Boxing enthusiasts saw quite a barnburner Tuesday evening when conservative author Ann Coulter took on liberal media member Alan Colmes on Fox News's "Hannity and Colmes."
As this was the first time the pair met since Coulter's now famous "Jews need to be perfected" comment, it was a metaphysical certitude this issue would surface.
Not surprisingly, Colmes did not disappoint, as irrespective of any other pressing matters facing the nation, this was the first topic he raised with his guest, and in so doing, set off quite a firestorm when he said Coulter was using "the classic language of anti-Semitism."
As this is just too marvelous to interrupt with needless commentary, what follows is a partial transcript of this delicious battle between right and left with a video available here for your added entertainment pleasure (h/t Hot Air):
ALAN COMES, HOST: I hate to break up this hate fest against people on the left, Ann, but before we get to the election...
ANN COULTER: I love you, Alan.
COLMES: Thanks so much. I hate to break this up, but I haven't spoken to you since you made your infamous comment saying that people like me need to be "perfected." And so I wanted to give you an opportunity here, because as my good friend, the conservative rabbi Shmuley Boteach points out, Jesus was the faith practiced -- or Judaism, the faith practiced by Jesus for most of his life, his entire life, actually. And he declared in Matthew that, whoever goes against the smallest of the laws of Moses, teaching men to do the same will be named least in the kingdom of Heaven, but he who keeps the law of Moses, teaching others to keep them, will be named great in the kingdom of Heaven.
COULTER: Right.
COLMES: So, as Jesus said, the meek, not the rude and arrogant, will inherit the Earth. So how about embracing one of the great Christian virtues, as Jesus discussed, humility, and apologizing to all those people you offended by that comment?
COULTER: For one thing, I guess I'm once again responding to the headlines you've read about me as opposed to what I actually said because what you just quoted is precisely what I said, that Christians believe all of the Old Testament, that we consider our testament the continuation, the messiah you are anticipating in your testament.
And if you're going to go around citing all the people I have offended, Alan, I have 1,000 orthodox rabbis supporting me. It appears to be the same people who hate Dennis Prager, who were upset about my remarks. All of these organizations based on, you know, being Jewish, being Muslim, being a woman, they represent Jews the way the National Organization for Women represents women.
COLMES: I'm up against a break here, but I'm going to challenge your assertion about how much of the Jewish community actually supports you when we get back, which I'm sure you'd like to waive that and say that that's what's going on.
COULTER: Religious Jewish community.
COLMES: We'll pick it up in a moment. More with Ann Coulter right after the break.
(21:21)
COLMES: We're back with Ann Coulter.
You claim 1,000 orthodox rabbis support you. I don't know who they are, but I can tell you, you know the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Congress, and many others have condemned you for that. Do you care?
COULTER: Yeah, the Anti-Defamation League condemns Dennis Prager. I wear it as a badge of honor. It's like citing the National Organization of Women to tell me how all women feel. The point is, this is the same old fight we see all the time with the irreligious trying to stir up trouble with the religious.
Yes, godless liberals are upset that other people believe in God. This is the exact same thing we saw with George Bush speaking at Bob Jones University. And suddenly the "New York Times" was offended on behalf of Catholics, because of some untoward remarks the original Bob Jones had made about the Catholic Church, not as bad as what the "New York Times" had said about the Catholic Church, I might add, and religious people just don't fall for it. We know the real enemy are secularists.
COLMES: So all the Jews offended, upset and hurt by what you said, because words do hurt and they do sting, all those Jews, the ADL, the...
(CROSSTALK)
COULTER: You don't even know what words I've said, since...
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: They lack religion, right, Ann? They lack religion, all those people?
COULTER: No, I'm saying what this fight is about. You don't even know what words I said, based on what you apparently thought was contrary to something I had said.
COLMES: Ann, I know exactly what you said. You don't want to own up to it.
COULTER: I recommend...
COLMES: You don't want to acknowledge the reaction to it.
COULTER: I said that the New Testament is the continuation of the Old Testament, that Christians believe that Jews who practice the Old Testament go to Heaven. Our testament is the fast track, because we have the messiah that is the anticipated throughout the Old Testament.
And as someone said -- I heard it was Menachem Begin, I don't know if it is -- someone asked him, if you meet the messiah on Earth, what would you say to him? And he said, "I'd say, 'Is this your first?'" That's what the whole Old Testament is anticipating. Some messiah. They think we got the wrong guy. I gave a beautiful description of the Old Testament and the New Testament, but it's very frightening to secularists.
COLMES: You used the classic language of anti-Semitism. However, let me move on here, because there's lots of other things to talk about.
COULTER: What, like "good evening"?
COLMES: Let's get back to Nancy Pelosi. No, it's the classic language of anti-Semitism. You said in the past that women should be armed...
COULTER: How about eating soup? Is that a classic food of anti- Semites?
COLMES: That's lovely, Ann. I'm going to move on in spite of yourself and maybe save you from saying something else that's ridiculous. You said that women should be...
COULTER: No, you're being ridiculous, Alan.
COLMES: ... but not be allowed to...
COULTER: No, you can't just come out and say, "Oh, the classic" -- well, what is the classic language of an anti-Semite? To describe the New Testament, Alan? Is that what you're saying?
COLMES: No, to say that...
COULTER: Are you saying that to be a Christian is anti-Semitic?
COLMES: No, absolutely not.
COULTER: Because I think that's a little offensive. If we're going to play who's offended here, I think I'm offended by that, Alan.
COLMES: Well, maybe not at -- so good, I'm glad you know what it feels like to be offended.
COULTER: What's the classic language of anti-Semitism? What are you saying?
COLMES: I'm glad you know what it feels like.
COULTER: What are you saying?
COLMES: To say that your religion is somehow superior, that you have to be "perfected" in order to be of the right religion, that somehow those who do not believe what you believe are somehow lesser than you, that's the implication. And that is classic anti-Semitism.
COULTER: No, I'm saying what anyone who actually believes a religion, rather than, oh, you're last president, Bill Clinton, walking into the church carrying his 10-pound Bible, people who actually believe their religion believe it. That's part of being a Christian, that you actually believe Christianity is true.
I think anyone who actually believes a religion rather than faking it for the voters and then getting, you know, which testament the book of Job is in wrong would have to say that.
Brava, Ann! If more folks on the right would stand up to ignoramuses in the media like Colmes, maybe the American people would be significantly more informed about current events and matters impacting the nation.
In the end, it is his kind of bullying tactics, shared by many in the televised press, which keeps the citizenry in the dark about the most-pressing issues before us.
As such, once again, Ann, Brava!
