What I would have LOVED to hear Elizabeth Edwards say.....

Transcript:

Elizabeth: I’d like to ask Ann Coulter to.. if she wants to debate on issues, on positions.. we certainly disagree with nearly everything she said on your show today, but it’s quite another matter for these personal attacks. The things that she has said over the years, not just about John, but about other candidates, it lowers our political dialogue precisely at the time that we need to raise it. So, I’d like to use the opportunity, which I don’t get much ‘coz Ann and I don’t hang out with the same ppl, [Ann mumbles: ‘coz I don’t have enough money], to ask her poliltely to stop the personal attacks.

Ann: So I made a joke lets see.. six months ago, and as you point out, they’ve been raising money off of it for six months.

Mathews: But this is yesterday morning, what you said about him.

Ann: I didn’t say anything about him actually either time.

Elizabeth: Ann you know that’s not true, and what’s more it’s been going on for some time..

Ann [laughing]: .. and I don’t mind you trying to raise money. It’s better this than giving 50,000 dollars speeches to the poor, just to use my name on the webpages.

Elizabeth: I’m asking you.. I’m asking you politely..

Ann [contemptuously]: but as for a debate with me, yeah sure. yeah we’ll have a debate.

Elizabeth: I’m asking you politely to stop personal attacks.

Ann: how about you stop raising money on your webpage then.

Elizabeth: It didn’t start..

Ann: no you don’t have to ‘coz I don’t mind.

Elizabeth: It did not start with that. You had a column a couple of years ago..

Ann: wait ok, the wife of a presidential candidate is calling in asking me to stop speaking ?

Elizabeth: ..wait till I finish talking please.

Mathews: Let her finish the point.

Ann: You’re asking me to stop speaking. Stop writing your columns, stop writing your books.

Elizabeth: You had a column a couple of years ago which made fun of the moment of Charlie Dean’s death and suggested that my husband had a bumper sticker on the back of his car that said “Ask me about my Dead Son”.

Ann: That’s now.. 3 years ago.

Elizabeth: That’s not legitimate political dialogue. It debases political dialogue. It drives people away from the process. We can’t have a debate about issues if you are using this kind of language.

Audience Member shouts: Let John Edwards make this call

Ann: Yeah why isn’t John Edwards making this call ? (laughter from the audience)

Mathews: Well you wanna respond ? We’ll end this conversation.

Elizabeth: I haven’t talked to John about this call…

Ann: I think this is just another attempt to.. (makes a face)

Elizabeth: I’m making this call as a mother. I’m the mother of that boy who died. My children participate. These young people behind you are the age of my children. You are asking them to participate in a dialogue that’s based on hatefulness and ugliness instead of on the issues, and I don’t think that’s serving them or this country very well.

[ Loud cheers from the audience ]
[ Ann smiles embarassingly ]

Ann: I think we heard all we need to hear. The wife of a presidential candiadate is asking me to stop speaking. NO.

Mathews: No, she said you should stop being so negative to people individually.

Ann: Right, as opposed to bankrupting doctors by giving.. umm… a Shyster Las Vegas routine in front of juries based on science..

Mathews: Ok..

Ann: Wait, you said I’d have as long as .. would have, and you instantly interrupt me.

Mathews: go ahead, go ahead, go ahead..

Ann:… and, umm .. as I was saying.. doing these psychic routines in front of illiterate juries to bankrupt doctors who now can’t deliver babies, and to charge a [emotes quotation signs] poverty group [/end of] 50,000 dollars a speech. Don’t talk to me about.. about how to use Language.

Mathews: Elizabeth ?

Elizabeth: I’m gonna ask you again to politely stop using personal attacks as part of your dialogue

Ann: [laughing] Ok I’ll stop writing books. [snickering from the audience]

Elizabeth: If you can’t write them without them (insults) then that’s fine.

Mathews: Why do you talk about Hillary’s chubby legs in your book ? [laughter from audience] Why do you ? I mean if it falls into the category of personal attacks I don’t know, but why do you do that ? Why do you talk about Monica Lewinsky’s chubbiness ? If she were skinny would it have been ok ?

Ann: Umm I don’t know read the sentence.

Mathews: I read the whole sentence, I couldn’t feel the context.

Ann: Well you have to give it to me, and I can explain..

Mathews: Why do you make fun of Hillary’s chubby legs ?

Ann: I don’t know you’re going to have to give me the sentence.

Mathews: [Sighing] we’ll be back and we’ll read the entire sentence. The full “intellectual context” will be coming to you in just a few moments

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/06/26/elizabeth-edwards-confronts-ann-coulter/