CNN Contributor on Ann Coulter: ‘At Some Point, You Have to Punch the Bully in the Mouth’

Photo of Matthew Balan.
By Matthew Balan | June 28, 2007 - 19:05 ET

CNN contributor Roland Martin jumped on the Elizabeth Edwards bandwagon during an appearance on Thursday's "American Morning," and launched two fronts of attack on Coulter for her recent comments about John Edwards. First, in reply to co-host Kiran Chetry's question on whether Elizabeth Edwards should have even dignified Ann Coulter with a phone call, Martin invoked the schoolyard. "I think she should have, because at some point, you have to punch the bully in the mouth."

Roland Martin, a columnist and talk radio host, makes frequent appearances on "American Morning," which are also broadcast on his Chicago-based radio show. After Martin discussed Coulter's "track record" of "outlandish comments," as he put it, Chetry posed the question that brought out his schoolyard comparison.

CHETRY: "It brings up an interesting point, though, because clearly, she doesn't care, because she does this all the time. And this has become her schtick, if you will. But then, why would Elizabeth Edwards even dignify that with a response? I mean, do you think she should have called in to the show, and even engaged Ann Coulter?"

MARTIN: Well, no, I -- I think she should have, because at some point, you have to punch the bully in the mouth. And that's exactly what Elizabeth Edwards did. And so, you don't let people just continue to get away with some of these crazy comments. And so again, it wasn't a problem. In fact, by Elizabeth Edwards calling, it's causing other people to be critical.

Shortly after making this comment, Martin continued by bringing into the discussion an apparent friend of Coulter's, Bill Maher, and another "commentator" who was canned for his controversial remarks, Don Imus.

MARTIN: And another point, Kiran -- this is critically important -- far too many political folks always want to go, 'Oh, I was just kidding. I was being comedic.' Bill Maher is a satirist. He's a comedian. That's what he does. She is -- she is not in the same boat. So, I find it amazing when somebody gets in trouble and says, 'Oh, I was simply being a comedian....

CHETRY: Right...

MARTIN: ...I mean, she's trying to use the Don Imus defense.

CHETRY: But Bill Maher is also somebody who is a comedian, yet is extremely political, has an extreme point of view, and shares it.

MARTIN: Well, of course, but again, I think you could make the same comment regarding Chris Rock, when you listen to some of his stuff as well. Again, but we know what we are getting from Bill Maher. We are not looking...

CHETRY: I think we know what we are getting with Ann Coulter.

MARTIN: Yes, but she is a -- she does present herself as a journalist, as a columnist, as a commentator. We see her differently than we do a Bill Maher. She's not a comedian, so, you know what? Cut the jokes, Ann.

Apparently, Martin hasn't read any of Coulter's actual written material, since they're often full of satire.

One thing that has consistently missing from those on the Left that have commented on the latest Ann Coulter controversy is that while they go after her for being a "bully" or for "the debasing of political dialogue," they neglect the foul attacks on Christianity that former campaign staff of John Edwards campaign made when they were bloggers.

Another thing that has been neglected is that Elizabeth Edwards herself attacked her own neighbor as a "rabid, rabid Republican" who lives on a "slummy" property and "when he doesn't like somebody, the first thing he does is pull a gun out."

I guess Elizabeth Edwards can criticize Coulter when she "debases political dialogue," but she isn't above debasing her own neighbor.

—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.

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Stick a fork in it Martin.

Stick a fork in it Martin.

BT,Actually, I think it's Mat

BT,

Actually, I think it's Matthews who's the bully who needs to be "punched in the mouth" - er - figuratively speaking - I'm not a violent person. Maybe a banana cream pie to the face... 

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Defender

Mr. Martin: I am extending you a special invitation. Since you would like to hit Ann in the mouth and since gentlemen do not strike ladies and since I will consider myself Ann's champion, I volunteer to take her place for you.

I am sure that you read this site and if you contact me, I will provide you with my address. If I do not hear from you, then I will assume that you are either wrong about Ann and by your silence you apologize or you are a coward.

I think that we all know the answer.

What's the diff?

"Bill Maher is a satirist. He's a comedian. That's what he does. She is -- she is not in the same boat."

This is what's known as a distinction without a difference.

When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.

So by Martin's sophomoric rea

So then by Martin's sophomoric reasoning it was perfectly OK for Michael Richards to scream all those nasty racial epithets last November because,  well ---- he's a comedian!  More liberal logic that won't hold water.

