“In a lot of places, women have formed cabals to terrorize the men because they take advantage of, ‘Oh, we’re downtrodden. You’re kicking us in the teeth.’ … So, all of this whining about American women — ‘We don’t have this; we don’t have that’ — to me, I’m not real sympathetic. But I am a barbarian.“

After receiving an introduction from Mitt Romney, Ann Coulter took to the stage at CPAC, called John Edwards a “faggot”, and, later, apparently endorsed the Romney campaign. Why doesn’t this kind of thing ever seem to make media trouble for Republicans. I feel like any progressive even vaguely associated with the hint of impropriety faces massive pressure to “distance” himself, apologize, disavow his friends, etc.

Does Coulter speak for Mitt Romney? The list of Coulterisms is a long one and not, one would think, something Romney wants to embrace. But he’s been changing his mind about a lot of things lately, so maybe he’s now a Coulterite through-and-through. Doesn’t it seem like someone should at least ask?

The Denver Post reports, “A former White House official who ordered three activists expelled from a 2005 Denver public forum with President Bush says it was White House policy to exclude potentially-disruptive guests from Bush’s appearances nationwide.” The White House had previously claimed that the individual who removed the Denver Three was a “volunteer,” not the result of White House policy.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) “is challenging the Pentagon, which is attempting to block the former chief of Walter Reed Army Medical Center from testifying before Congress next week.” Waxman wants to ask Maj. Gen. George Weightman about a contract to manage the medical center awarded to a company that had documented troubles fulfilling a contract to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. Waxman’s staff has confirmed the congressman has issued his first subpoena to legally compel Weightman’s testimony.

Tim Griffin — a “37-year-old protege” of Karl Rove and the former research director of the Republican National Committee — has become the poster boy for the Bush administration’s politicization of the office of U.S. attorney.

On Feb. 15, Griffin suddenly announced that he had “made the decision not to let my name go forward to the Senate” for approval. Instead, he will serve indefinitely as an “interim” prosecutor. By avoiding Senate approval, Griffin will also avoid having to answer questions under oath about his role in a plan to supress Florida votes — primarily those of African-American servicemembers — in the 2004 election. From the LA Times, 10/28/04:

The Bush campaign is planning an election day effort to disrupt ballot casting by African Americans by challenging voters whose names are on a “caging list,” according to a British news report.

Citing an internal GOP e-mail with the subject line “caging,” the BBC reported Tuesday that Florida Republicans had a list of 1,886 names and addresses of voters in largely black and traditionally Democratic areas of Jacksonville. …

But African American leaders Wednesday called the list another “shameful” Republican effort to keep blacks from voting.

Yesterday, the public radio station KUAR in Arkansas aired an interview with Griffin, in which he denied involvement in this scheme. He called the report “patently false.”

Congressional sources tell ThinkProgress that the White House has decided not to proceed with the Griffin nomination because it would bring up questions about the 2004 caging scheme. If Griffin wasn’t involved, he should say that under oath. Congress and the public deserve the opportunity to question a U.S. attorney about his possible role in suppressing minority voters.

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Speaking today at the Conservative Political Action Conference, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter said: “I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so I — so kind of an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards.” Audience members said “ohhh” and then cheered.

Watch it:

UPDATE: Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA), prior to Coulter’s appearance: “I am happy to hear that after you hear from me, you will hear from Ann Coulter. That is a good thing. Oh yeah!”

UPDATE II: Previously, Coulter has put “even money” on Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) “[c]oming out of the closet,” said Bill Clinton shows “some level of latent homosexuality,” and called Vice President Al Gore a “total fag.”

UPDATE III: The Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese issues the following statement:

“We demand that every single Presidential candidate in attendance at this conference, along with Vice President Cheney stand up and publicly condemn this type of gutter-style politics,” continued Solmonese. “If not, then their silence will be deafening to the vast majority of Americans who believe this type of language belongs no where near the discussions about the future of our country.”

UPDATE IV: SadlyNo has more reaction to Coulter’s remarks, and Media Matters recommends questions the media should be asking.

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Defense Secretary Robert Gates has announced that Army Secretary Francis Harvey will resign. Gates said he is “disappointed that some in the Army have not adequately appreciated the seriousness of the situation pertaining to outpatient care at Walter Reed.”

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a 25-year-old soldier, re-enlisted and served another tour in Iraq in part to pay “for the health insurance to cover his wife’s medical bills.” Beardsley died Monday after a roadside bomb went off near his vehicle, one day after his wife left the hospital.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference yesterday, right-wing activist and anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist urged conservatives not to work to accomplish anything in the current Congress.

“Get married, develop a hobby, learn to belly dance, learn to golf — you know, we got two years free, but we gotta spend time and effort playing defense here,” Norquist said. “Our job is to say ‘no, no, no, no’ for two years.”

Norquist predicted, “People are gonna go, ‘oh maybe this bill isn’t as bad as it looks.’” But he warned, ” Don’t eat it, don’t swallow it, don’t touch it. Nothing good passes this Congress.” Watch it:

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