Ann in the Lioness' Den
“View” moderator Whoopi Goldberg accused conservative author and pundit Ann Coulter of not being able to “take it” during this morning's broadcast.
Coulter appeared on ABC's chat-fest to promote her new book, “Guilty: Liberal Victims and their Assault on
Goldberg immediately asked Coulter, “What is your issue with single mothers?” and cited stats from “Guilty” that said 70 percent of inmates in prisons come from single-parent homes.” Coulter tried to defend her statements but Goldberg wouldn't let her finish before attacking the studies Coulter used:
COULTER: We now have 30 or 40 years of social science research. I mean, I'm just citing, this is um, you know, dressed up numbers crunching. I'm just giving the numbers. 80% of the inmates in prisons were raised by single mothers. About 70% of the runaways of the child, um juvenile delinquents, juvenile murderers, rapists, raised by single mothers. And the point is this didn't happen by accident. The illegitimacy rate alone has gone up over 300% since 1970. And as I describe in my book, this was a specific plan by the left attacking the nuclear family the most famous example --
GOLDBERG: Wait a minute.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: I just want to go --
GOLDBERG: I'm sorry, I know you want to do this left thing because that's what you do, that's your act.
COULTER: No, it's because I think it's true.
GOLDBERG: But I do want to know, because a lot of what you've cited in terms of this, just specifically this, is based on sort of not great research. Because we've seen this research discounted time and time again.
Goldberg set up a pattern that the others quickly followed. Barbara Walters also refused to let Coulter explain why she considers women who willingly become single-mothers “selfish” and why it's important for children to have fathers and mothers:
WALTERS: Do you want children? Because I do realize that there are mothers who are divorced, you don't blame them as much and there are mothers who are widowed. But there are women who do want children -- I'm not talking about the teenagers, the irresponsible and so forth and need to be loved. We can perhaps, you know, go with that, but there are women who do want children.
COULTER: Yeah, that's what I write about.
WALTERS: And are single mothers.
COULTER: And how selfish it is. That's precisely what --
WALTERS: And can take care of these children. And give them happy homes or adopt these children.
Panel member Sherri Shepherd noted that she doesn't “see any compassion” from “Are you trying to be part of the solution?” she asked, quickly adding, “as opposed to just judging, judging judging and throwing out stuff.” When Coulter tried to answer, Joy Behar interrupted to ask about Sarah Palin as a victim.
There is no doubt that Coulter's statements are provocative and can inspire heated discussion. However, it could be that the gals were more hostile to Coulter than other controversial personalities simply because of her conservative views. After all, when Bill Maher, another controversial personality appeared on “The View,” he was greeted with open arms and able to fully defend his film “Religulous,” a movie many religious people found extremely offensive.
As Justin McCarthy noted on Newsbusters, Maher stated during his Sep. 30 appearance on “The View” that “faith means lack of critical thinking,” and his assertion that his movie “didn't make anybody feel bad” went unchallenged. Joy Behar even helped him out by explaining that his “joke” in the movie was the “irrational answers” people of faith gave Maher in response to his questions about religion.
So was it that the “View” gals stridently “questioned” Coulter because her statements were provocative, as Goldberg claimed, or was it because she espoused conservative views?
Here's the transcript of today's discussion:
BARBARA WALTERS: Well, no one can ignite a media firestorm like Ann Coulter, and her latest book "Guilty," like her other books, have very controversial, deliberately provocative, after all, it sells books and we are happy to have with us Ann Coulter. Good morning.
ANN COULTER: Good morning.
WALTERS: I think we've all had a -- been discussing your book on camera.
COULTER: Yes, I heard.
WALTERS: Good, you should be pleased. So Whoopi would like to start.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: I just have a couple questions actually. In your book, you devote an entire chapter to single mothers and what happens to children raised in single-parent homes. You title a chapter "victim of a crime? Thank a single mother." What is your issue with single mothers? 'Cause I know you don't have any kids. I mean, maybe you have step kids, I don't know, I shouldn't say that. And just before you answer, I just want to say you said that single motherhood is like a farm team for future criminals and social outcasts. 70% of inmates in prisons come from single-parent homes.
COULTER: We now have 30 or 40 years of social science research. I mean, I'm just citing, this is um, you know, dressed up numbers crunching. I'm just giving the numbers. 80% of the inmates in prisons were raised by single mothers. About 70% of the runaways of the child, um juvenile delinquents, juvenile murderers, rapists, raised by single mothers. And the point is this didn't happen b y accident. The illegitimacy rate alone has gone up over 300% since 1970. And as I describe in my book, this was a specific plan by the left attacking the nuclear family the most famous example --
GOLDBERG: Wait a minute.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: I just want to go --
GOLDBERG: I'm sorry, I know you want to do this left thing because that's what you do, that's your act.
COULTER: No, it's because I think it's true.
GOLDBERG: But I do want to know, because a lot of what you've cited in terms of this, just specifically this, is based on sort of not great research. Because we've seen this research discounted time and time again. But why would you say Hollywood actresses using single mother --I take offense to that, of course, you can understand because having been a single mother, I don't think it was something I used as a tool.
COULTER: The point is -- well, I don't think you've done it in the last few years, and this has become--
GOLDBERG: Are you talking about -- I'm sorry, say this again? You talking about the last -- you're talking about actresses in the last few years?
COULTER: Right.
GOLBERG: Okay, that's what I wanted to make sure.
COULTER: That's why I say it's the new thing as opposed to the sex tapes. That's my point.
HASSELBECK: Why don't you come down on the fathers who aren't there? Rather than the women who actually raise their children?
COULTER: I'll answer that. Because the title is “Guilty Liberal Victims and their Assault on
GOLDBERG: Are you married?
