'Trash' Talking: Columnist Feels Backlash for Palin Comments

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record ," September 22, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Apparently a Canadian columnist who throws the first punch writing nasty insults about Governor Sarah Palin can't take it herself.

You may remember that we reported about columnist named heather Mallick who on the CBC Web site compared Governor Sarah Palin to a porn star and called Governor Palin's supporters white trash. As you know, I didn't think Mallick's gratuitous insults provoked good debate or serious scrutiny but simply made her look like a pig. I said it- she's a pig. Now Mallick is also taking the heat from other for what she wrote, and she doesn't like it. We have invited her to go "On the Record" any time she wants, and I will be polite to her, of course, but so far she declines our request. Joining us live from Toronto, Canada is David Warren, columnist for the "Ottawa Citizen." David, how is she taking this insult from me, this insult back?

DAVID WARREN, "OTTAWA CITIZEN": Let's start with what I hear up here is that, Greta, you have been very naughty indeed in using that three letter word.

This story is played differently up here from down there, quite naturally in somewhat. I was on a cross Canada radio show today. When it started I was asked the ambush question, which was "How can you defend Greta Van Susteren calling our Heather Mallick a pig?" I was expecting to be discussing Heather Mallick's comments instead.

I thought of an answer immediately, which I realized was undiplomatic, and moved on to giving a political answer, and then we got on with the rest of the interview.

VAN SUSTEREN: I would defend her right to say whatever she wants about me or about Governor Palin or anybody else, because I really do believe that people have first amendment rights-certainly they do in this country.

But I'm sort of struck by the victim nature, that she can dish it out, but she can't take. And even sort of the rallying around about her. I get called worse than pig every single day. You should see my e-mail inbox.

WARREN: I have an inbox like that, too.

VAN SUSTEREN: I'm stupid, I'm ugly, I'm all these things. I get that every single day. She worries about being called a pig because, frankly, she was a pig.

WARREN: I am supposed to confront you when you say that again according to my informants up here.

The amusing thing is when I read the Canadian press, so far as it has written about the story at all, it quotes Heather saying that the reaction from the United States is the proof that all of her remarks about white trash and so on are true. And then beyond that she starts playing the victim.

As I was just saying, I am used to this kind of thing in the inbox. It comes with being controversial in any way.

VAN SUSTEREN: What is her history?

WARREN: Her history is an interesting one. She comes from a very small town in northern Ontario, smaller even than Wasilla, Alaska.

One of the sad things about this is that to my view Heather Mallick can be a very talented and interesting writer when she is not talking about politics.

When you read her on her own background, when you read her about some subjects about which she has some expertise-shopping is one of them. She used to do a wonderful shopping column in one of the tabloids in Toronto. She is very entertaining and delightful in so many ways.

But as soon as anything vaguely right wing slides by her door, she comes right off the hinges.

VAN SUSTEREN: It is very interesting. I read on her bio that she is passionate about human rights. And I of course sarcastically think, yes, when they are human rights with which she agrees.

And you do not have to agree with the Governor Palin or Senator Obama, or whatever, but when your idea of provoking good debate is to have the gratuitous insults, frankly a good verbal punch back in the nose sometimes might strike some sense into someone. But she is now the victim, and I'm the ogre.

WARREN: I would like generally for sanity and civility to arise, but it is not the sort of thing that government can legislate.

Our problem up here in Canada, which I would have said two or three years ago, is that as free a country with as free speech as the United States, is that things are changing rapidly.

These human rights tribunals you've heard about where Mark Stein and other have been hauled up, have introduced a whole aspect of government legislation, what Kathy Shadle(ph), who has written a book on this subject called "The Tyranny of Nice," calls the legislative method to enforce good manners.

This isn't the way it's done. It's a cultural think, how we are going to legislate ourselves when we're speaking in debate, and it's something that goes beyond Democrat and Republican, or beyond Democrat and Republican or beyond conservative and liberal up here.

One of the problems that we have in a media which is as dominated by the left as it is in Canada, and I think even in the states to some degree, is that people Sarah Mallick and many others never get contradicted in their line of work. They never actually get any feedback from the other side.

And so naturally they are just overwhelmed when they receive the kind of stuff that they are dishing out. It would be much better for them to have more right-wing voices so that they go more used to give and take.

VAN SUSTEREN: The other interesting thing is she could have had fun with me and we could have gone back and forth. I would have taken a good joke about, in fact I would invite her here and we can laugh about it.

My only thought is that when you go, sometimes you dilute your own argument when you do that.

But, anyway, she is invited here. You're always invited back David. I would love to hear from her. She could come back on the air, and I will even let her call me pig, because they have a drinking game in the control room-every time I say "pig" they take a swig. I'm kidding.

Anyway, David, I have to go. Thank you.

WARREN: We should have a long argument about what are the correct animal analogies.

VAN SUSTEREN: That's a great idea, that's another time. Thank you, David.

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