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There are a lot of sensible Republicans who would take offense at saying that they equal Coulter.
The fringe element isn't the core element.
Those guys are the candidates...
Quote:
March 4, 2007
Candidates Criticize Slur by Conservative Author
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
WASHINGTON, March 3 — Three of the leading Republican presidential candidates on Saturday denounced one of their party’s best-known conservative commentators for using an antigay epithet when discussing a Democratic presidential contender at a gathering of conservatives here.
The remarks by Ann Coulter, an author who regularly speaks at conservative events, were sharply denounced by the candidates, Senator John McCain of Arizona, Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. Their statements came after Democrats, gay rights groups and bloggers raised a storm of protest over the remarks.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference before an overflow crowd on Friday, Ms. Coulter said, “I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so I — so kind of an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards.”
Mr. Edwards’s aides responded with an e-mail message that attacked Ms. Coulter and urged supporters to donate to Mr. Edwards’s campaign. “John was singled out for a personal attack because the Republican establishment knows he poses the greatest threat to their power,” said his campaign manager, David E. Bonior. “Since they have nothing real to use against him, Coulter’s resorting to the classic right-wing strategy of riling up hate to smear a progressive champion.”
Ms. Coulter, asked for a reaction to the Republican criticism, said in an e-mail message: “C’mon, it was a joke. I would never insult gays by suggesting that they are like John Edwards. That would be mean.”
At the conference, she said she was likely to support Mr. Romney.
The criticisms by the Republican candidates put them in a difficult position because the Conservative Political Action Conference has been gathering for conservative and Republican leaders for over 25 years.
The speakers this year included Vice President Dick Cheney and most of the presidential candidates, whose presence suggested the political influence the group holds in the party’s nominating process. Mr. Cheney was not at the event on Friday.
Of the major Republican candidates, only Mr. McCain did not attend, but he denounced her remarks on Saturday morning. “The comments were wildly inappropriate,” said his spokesman, Brian Jones.
Mr. Giuliani said, “The comments were completely inappropriate and there should be no place for such name-calling in political debate.”
Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Mr. Romney, said: “It was an offensive remark. Governor Romney believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect.”
Mr. Romney preceded Ms. Coulter at the event and mentioned that she was speaking later — he jokingly referred to her as a “moderate.” But he was not in the room when she spoke, Mr. Madden said.
Romney is funny. Why would he back peddle after his glowing intro?
There are a lot of sensible Republicans who would take offense at saying that they equal Coulter.
The fringe element isn't the core element.
But most of the "sensible" GOP are afraid to turn their backs on these nut jobs. Whether its the reactionary NRA types or the fanatic religious zealots they rarely criticize anything they do.
At some point isn't saying nothing at all basically the same as supporting it?
It does? Coulter says all kinds of wacky things to sell more books, make money etc. This is still a free country. She can say what she likes.
If she is ever elected to office then you can complain about her representing Republicans.
Why does the GOP keep inviting her to speak at their rallies?
You can't invite someone like that to speak over and over and not accept some responsibility for what she says.
Suppose I invited the KKK to speak at my political rally to get the Klan vote then turned around and said, "In no way should this be construed as support for the KKK or any of its political ideals."
Why does the GOP keep inviting her to speak at their rallies?
You can't invite someone like that to speak over and over and not accept some responsibility for what she says.
Suppose I invited the KKK to speak at my political rally to get the Klan vote then turned around and said, "In no way should this be construed as support for the KKK or any of its political ideals."
Suppose I invited the KKK to speak at my political rally to get the Klan vote then turned around and said, "In no way should this be construed as support for the KKK or any of its political ideals."
Like Robert Byrd? See how ridiculous that is?
It's silly to lump all members of a political party in with its whackier or bigotted or plain offensive members. Regularly having to defend against stupid assertions like this--instead of actually debating ideas--is why I left this board.
All parties have their outspoken people. You can't control what they are going to say. You can only condemn them when they say it.
But she's been saying this stuff for years. Why are candidates allowing her to speak on the same stage? Or why are they willing to speak on the same stage?
I agree that she doesn't represent the views of the mainstream GOP but it seems that they want to have their cake and eat it too. You can't say i don't agree with her and turn around and support her because she brings in a certain kind of vote.
I know the Dems do this too but its not right when they do it either and they don't happen to be in the news today.
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