This is a partial transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," June 15, 2006, that has been edited for clarity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Have you ever had sex with a liberal?
ANN COULTER, CONSERVATIVE AUTHOR: No.
LENO: Really?
COULTER: No.
LENO: You should try it, see what it's like, just...
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
COULTER: No. I read about it in Esquire, and it does not sound good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: All right. That was Ann Coulter on "The Tonight Show" last night, and this comes as we now learn today that Coulter's brand-new book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," will debut at No. 1 on The New York Times best-seller list on June 25th.
Ann Coulter, she now joins us from Los Angeles. Also joining us, Democratic strategist, FOX News contributor Mary Anne Marsh is back with us.
Ann, congratulations.
COULTER: Thank you.
HANNITY: All right, I was watching Leno, and I watch Leno all the time, and I love his show. And I just sat there thinking, "Hmm, he's asking if you've ever had sex with a liberal." And I'm thinking, "Wait a minute, if I ever asked a liberal pundit if they had sex with a conservative, I'd be excoriated." How does he get away with that?
COULTER: They'd say you're mean.
HANNITY: But you didn't think he was mean. You knew he was kidding around.
COULTER: Yes, it was funny. He's a comedian. It was funny.
HANNITY: All right, Mary Anne Marsh, does it bother you Ann Coulter's book is No. 1 in the New York Times?
MARY ANNE MARSH, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Actually, I think the more important number today, Sean, is the fact that 2,500 American soldiers have now lost their life on Iraq on the same day Ann's book is number one. So the fact that her book is number one...
HANNITY: Mary, they're two separate issues. I'm asking — let's talk about — you're here to talk about Ann's book. Do you think...
MARSH: You know what, Sean? If you'll let me finish my thought here. Of course, and I'm about to talk about Ann's book.
HANNITY: Very good.
MARSH: The fact that Ann's book is No. 1 is just further proof that the only person making money off a book that exploits 9/11 and religion for political purposes is Ann Coulter, and I think that leaves some people...
HANNITY: Have you read the book?
MARSH: You know, I've read all the parts that are available free online...
HANNITY: You read all the parts in the paper.
MARSH: ... so I want to thank Town Online, no, not the paper, straight out of online. I haven't bought the book. I don't want to buy the book and give Ann the money. If she wants to send me the book, I'm happy to read it, but there's plenty available online and I have read that. But it leaves a lot of people feeling that Ann really worships the almighty dollar more than the almighty, when you look at how she tackles...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: And Al Franken writing books attacking Rush Limbaugh, and conservatives, and Michael Moore, and they're not doing things that you would say similarly? You protect them. I don't remember or recall you attacking them for making money for writing a book.
MARSH: No, you know what? I didn't defend a lot of what Al Franken did. I think the more important here, Sean, is the fact that Ann has written this book in a way that really — it uses religion to sort of start a new holy war, by trying to divide political parties along the lines of religion, and that really is using religion to divide political people.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: ... intelligent discussion, because you didn't read the book, but you attack the book. And I always find that difficult to debate with.
But, Ann, one of the things you wanted to have happen here is you felt that the more controversial nature of the book was ignored by the media, and the fact is you are saying liberalism is a godless religion. You're glad to now move onto this decision.
COULTER: Right, but apparently liberals are cool with being called godless. That doesn't disturb them at all.
MARSH: I'm raising religion right now.
COULTER: I'm a little tired of liberals exploiting my book to get on TV and sell newspapers.
COLMES: That's why I get on TV, I know that. Hey, Ann, I have a follow-up to Jay Leno's question.
COULTER: Yes?
COLMES: Have you ever had sex with a conservative?
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: Oh, personal.
COLMES: All right. I'll give you a pass on that.
COULTER: Everybody's avoiding the "Godless" title.
COLMES: I see. All right.
MARSH: No, actually, I'm the one who's actually raised religion in this conversation and it really — the book really strikes as blood money, Ann. The fact that you're getting these...
(CROSSTALK)
COULTER: You don't know what you're talking about. You haven't read it.
MARSH: I've read plenty of chapters online, OK?
COULTER: Starting a holy way?
(CROSSTALK)
MARSH: Why don't you answer the questions, Ann, about how you're using religion to start a new holy war to help Republicans win elections?
COULTER: If you read the book, you'd realize that's a completely irrelevant question. OK, Alan...
(CROSSTALK)
MARSH: Well, the title is "Godless: The Church of Liberalism." How could that be irrelevant?
HANNITY: Let her answer.
COULTER: It's not exploiting religion. How is it exploiting religion? It's describing a religion.
COLMES: You talk, Ann, about...
MARSH: You called Episcopalians barely a religion in that book.
COULTER: Oh, I guess, "Miss I Haven't Read the Book" has paged through it a bit.
MARSH: I said that upfront I did.
COLMES: All right, Ann, let me get to the back of this point about how liberals exploit tragedy. And let me show you what the Republicans sold right after 9/11 as we headed toward election time.
And on the White House Web site, it says, "The photo of Bush calling Vice President Dick Cheney from Air Force One just hours after the terror attacks," part of a three-picture set the National Republican Senatorial Committee and its House counterpart promised to anybody that gives $150 or more to attend their joint fundraising dinner next month. How is that not exploiting a tragedy for political gain?
COULTER: That's been asked and answered 17 times on your program.
COLMES: That picture...
(CROSSTALK)
COULTER: He's the president, Alan.
COLMES: That's not the president. That's the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. That's not the president.
