June 8, 2006
Clinton Calls Comments on Widows Mean-Spirited
By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
WASHINGTON, June 7 — Hillary Rodham Clinton assailed the conservative commentator Ann Coulter on Wednesday for engaging in a "vicious, mean-spirited attack" on a group of 9/11 widows and in turn drew fire herself.
In a new book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," Ms. Coulter accuses the women — who pushed the Bush White House to create a commission to investigate the government's failures before the 9/11 attacks — of being "self-obsessed" and acting "as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them."
"I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much," Ms. Coulter writes, according to The Associated Press.
"And by the way, how do we know their husbands weren't planning to divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they better hurry up and appear in Playboy," The Daily News quoted the book as saying.
In taking on Ms. Coulter, Mrs. Clinton joined a chorus of critics — including relatives of Sept. 11 victims and politicians from both parties — who expressed outrage over the remarks.
Mrs. Clinton, who has been a target of Ms. Coulter's through the years, responded sharply when asked by reporters for her reaction to the author's views. "I know a lot of the widows and family members who lost loved ones on 9/11," she said. "They never wanted to be a member of a group that is defined by the tragedy of what happened."
Mrs. Clinton went on to say that she thought it was "unimaginable that anyone in the public eye could launch a vicious, mean-spirited attack on people whom I've known over the last four and a half years to be concerned deeply about the safety and security of our country.
"Perhaps her book should have been called 'Heartless,' " Mrs. Clinton said.
Asked to respond to Mrs. Clinton, Ms. Coulter sent an e-mail message claiming that Bill Clinton had grossly mistreated women. "Before criticizing others for being 'mean to women,' perhaps Hillary should talk to her husband," her e-mail message said in part.
Criticisms of Ms. Coulter's book on Wednesday came from Republicans as well. Gov. George E. Pataki of New York was harshly critical of Ms. Coulter's comments. "I was really stunned and I don't think it's at all fair or accurate," Mr. Pataki said, according to The Associated Press.
Ms. Coulter's attacks in the book were aimed at four New Jersey widows — Kristen Breitweiser, Lorie Van Auken, Mindy Kleinberg and Patty Casazza — known in Washington for their political activities, including pushing for the 9/11 commission and seeking more rigorous security measures.
The women issued a joint statement. "We have been slandered," the women said, according to The Associated Press. "Contrary to Ms. Coulter's statements, there was no joy in watching men that we loved burn alive. There was no happiness in telling our children that their fathers were never coming home again. We adored these men and miss them every day."
From NY Times