Ann Coulter: How Low Can You Go?

Just when you thought Ann Coulter couldn't sink any lower, she plum bores a hole through the bottom of the barrel. Just two days ago she wrote that Max Cleland is lucky to have lost his limbs "while in Vietnam" instead of back home in the States. Lucky for his "political career and current pomposity about Bush," she says.

She continues:

"If Cleland had dropped a grenade on himself at Fort Dix rather than in Vietnam, he would never have been a U.S. senator in the first place. Maybe he'd be the best pharmacist in Atlanta, but not a U.S. senator. He got into office on the basis of serving in Vietnam and was thrown out for his performance as a senator."

She also claims Cleland "lost three limbs in an accident during a routine noncombat mission where he was about to drink beer with friends. He saw a grenade on the ground and picked it up."

Wrong, Anne. According to The Center for American Progress's "Progress Report," the August 1999 issue of "Esquire Magazine notes, Cleland lost two legs and an arm in Vietnam when a grenade accidentally detonated after he and another soldier jumped off a helicopter in a combat zone."

Furthermore, Max Cleland was no beer-swilling roughneck. A few days before he lost his limbs, Cleland performed actions on the battle field which earned him a Silver Star. The Congressional citation accompanying that medal read:

"When the battalion command post came under a heavy enemy rocket and mortar attack, Captain Cleland, disregarding his own safety, exposed himself to the rocket barrage as he left his covered position to administer first aid to his wounded comrades. He then assisted in moving the injured personnel to covered positions." The citation concluded, "Cleland's gallant action is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army."

GA Senator Zell Miller (you know, the so-called Democrat who most often votes Republican on the issues) read that citation as recently as December 9th, 2003, when he recommended Max Cleland to the Board of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Miller also said:

In all of my years in politics, I know of no other person who has embodied leadership, service and sacrifice more than Max Cleland.

On and off the battlefield Max’s story should serve as a continual inspiration to us all.

In what must be a first for the "fair and balanced" news channel, Fox News disowned her, complaining to The Center for American Progress (who publicized Coulter's remarks) that Coulter "is not a contributor to this network" and "has not been a contributor the last couple of years." Nonetheless, "The Progress Report" also points out that "Fox News’ Sean Hannity described Ms. Coulter in December of 2002 as 'a Fox News contributor'" and that Coulter has appeared 50 times on Fox News since 2002.

Why not take this opportunity to complain to Fox News about their using her on the air? And while you're at it, here's the email address for the Heritage Foundation on whose site Townhall.com her column first appeared.