Last night I was reading Michelle Malkin's blog to see what was going on at CPAC. She recounted Ann Coulter's remarks, including her obtuse reference to John Edwards as a "faggot".

I suspect that this is less offensive than indicative of an archaic sensibility. When I was an adolescent, we used the term to demean each other's manliness, but then again, we thought smoking was cool and sexual activity was a sign of adulthood.

As an adult, I learned that many of my friends had been in the closet, and since they seemed like nice enough fellows back then, I didn't see how their sexual preference should change anything. Apparently society in general was learning the same lesson--gay people are really just people. I suppose that the perjorative lost its power at that point--when being gay became socially acceptable, so did being a "faggot".

Coulter's remark, which echoes similar remarks she's made about Al Gore and Bill Clinton, indicates a personal hostility towards homosexuals. What is really strange is that she's under the impression that this feeling is generalized, otherwise she wouldn't have made it in a public forum. Michelle makes the point:

A smattering of laughter.

Not from this corner.

Crickets chirping.

This morning, Howard Dean, sensing opportunity, has demanded that Republican candidates denounce Coulter.

I personally think this presents an excellent opportunity for Republican presidential candidates to dispel the left-wing engineered meme that conservatives are inherently hostile to gays and lesbians. I would suggest something along these lines:

Ann Coulter is a private citizen, unconnected with my campaign, and she is entitled to express her opinions in a country that guarantees such rights, especially for what many people would call offensive speech. I do not share her views on the matter, and while I have differences on issues like gay marriage, I do support the principle that gays and lesbians are entitled to the full range of rights available to all American citizens.

Your mileage may vary.

Captain Ed:

...criticizing Coulter's use of the word "faggot" is not a suppression of free speech; it is an exercise of free speech. We're not advocating her arrest for using the word. We're just saying it was stupid, unnecessary, and hateful. This is no different than Melissa McEwan calling Christians "Christofascist Godbags" and Amanda Marcotte's incendiary hate speech about Catholics. We howled about that when John Edwards hired them; why do we defend Coulter's appearance at CPAC?

This is where you are going to see the real difference between the left and right. When Marcotte and McEwan stepped in it, the left does what it always does--defends the indefensible. I'll be looking hard for anyone to defend Coulter's remarks today--conservatives are adults after all.

Sister Toldja

Jules Crittenden

Moderate Voice

Flopping Aces

Right Wing News

UPDATE: Meanwhile Bill Maher publicly wishes that Dick Cheney had been killed in Afghanistan.

Ridley: They said “We wish he would die.” I mean, it was (?) hate language.

Barney Frank: They said the bomb was wasted. (laughter and applause)

Maher: That’s a funny joke. But, seriously, if this isn’t China, shouldn’t you be able to say that? Why did Arianna Huffington, my girlfriend, I love her, but why did she take that off right away?

After some discussion about why Huffington should or shouldn’t have taken these comments down, the following occurred:

Ridley: It’s one thing to say you hate Dick Cheney, which applies to his politics. It’s another thing to say, “I’m sorry he didn’t die in an explosion." And I think, you know…

Maher: But you should be able to say it. And by the way...

Frank: Excuse me, Bill, but can I ask you a question? Do you decide what the topics are for this show?

Maher: Yeah, I decide the topics, they don’t go there.

Frank: But you exercise control over the show the way that she does over her blog.

Maher: But I have zero doubt that if Dick Cheney was not in power, people wouldn’t be dying needlessly tomorrow. (applause)

Scarborough: If someone on this panel said that they wished that Dick Cheney had been blown up, and you didn’t say…

Frank: I think he did.

Scarborough: Okay. Did you say…

Maher: No, no. I quoted that.

Frank: You don’t believe that?

Maher: I’m just saying if he did die, other people, more people would live. That’s a fact.