All of these lib bastards are

All of these lib bastards are always exempt SOMEHOW - I just love it - the left is really down to just throwing punches in the air on a daily basis...

...it was hard but I managed to keep religion out of it:)...

I thought Chrissy was upset

I thought Chrissy was upset that we "punched" Saddam in the mouth. Saddam was a bully. Hugo Chavez is a bully. Ahmadinejad is a bully. Islamofascist terrorists are bullies.

Ann Coulter may be assertive, scathing, and controversial...but a bully? John Edwards must be a little girl.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." --Thomas Jefferson

I'm waiting for one of the pu

I'm waiting for one of the pundits to say:  "I know Bill Maher and Ann Coulter is no Bill Maher"

Supreme Court,  National Security,  Borders,  Fiscal Restraint, my litmus test for President.   

Hell, I'm waiting for Maher & Coulter to start dating

Hell, I'm waiting for Maher & Coulter to start dating. (Seemingly, everyone but sarcasmo was surprised by Carville & Matalin goin' at it, but with how similar Demopublicans are to Republicrats these days, I don't know why!)
JMR

My goodness...Has the cat g

My goodness...Has the cat got everyone's tongue? Normally when I say something like this or the tax-tithe thing, someone goes nuts and says I must be a Kostard-in-disguise! Instead, nothing...What's going on??
JMR

But Sarc,I thought Bill Maher

But Sarc,

I thought Bill Maher was straight. 

Have you seen the girls he dates?  Don't ask me how he does it but that man does alright in the female department.  That's all Stern can ever talk about when Maher's on the show.

Hell, I thought Mary Matali

Hell, I thought Mary Matalin had decent taste! And I don't see what's so mannish about Coulter -- she's wrong, but she's female, and isn't it a bit ironic to be making that accusation about her in view of the Edwards-faggot ruckus, or was that your point?
JMR

No that wasn't my point.  I

No that wasn't my point.  I think she's hideous and gross.  Her hands haunt my nightmares. 

And I don't care about her calling Edwards a faggot.  I wasn't offended, it just wasn't funny, or clever, or interesting.  She's beat street when it comes to substance.

The only issue I ever have with Coulter is when the newsbusters whine about Franken et al., but turn around and defend Coulter to the death.  It's so blatantly hypocritical that it would be hilarious if it wasn't so scary.

It wasn't funny in terms of

It wasn't funny in terms of Edwards, and how she told it (or where, in place of actual non-RINO conservative candidates at an ostensibly "conservative" event!) wasn't all that great, as I've repeatedly-said, but in terms of the Hollyweird fascination with therapy as a cure-all for things extending from substance-abuse to racism to now homophobia, it was a good Coulter-esque dig. The left needs to understand that even though the primary purpose has been Edwards fundraising, the primary target of the dig was Hollyweird's lefties and their culture.
JMR

1. The idea of 'dating' Bill

1. The idea of 'dating' Bill Maher: I'd rather go gay!  Puke!  Smug, ug, and bluuaahhgggg!  Puke!

2. The idea that women 'date' him at all is another reason I think women are pretty stupid when it comes to men.  and, about alot of other things!  I am embarrassed for them.

I don't know why Ann went on that gobshite Matthew's show! 

John Edwards IS indeed a faggot, at least by the definition used in 1975, which meant wimpy jerk.

Anyone who says they support the troops but not the mission is a liar. 

Hey, if she's already dated

Hey, if she's already dated Bob Guccione, Jr (son of the publisher of Penthouse) for six months or so, maybe Ann's man-standards aren't quite as high as you might imagine! :)
JMR

  I only know that there are

  I only know that there are too many bimbo idiot women everywhere, and there's no escape!!!  Famous and non-famous-every-day-wannabe-sleazy-dopey-idiots!!!  The Clinton News Network could now be the Paris News Network...

 Anyway, I will never get how anyone would even touch a guy like Bob Guccione, even with gloves on.  Can you say, "contagious"?   EEEWWW!!!! 

Bill Maher is still only #3 on my punch-in-the-face wish list...

   I reserve the primary beatings for Hil and Bill.  One can only dream...

Anyone who says they support the troops but not the mission is a liar. 

John Kerry, who served in Vie

John Kerry, who served in Vietnam, said he was only kidding when he said if you don't study hard you wind up in Iraq.

He said he was only joking and botched it.

I am looking for a John Kerry Live from the Comedy Club c.d.