COULTER: If liberals were not so averse to reading, you would know that this is not a book about 9/11. I think there are four pages on 9/11.
COLMES: You're avoiding my question.
COULTER: This is a book — no, I'm not. I've answered it 17 times. He's the president. He's waging a war.
COLMES: That's not the president. That's the Senatorial Campaign Committee. That was not the president, Ann. That was the Republican committee.
COULTER: OK, I've asked and answered the question about the president. So, I confused it with the other 17 versions of this. To have — because the election was clearly about the war on terrorism.
COLMES: And they used it to get themselves reelected.
COULTER: Yes, of course...
(CROSSTALK)
COULTER: ... war on terrorism. And those senators don't turn around and say, "And don't respond to me because my husband died on 9/11 or my relative died on 9/11." The point is that you're not allowed to respond to victims, whether it's...
COLMES: Yes, you are. You just did.
COULTER: ... because they were Vietnam war veterans, blah, blah, blah. But that's four pages of the book, and I really wish liberals would turn the page to see the other things I say about them, because I think that's going to have you hopping mad, too.
HANNITY: All right. We'll get into some of that when we get back. We'll have more with Ann and Mary right after the break, Mary Anne.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLMES: We now continue with the author of "Godless," Ann Coulter, and Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh.
Ann, I'm curious to know how you and George Carlin got along in the green room at the "Tonight Show" last night?
COULTER: Very well, thank you.
COLMES: What did he say to you?
COULTER: I have loved Jay Leno and George Carlin forever. They were both very polite to me.
COLMES: That's lovely. I noticed Carlin didn't argue with you on the air. You didn't get into it in the green room with him, either, I guess, right?
COULTER: No, we had a very nice time together.
COLMES: You know he's a liberal?
COULTER: It was a great show to do, and I think they're both very funny, so it was great. I had a lot of fun doing the show.
COLMES: That's good to know. Back to the issue of using greed to make a political point, you invoked the loss of your friend, Barbara Olson, in a column you wrote right after 9/11, the one where you said, you know, America should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity.
And is that — you accused the 9/11 widows, the Jersey Girls, of enjoying the deaths of their husbands. Were you enjoying the death of your friend to make a political point in that column?
COULTER: No, this is as if you have read my book translated from the Urdu to German to French and back to English ago.
COLMES: That's a very good version. Don't knock it.
COULTER: Again, this has nothing to do with what I said in my book. No, I wrote a tribute to Barbara Olson and it is evidence that the two are molecular opposites from one another. No one didn't argue with me about my proposal, that I stand by, that I am more enthusiastic about, even today, that we invade their countries...
COLMES: That, what, invading their countries...
COULTER: ... kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity.
COLMES: And converting them to Christianity?
COULTER: The point of the liberal infallibility doctrine is to prevent people from arguing back. And it's all of a piece with liberals' simple refusal to engage in ideas and debate, because you keep losing arguments.
COLMES: How can you accuse...
COULTER: I'm sitting in the FOX — if I could just mention this — I'm sitting in the FOX studio in L.A. I don't know why there's a copy of Newsweek here rather than Human Events.
But here it is, new Newsweek, describing Ann Coulter as saying 9/11 widows enjoyed their death. Now, that is simply a lie. That is a lie. If you can't deal with the facts and you refuse to say what the argument is, I think that shows a little lack of confidence in your position, and it certainly shows a complete lack of understanding about how Americans can find out the truth these days. It is not the mainstream media monopoly it was 10 years ago.
HANNITY: Mary Anne Marsh, she's talking about four specific people who have come pretty close to blaming — pretty much blamed the president for the death of their husbands.
COULTER: They did blame him.
HANNITY: Cindy Sheehan, who called the president a lying, filthy bastard, and a Nazi, and a Fuhrer, excuse me, and John Murtha who goes out there — he's an ex-Marine, but he accuses our Marines of killing civilians in cold blood. And she's saying they're being used as shields by the Democrats, put out there.
Is that point well taken? Is that true? Once they're out there and they have that position, you can't criticize them. That's the point she's making.
MARSH: No. You know, the great thing about this country, Sean, is people can say and write whatever they want and people can respond however they choose. And the fact here is Ann's using religion and an example of 9/11 to exploit it to make money. I mean, basically what she's engaged in with this book is sectarian violence, just like in Iraq.
HANNITY: Well, how do you know her motives? Do you read her — how do you know her motives are about money?
MARSH: Sean, Sean, Sean...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: What makes you think it's about money, Mary Anne?
MARSH: Because, well, first of all, she's number one. She's the only one making money off of this book...
COULTER: That shows I'm popular.
MARSH: ... not the widows, and the orphans, and the injured who lost their loved ones on 9/11 who are making money right now. It's Ann Coulter.
(CROSSTALK)
MARSH: The fact that she's using this to launch a holy war for political purposes...
HANNITY: Holy war?
MARSH: ... is the same thing — no, it is.
HANNITY: Are you saying jihad?
MARSH: That's exactly what she's engaging in. Well, you know what, Sean? I love the fact that every time you can't argue with me, you interrupt me. So let's talk about the facts here.
HANNITY: You don't make any sense, Mary Anne, with all due respect.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: You never answer a question.
MARSH: I'm stating the facts here. Ann is exploiting religion and the tragedy of 9/11 to make money.
COLMES: Unfortunately...
MARSH: That's it, pure and simple, and that's blood money. And anyone will tell you that.
COLMES: I hate to interrupt either of you, but we've got to take a break. We thank you both very much.
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