Again I ask, why are they letting her loose without a keeper?

From Huffington Post (see link in title) and The Nation today:

Note: We haven't started taking advertising. The ad came with the copy and I'm not sure how to get it out. We're not asking you to buy roses. Or even not to buy roses. It's just there minding its own business. It keeps changing - not roses any more. Whatever you see, we didn't do it.

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On Friday, February 10, the rock star of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was none other than Ann Coulter. Before an overflow crowd of at least 1000 young right-wing activists, Coulter took her brand of performance art to new heights. Afterwards, I caught up with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to ask him about Coulter's characterization of Muslims as "ragheads." Before I reveal his indignant response, here is a sampling of Coulter's most memorable lines.

Coulter on Muslims:

"I think our motto should be post-9-11, 'raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences.'" (This declaration prompted a boisterous ovation.)

Coulter on killing Bill Clinton:

(Responding to a question from a Catholic University student about her biggest moral or ethical dilemma) "There was one time I had a shot at Clinton. I thought 'Ann, that's not going to help your career.'"

Coulter on moderate Republicans:

"There is more dissent on a slave plantation then amongst moderates in the Republican party."

Coulter on the Holocaust:

"Iran is soliciting cartoons on the Holocaust. So far, only Ted Rall, Garry Trudeau, and the NY Times have made submissions."

Coulter on the Supreme Court:

"If we find out someone [referring to a terrorist] is going to attack the Supreme Court next week, can't we tell Roberts, Alito, Thomas and Scalia ?" Note from Ann: The original read Scalito rather than Scalia. I changed it because I think it was their mistake. Or maybe she did misspeak. Now you have both versions.

After Coulter's speech, I approached Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in the CPAC exhibitor's hall. I asked him what he thought of Coulter's characterization 15 minutes earlier of Muslims as "ragheads." HIs reply? "I wasn't there so I better not comment."

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Normally I'd be reluctant to give this woman even more publicity. At most I'd post a link rather than her entire rant. However, after the sad case of the VA nurse who wrote one letter on her own time, the personal experience of a fellow blogger with Homeland Security, and the other cases cited by Worried American, I'm posting her remarks as they were printed in the Huffington Post.

This is the second time I know of she has threatened members of the Supreme Court. Freedom of speech not withstanding, she goes way over the line. Why isn't she in jail? Why is a hardworking nurse whose only "crime" was to draw attention to the problems of veterans subject to sedition charges while this woman can threaten violence against public figures? Why are they so afraid of dissent?

Maybe the lawyers can explain it to me from a legal point of view. From a moral point of view, I don't understand it.

I'm sorry the Town Meeting is a thing of the past except in tiny communities. Everyone attended. I imagine they fought like cats and dogs, but at the end they reached agreement. Neighbor did not always agree with neighbor but in most cases I'm sure they shook hands and waited for the next opportunity to continue the argument. I bet in many cases it was followed by a pot luck or community picnic. It was democracy in action. Of course the country as a whole was too large, even in its infancy, to be run as a democracy. It's a Republic. We lose something in a Republic though, I think. We lose the voice of the people. Senators and Representatives do not necessarily represent the interests of those who elected them. People become apathetic or angry. If it's not in their back yard, they're not interested. That attitude provides a fertile soil for corrupt government to grow.

A form of it still exists at the local level though and as Tip O'Neill said, "all politics is local".

I've attended several city and county board meetings in support of one thing or another. Even when I wished for a sock to stuff in the mouth of one of the speakers from the other side, I sat on my hands, bit my tongue bloody, and let the person say what he or she wished. At least once I got up and responded off the cuff while he sat on his hands and bit his tongue bloody. Or possibly he walked out. He didn't take out an ad in the paper the next day suggesting poisoning me. Nobody knocked on my door impugning my patriotism or seizing my computer. We win a few, we lose a few. The point is neither of us was afraid of the other and that's how it should be. It should never be a smear campaign or vendetta and I should never have to watch what I say in public for fear of retribution. (As long as I don't advocate the violent overthrow of the government or physically threaten another person). I'm not allowed to shout fire in a crowded theater either or commit libel or slander. There are limits, even to free speech and I understand and agree with those limits.

I think Ann Coulter goes beyond 1st Amendment protection with these threats. Surely, decent Republicans (and there are many) and even many of the conservatives among them must be as sickened by her remarks as I. Where is the outrage? For that matter, where are the FBI and Homeland Security?

Tomorrow I'll probably go back to my links and one or two sentence comments. It's easier to let the professional writers do the work but this time I made an exception.

Ann (aka granny)