Ugly Ann

Ann Coulter knows how to get attention in our ADHD world; just be outrageous. Say whatever comes into your mind. Use whatever epithet will get the biggest laugh. It's a simple formula that works every time.

It certainly worked at the Conservative Political Action Conference, where she used what she called "a joke" to refer to John Edwards as a "faggot." Yea, it worked well. She got big laughs. Got wild applause. She gave 'em what they came for, that potty-mouth mindless drivel that has kept Ugly Ann in the spotlight for the past several years. Bravo Ann.

And the problem, my friends, is not with Ann Coulter. The problem is with those you pay her to speak, who buy her books, who listen to her on the radio. The problem is that people actually eat this stuff up!

Don't be fooled by Coulter's remarks. This wasn't some ill-thought-out "macaca moment," this was a win-win from the perspective of her supporters. It allows Ugly Ann to be a Greek chorus for them, publicaly spewing the kind of hate-filled rhetoric they normally only use when they are amongst themselves or in hushed tones on the golf course.

The second part of the win-win equation is that Coulter and her enablers have smeared John Edwards. It may or may not get any traction, but it certainly will not be forgotten. THAT is the big story here. The GOP knows that Edwards is a strong candidate running a smart campaign and this was the first volley in what will most certainly be a full court press against him by the regular cast of conservative character assassins.