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Aug 1, 2003 Ann Coulter doesn’t just do research, she plays LexisNexis like Yo-Yo Ma plays cello. Ann Coulter doesn’t just nail down an argument; she hammers the stake in like Christopher Lee would finish off Dracula, complete with sledgehammer, garlic, and silver cross left hanging over the grim corpse. She lambastes, she lampoons, she tramples, she eviscerates, and she destroys every obstacle in her path of reasoning. She is a female Clint Eastwood with a word processor for a gun. “Treason”, her newest book, is therefore not for the faint of heart (read: bleeding-heart liberal). In this tome, Coulter goes after 50- odd years of liberal icons and myths with her razor-sharp wit while seeking to renovate the reputation of Senator Joe McCarthy. Even the New York Times cannot fault her source material. Ann Coulter comes to the reader thoroughly prepared to make her point. There are typically three classes of potential readers of Ann Coulter. There are, of course, the staunch conservatives (VRCs, you know who you are!) who will find “Treason” to be informative and often wildly hilarious. I laughed until I literally cried on a couple of occasions while reading the book. Coulter takes a few shots at clueless Hollywood celebrities and out of-work politicians to great effect. But make no mistake, she has a serious point to make, and she makes it. The liberal media and the schools have presented a warped history to the public concerning communists and those favoring communists over the years. Coulter tries to set things right. The casual reader who is not particularly either liberal or conservative politically is bound to be surprised by the book. This is not the history we learned in school, in the papers and magazines or on college campuses. I suspect many a reader will be inspired to do research on their own to follow up on what the author presents to them. I think many such readers will find themselves laughing in parts of the book as well. It is the dyed-in-the-wool liberal that will have trouble finishing “Treason”. The book tears down so many left-wing idols that the confirmed liberal will grimace in pain. The humor is just this side of vicious to liberal sensibilities. I can picture a left-wing Democrat getting white-hot angry while reading Ann’s take on Jimmy Carter or in the places where she lampoons someone like Kate Moss. But how about the facts as they are presented? This is the bitterest pill of all to swallow; the facts laid out and well-researched that call into question the motives and mindset of Democratic leaders from FDR until today. One can expect most liberals will just pull their blanket over their heads until the “bad book goes away”. “Treason” is an amazing book that is a must- read for anyone who loves America. It challenges common beliefs about Joe McCarthy and the so-called “communist witch-hunts” of the 1950s. It is one of those books that will not make you rich, bring you a mate or give you spiritual healing. It will require readers to think and hopefully inspire many to take our country’s political processes more seriously. I have to give Ann Coulter 9 and ¾ stars on a scale of 10 for “Treason”. (Ann, you lose ¼ point for calling the French “Vichy” more than three times in one book, sorry! They are just too easy a target for you!) 
------------ About the author Kimbal Ross Binder: Erstwhile gym-rat, former independent driven by disgust for the Democratic Party into the arms of the Republicans, current parent and expert at puns, jokes that make people groan and eating Debbie's cooking. Mr Binder lives out in the boondocks of NW Indiana. Email Kimbal Ross Binder: radar@eternalisp.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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