it is. I don't mean to disrespect, but I saw, she's got some big ol' legs. Big deal. You know, that doesn't keep her from being qualified to -- to be a senator from New York, just because she's never lived there.

SILVERMAN: Have you ever referred to Hillary Clinton having chubby legs --

BRAUCHLER: I never have.

SILVERMAN -- before this moment, on the radio?

BRAUCHLER: No, never.

SILVERMAN: Why not?

BRAUCHLER: Not even private --

SILVERMAN: Why not? You've thought about it.

BRAUCHLER: No. My God. No. [unintelligible] straight. No.

SILVERMAN: But it just -- it just came out of your mouth; you must've observed them at some point.

BRAUCHLER: Oh, everybody has seen pictures of her walkin' around the Capitol and stuff like that.

SILVERMAN: But you've never seen fit to talk about it on the radio.

BRAUCHLER: I personal --

SILVERMAN: Why?

BRAUCHLER: Because, I, I personally don't think it's relevant to a discussion of why she should be president.

SIVLERMAN: And it's mean.

BRAUCHLER: It is mean. That's true; you're right.

SILVERMAN: And so Ann Coulter is the queen of mean. So I like it when she gets it back a little bit from somebody like Elizabeth Edwards.

BRAUCHLER: Even if it's unfair?

SILVERMAN: What was unfair about this? What's unfair about Elizabeth Edwards confronting her?

BRAUCHLER: Oh, I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but isn't it interesting that it wasn't in a “Hey, I'll get her cell phone and call her,” or “I'll send her a letter,” or “I'll meet her somewhere and ask her not to do this.” It was a very public, very -- I don't know, December 7th, 1941, way to go about doing it, wasn't it? I mean, how does she get the number to all of a sudden show up on Chris Matthews' show in the middle of an interview with Ann Coulter? I'm shocked. I'm shocked. Come on.

SILVERMAN: Now you're comparing Elizabeth Edwards to a member of the Japanese air force in World War II?

BRAUCHLER: [laughs] You have just Elizabeth Edwardsed me. I'm Ann Coulter all of a sudden.