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American Morning
Interview With Ann Coulter
Aired June 26, 2003 - 09:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In her previous book she has taken on Bill Clinton and the American media. Now Ann Coulter lawyer, conservative and best-selling author has a new book out. It is titled "Treason: Liberal Treachery From the Cold War to the war on Terrorism." Ann Coulter joins us now. Good morning. I was just saying nice to meet you here in person.
ANN COULTER, AUTHOR: Yes, nice to meet you.
KAGAN: I've seen plenty of you on television.
Let's get right to the title of the book, Ann. "Treason." Are you equating being a liberal in this country with being somebody who is treasonist against America?
COULTER: Well, I'm saying the Democratic Party has a pretty long history of sheltering traitors, defending traitors, promoting them to important positions, beginning with Franklin Roosevelt laughing when he was told that Alger Hiss was a Soviet spy by Whitaker Chambers. He laughed. He had Alger Hiss advising him at Yalta. Harry Truman. I mean there were hundreds of such cases.
Of course, the Rosenbergs, all of America lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation for 50 years because of moral infirmity and incompetence by the Democratic Party.
KAGAN: I know there's a number of historical references that you make in your book and you like to look at specific things. But just a general idea. Do you really want to live in a country where there is only one way to think and that being the conservative way?
COULTER: I would like to live in a country where both parties support the defense of the country. That is the way it was during World War II. You didn't have a bunch of Republicans carping about where's Hitler, where's Hitler? Produce the death scams. FDR hasn't done it yet. I mean I think it is...
KAGAN: So you don't think it's healthy to have a debate about whether...
COULTER: About whether to defend the country? No.
KAGAN: ... about whether a -- you don't think. OK.
(CROSSTALK)
COULTER: I want to think both parties should be for defending America. Once we defend the country, we can argue about other things, high taxes, low tax, abortion, affirmative action. But the one thing...
(CROSSTALK)
KAGAN: ... for debate on those topics.
(CROSSTALK)
COULTER: I think the one thing both parties should agree on is the defense of America. Do you disagree with that?
KAGAN: Let's go ahead and open the book and look at some of the specific things that you're saying. And one allegation you make, you're saying the left destroys lives, that they go after individuals. And here's a quote from your book. "Everyone says ..."
Actually, I want to move on to move on the next because we kind of have all ready addressed the idea about liberals and loving America. Let's go onto the one where you're talking about -- here we go.
"The left's enthusiasm for destroying individual lives still sputters to life occasionally, driving their monumental crusades against Newt Gingrich, Ken Starr and Linda Tripp, for example.
You're saying that the left is going after individuals.
COULTER: Right.
KAGAN: Do you think there's just a hint of a possibility they you're sounding like somebody who I know you're not fond of at all and that is Hillary Clinton? And if you remove one word and instead of saying, Oooh, there's a vast right wing conspiracy, don't you think that smacks of there's a vast left right wing conspiracy out there?
COULTER: No.
KAGAN: That doesn't sound like that to you?
COULTER: No.
KAGAN: And how do you think it is that they target individuals where the Republican do not?
COULTER: Because if you look at the most reviled men in American history, I think a fair case could be made that it is Whitaker Chambers, Joe McCarthy, J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Their name is mud. If you want to defame someone you invoke one those people. That's Nixonian, this is McCarthy-ite.
These are the five men who did more than I think any other five men in the 20th century to defeat Soviet totalitarianism. It isn't Alger Hiss. His name isn't mud. He was an agent of Joseph Stalin, working for the president, advising the president at Yalta, giving away Poland to communist monsters. That's an interesting result, isn't it?
KAGAN: One thing I think is so interesting about you, you certainly are not afraid to say what you think and to put it out there and whatever the consequences might be. I think that that might not be an easy position to be in sometimes. And I think sometimes, perhaps, time catches up with you, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) have to say.
I want to look at one quote that I think was one of your most controversial. This goes before your book. This goes back to September of 2001 from "National Review online" where you were saying we should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."
Now at the time this was considered so outlandish, I think it got you fired from that job? Didn't it? Or they ask you for...
COULTER: It was a column being dropped and a lot of publicity being gotten out of a column being dropped. I have a syndicated column that hundred of sites carry.
KAGAN: And yet, here we are a couple of years later, and in fact, the U.S. has invaded countries, they have targeted leaders, and if you have looked at cover of "TIME" magazine this week, it's all about should Christians go around the world converting Muslims? Do you feel a little vindicated by that?
COULTER: Well, by the end of the week I wrote that column September 11. By the end of that very week, point one and point two were official government policy. And, no, I haven't heard a better solution since then.
KAGAN: So you're standing by that one?
I have to ask you about an interview you gave earlier this week to Diane Sawyer. You were talking -- she was asking about another book out there, Hillary Clinton, of course, has her book out there. You have your book. And she was asking about who might do better.
You said to that, Well, Hillary has a three to one town advantage over me. What you referring to with that?
COULTER: That was a really great double entendre.
KAGAN: Are you talking about that her book is -- are you making a weight issue?
COULTER: I will have to take a shower after explaining a joke. But it was a great double entendre. And I think most people caught it.
Her book is 600 pages long.
KAGAN: So you're talking about the weight of the book.
COULTER: That is one of two possible interpretations.
KAGAN: Take it as you will.
Ann Coulter, thanks for stopping by. Appreciate it and appreciate a peek inside of your book.
COULTER: Thank you.