That is soooo Chavez of you! - - -A liberal complementing a liberal

Ever notice when the MSM goes

Ever notice when the MSM goes after a conservative about what or how they said something. The topic is nearly always forgotten, couldn't be because they were also right. No I am sure that is not it. Edwards is pure slime, any one who sends their cancer stricken wife to be you attack dog is some kinda sissy. And no, I dont believe she did it without his knowledge.

Yes well,This is exactly why

Yes well,

This is exactly why the left is so riled up over Anne Coulter's remarks.

The lefty libs hide behind any convenient skirt.  Edwards is even faggier than Anne Coulter made him out to be in her original comments (sorry to my gay friends, but they'd not only understand that statement but applaud it).

And this person believes he's qualified to run the United States?  I wouldn't put this idiot behind the wheel of a garbage truck!

Blonde,Well, if he was in the

Blonde,

Well, if he was in the waste disposal business, he'd set new standards for personal grooming and sartorial excellence, at any rate.  :)

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Dude,You've not seen the garb

Dude,

You've not seen the garbage truck drivers in South Florida.

John Edwards belongs in the back of the truck.  Any truck.

Okay Blonde, have you been ch

Okay Blonde, have you been checking out the beefcake again? :)

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Ummmm.......(trying to think

Ummmm.......

(trying to think of a Balboa-type reply).

Forget it. No one can think l

Forget it. No one can think like him...

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

:-D It's a burden I and I al

:-D

It's a burden I and I alone must bare.

boa...ROFL...

boa...

ROFL...

Bare facts

"It's a burden I and I alone must bare."

And that's the naked truth.

When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.

I have the right to bare arms

I have the right to bare arms. That's why I insist on wearing short sleeved shirts. :)

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Actually, Balboa, we bear it

Actually Balboa, it's a burden we bear also, ever since you learned to type. :)

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Well played. :-)

Well played.

:-)

FYI, as an undercover grammar

FYI, as an undercover grammar/spelling freak, I'd like to point out I used "bare" incorrectly a couple of posts ago.

I thank you for your patience.

I thought you were making a p

I thought you were making a play on words...

Anyone who says they support the troops but not the mission is a liar. 

Hi Blonde,That is exactly wha

Hi Blonde,

That is exactly what I said on a thread yesterday...Edwards sends his wife out to do his dirty work! Oh boo hoo.

because at some point, you ha

because at some point, you have to punch the bully in the mouth. 

Or send a girl to do it for you instead. What a wuss.

  Ignorance is bliss. It's easier to repeat a mindless slogan than to do some actual research.

They ARE very different...

Bill Maher is a "comedian" who uses rudimentary satire to try and make political statements. Ann Coulter is a political columnist and author who uses satire expertly and humorously to make her points.

The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic

Ann Coulter

Her metaphors are as original and biting as they come. Liberals just can't stand an intelligent, powerful, self-assured woman.

  Ignorance is bliss. It's easier to repeat a mindless slogan than to do some actual research.

Can liberals EVER think of

Can liberals EVER think of an original sentence. Notice this is almost verbatim to what Trump said about Grossie O'Donnell.

Evening Fair...It does get ol

Evening Fair...

It does get old.

So is this saga.

Ann Coulter

It’s obvious that the media do not understand Newton’s action and reaction law. See, for their every action against Ann Coulter, the reaction is that she makes more money through the sale of her books and lectures.

I hope Ann at least sends them Christmas cards thanking them for making her a millionaire.

Roland Martin...

He calls himself a journalist yet shows he has absolutely no understanding of satire. At some point everyone has to realize that these idiots are just partisan pundits and stop watching CNN.

It's a matter of when, not if.

The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic

MARTIN: ...I mean, she's tr

MARTIN: ...I mean, she's trying to use the Don Imus defense.

Why would she do that? The last time I checked, the "Don Imus defense" didn't work...

~~~

"The current tax code is harder to understand than Bob Dylan reading Finnegan's Wake in a wind tunnel."-- Dennis Miller

Does this mean i can punch bi

Does this mean i can punch bill maher?

The Avatar

Coulter on Oreilly

Anybody catch Coulter on Oreilly?

IMHO she slapped Bill down every time he tried to say she was just trying to be provocative.  He did recognize he was in the presence of greatness, though.

chess vs checkers

Bill plays checkers, while Coulter plays chess. No comparison. She will always be a few moves ahead.

Written material

Martin hasn't read any of Coulter's actual written material,

From Coulter's High Crimes and Misdemeanors:In this recurring nightmare of a presidency, we have a national debate about whether he "did it," even though all sentient people know he did. Otherwise there would be debates only about whether to impeach or assassinate.