JOY BEHAR: You answered it.
GOLDBERG: Are you married? Are you married?
COULTER: No, but it wouldn't change the difference of the facts I cite.
GOLDBERG: Do you have kids? Do you have kids?
COULTER: No, and it wouldn't change the difference of the facts.
GOLDBERG: You know it would if you did have children because you'd know more what you're talking about.
WALTERS: Do you want children? Because I do realize that there are mothers who are divorced, you don't blame them as much and there are mothers who are widowed. But there are women who do want children -- I'm not talking about the teenagers, the irresponsible and so forth and need to be loved. We can perhaps, you know, go with that, but there are women who do want children.
COULTER: Yeah, that's what I write about.
WALTERS: And are single mothers.
COULTER: And how selfish it is. That's precisely what --
WALTERS: And can take care of these children. And give them happy homes or adopt these children.
BEHAR: You're ignoring the sociological issues here, Ann.
SHERRI SHEPHERD: And economics.
COULTER: You know, I am not –
BEHAR: Racism, all those things.
GOLDBERG: I'm sorry, I've raised a kid single-handedly and she didn't kill anybody. That's all I'm saying.
COULTER: Absolutely not. You are wrong about that and that is the interesting -- of course it's not every -- the point is you look at it from the other end.
SHEPHERD: You know, Ann-
COULTER: You look at the prison end and no it is not true that I'm leaving out race. There is, in fact, I cite a study by the progressive policy institute, a liberal institute, saying that if you take single motherhood out of the equation, the black and white crime rates are exactly the same. So you take everything else out, single motherhood is not good for children. That is a fact and it is a fact that it is promoted.
SHEPHERD: I would like to ask you because, you know, there's some nuggets of truth that you have in stuff that you write. But I don't see any compassion that you have. Do you go out and do you talk to single -- young girls about trying not to, you know, to use birth control? Are you trying to be part of the solution?
COULTER: Well, sure, of course, I am.
SHEPHERD: As opposed to just judging, judging, judging and throwing out stuff.
COULTER: Look, the more nonjudgmental we have been about the mothers, the more real victims have been created.
BEHAR: Can I ask you something?
COULTER: Millions and millions per year. I mean, it's not like this is some inevitable number that we must have of single, of children being raised by single mothers every year or it wouldn't have gone up by more than 300 percent since 1970.
BEHAR: Okay, Let's move off that topic because you call it liberal victims. You know, the biggest victim this week is your girlfriend Sarah Palin. She is whining about everything. The media was wrong. Katie Cor--
HASSELBECK: The media was horrible to her. The media attacked her daughter's unborn child. That was appalling.
BEHAR: And she's acting like a victim now and why is it just liberals who are victims? Give me a break.
COULTER: No, but the point of the book is not to say that there, that there aren't any victims. Of course, there are victims.
BEHAR: Then why are all the liberal victims put together again?
COULTER: That's my point. Liberals play the victim while creating real victims. I'm not saying there's no such things as victims. But can we get back to what you were attacking me for when I wasn't here?
SHPHERD: It wasn't an attack.
BEHAR: She's being attacked!
COULTER: I've never heard my book –
SHEPHERD: Well, follow up. Follow up on what we were saying about you're saying that they identify with their black side.
COULTER: I would like the right to respond.
SHEPHERD: And Whoopi had something to say.
COULTER: Right. You seem to think that I was trying to read minds, I believe someone said, or that I don't have personal experience with them, to the contrary. As I cite in the book, I am talking about things they have done and said. Barack obama writes his first book, I think it was his first book, his autobiography, "Dreams From My Father." He identifies with the father who abandoned him.
WALTERS: Now if you read the book,
COULTER: I read the book.
WALTERS: He praises his mother all through the -- can I just move on? We don't have that much time.
COULTER: Wait, you guys attacked me for it and I can't respond.
GOLDBERG: Nobody is attacking you. You have to accept the truth. You wrote something provocative.
COULTER: I have never heard my book read aloud like you're reading “Mein Kampf” and I just did.
WALTERS: Can I just read a section aloud.
COULTER: Yes, and read it like you're reading "Mein Kampf" again.
WALTERS: I don't think I did that.
COULTER: I think you did. You spat out the words when I wasn't sitting here.
WALTERS: Let me do this. And that's because I'd like to discuss something current. "Throughout John F. Kennedy's presidency and beyond, reporters notoriously hid the fact that J.F.K. was a venereal disease ridden sexual profligate and drug addict. The courtiered press was too busy manufacturing a nonsense image of Camelot." I read this because I'd love to hear your view on Caroline Kennedy's desire --
HASSELBECK: Was that gentle enough?
COULTER: Yes, that was lovely. You can do the audio book. Well, we don't know that much about her.
SHEPHERD: I'm not attacking you, I just don't appreciate the way you're talking to her. I mean, nobody is attacking you. You didn't have to talk to her --
COULTER: I wasn't here!
SHEPHERD: I just think, Ann, go on.
COULTER: Okay, I think we can move on from tone and get to substance. But he's flashing wrap.
GOLDBERG: Here's the deal. Since it will wrap as soon as we're, it's time, but you're sort of just did, like, two great putdowns in one sentence. I want to reiterate, nobody was putting down or attacking you.
COULTER: Look, you're claiming that I was --
GOLDBERG: Excuse me! I listened to you.
COULTER: that I was basing it on personal experience.
GOLDBERG: No, I asked the question were you, because you are not, you are not --
COULTER:
about how she was doing it for the blacks. That's identifying with her black father. I'm talking about what they do and say in public. I'm not mind reading.
GOLDBERG: You know, you can't take it, can you? You can dish it out but you can't take it. We'll be right back.
Colleen Raezler is a research assistant at the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the