KAGAN: Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 26, 2003 - 09:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In her previous book she has taken on Bill Clinton and the American media. Now Ann Coulter lawyer, conservative and best-selling author has a new book out. It is titled "Treason: Liberal Treachery From the Cold War to the war on Terrorism." Ann Coulter joins us now. Good morning. I was just saying nice to meet you here in person.
ANN COULTER, AUTHOR: Yes, nice to meet you.
KAGAN: I've seen plenty of you on television.
Let's get right to the title of the book, Ann. "Treason." Are you equating being a liberal in this country with being somebody who is treasonist against America?
COULTER: Well, I'm saying the Democratic Party has a pretty long history of sheltering traitors, defending traitors, promoting them to important positions, beginning with Franklin Roosevelt laughing when he was told that Alger Hiss was a Soviet spy by Whitaker Chambers. He laughed. He had Alger Hiss advising him at Yalta. Harry Truman. I mean there were hundreds of such cases.
Of course, the Rosenbergs, all of America lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation for 50 years because of moral infirmity and incompetence by the Democratic Party.
KAGAN: I know there's a number of historical references that you make in your book and you like to look at specific things. But just a general idea. Do you really want to live in a country where there is only one way to think and that being the conservative way?
COULTER: I would like to live in a country where both parties support the defense of the country. That is the way it was during World War II. You didn't have a bunch of Republicans carping about where's Hitler, where's Hitler? Produce the death scams. FDR hasn't done it yet. I mean I think it is...
KAGAN: So you don't think it's healthy to have a debate about whether...
COULTER: About whether to defend the country? No.
KAGAN: ... about whether a -- you don't think. OK.
(CROSSTALK)
COULTER: I want to think both parties should be for defending America. Once we defend the country, we can argue about other things, high taxes, low tax, abortion, affirmative action. But the one thing...
(CROSSTALK)
KAGAN: ... for debate on those topics.
(CROSSTALK)
COULTER: I think the one thing both parties should agree on is the defense of America. Do you disagree with that?
KAGAN: Let's go ahead and open the book and look at some of the specific things that you're saying. And one allegation you make, you're saying the left destroys lives, that they go after individuals. And here's a quote from your book. "Everyone says ..."
Actually, I want to move on to move on the next because we kind of have all ready addressed the idea about liberals and loving America. Let's go onto the one where you're talking about -- here we go.
"The left's enthusiasm for destroying individual lives still sputters to life occasionally, driving their monumental crusades against Newt Gingrich, Ken Starr and Linda Tripp, for example.
You're saying that the left is going after individuals.
COULTER: Right.
KAGAN: Do you think there's just a hint of a possibility they you're sounding like somebody who I know you're not fond of at all and that is Hillary Clinton? And if you remove one word and instead of saying, Oooh, there's a vast right wing conspiracy, don't you think that smacks of there's a vast left right wing conspiracy out there?
COULTER: No.
KAGAN: That doesn't sound like that to you?
COULTER: No.
KAGAN: And how do you think it is that they target individuals where the Republican do not?
COULTER: Because if you look at the most reviled men in American history, I think a fair case could be made that it is Whitaker Chambers, Joe McCarthy, J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Their name is mud. If you want to defame someone you invoke one those people. That's Nixonian, this is McCarthy-ite.
These are the five men who did more than I think any other five men in the 20th century to defeat Soviet totalitarianism. It isn't Alger Hiss. His name isn't mud. He was an agent of Joseph Stalin, working for the president, advising the president at Yalta, giving away Poland to communist monsters. That's an interesting result, isn't it?
KAGAN: One thing I think is so interesting about you, you certainly are not afraid to say what you think and to put it out there and whatever the consequences might be. I think that that might not be an easy position to be in sometimes. And I think sometimes, perhaps, time catches up with you, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) have to say.
I want to look at one quote that I think was one of your most controversial. This goes before your book. This goes back to September of 2001 from "National Review online" where you were saying we should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."
Now at the time this was considered so outlandish, I think it got you fired from that job? Didn't it? Or they ask you for...
COULTER: It was a column being dropped and a lot of publicity being gotten out of a column being dropped. I have a syndicated column that hundred of sites carry.
KAGAN: And yet, here we are a couple of years later, and in fact, the U.S. has invaded countries, they have targeted leaders, and if you have looked at cover of "TIME" magazine this week, it's all about should Christians go around the world converting Muslims? Do you feel a little vindicated by that?
COULTER: Well, by the end of the week I wrote that column September 11. By the end of that very week, point one and point two were official government policy. And, no, I haven't heard a better solution since then.
KAGAN: So you're standing by that one?
I have to ask you about an interview you gave earlier this week to Diane Sawyer. You were talking -- she was asking about another book out there, Hillary Clinton, of course, has her book out there. You have your book. And she was asking about who might do better.
You said to that, Well, Hillary has a three to one town advantage over me. What you referring to with that?
COULTER: That was a really great double entendre.
KAGAN: Are you talking about that her book is -- are you making a weight issue?
COULTER: I will have to take a shower after explaining a joke. But it was a great double entendre. And I think most people caught it.
Her book is 600 pages long.
KAGAN: So you're talking about the weight of the book.
COULTER: That is one of two possible interpretations.
KAGAN: Take it as you will.
Ann Coulter, thanks for stopping by. Appreciate it and appreciate a peek inside of your book.
COULTER: Thank you.
KAGAN: Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
