My latest for TownHall was also picked up by ABC News. A snippet:
Howard Dean wants Republican presidential candidates to apologize for Ann Coulter saying that John Edwards is a “faggot.” Granted, it is popular among Democrats to have third parties apologize for someone else’s actions, but in this case, “reparations for Coulter” shouldn’t stop at GOP presidential wannabes.
Conservatives at large should consider apologizing, too. … As Aristotle observed ages ago, a satirical jest that lacks foundation in truth is false wit. And Coulter’s crack was false wit. To paraphrase Billy Bob Thornton’s character in “Slingblade,” Edwards is funny ha-ha, not funny queer.
So here’s how such an apology could sound:
Dear Howard Dean,
I’m very sorry about the remarks made recently by Ann Coulter about John Edwards. She should not have resorted to an ugly slur in the first place. Furthermore, she certainly shouldn’t have done so when there are plenty of other ways to discuss Edwards that are legitimate, devastating, and funny. …
