Laura Ingraham vs. Feminist Over Attacks on Miss California

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," May 1, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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LAURA INGRAHAM, GUEST HOST: In the "Culture War" segment tonight: By now, everybody in the world knows the story of Miss California. Carrie Prejean lost her crown probably because she voiced her opposition to gay marriage. But now, to add insult to injury, she is becoming the target of some reprehensible far left attacks you've ever seen. As we told you in the memo. Joining us now from New York is Gloria Feldt, a feminist who runs the Web site, gloriafeldt.com.

And Gloria, I said this today on my radio show. I said this woman, Carrie Prejean, was savaged last night on MSNBC by Michael Musto, who is a gay writer apparently for The Village Voice, and the MSNBC host, savaged in the most personal, vicious way about her physique and her sexual organs. References were made to that. And I am thinking to myself, where are the feminists? Are feminists not going to say, wait a second. You do not go there with a young woman. This is way out of bounds of even minimal standards of decency.

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GLORIA FELDT, GLORIAFELDT.COM: Let me say, Laura, that first of all, I have been the butt of that same kind of attack from the right so many times that I used to be five inches taller. And I have developed very thick skin and I think even from the likes of you. That having been said...

INGRAHAM: No, no, no, no, no, no. No. Gloria. Gloria.

FELDT: That having been said, let me say that in regard to feminism.

INGRAHAM: No. No. No. We're not going to - Laura, you've got to stop.

FELDT: Let me answer your question, please.

INGRAHAM: No. I am not going to let you finish. No. No. No.

FELDT: Feminism is about equality and justice.

INGRAHAM: We're not going to do it, Gloria. No. No. Gloria. Gloria. The filibuster is not going to work here. Filibuster is not going to work here. I do not believe I have ever uttered your name before. I do not think so. If I have I am just forgetting. I have never said anything approaching the viciousness and the hatefulness of what was said last night about this young woman. And frankly, if I had said something about a young woman who came forward and made her point about being pro-choice or pro-gay marriage, I would probably be off the air. So I think you...

FELDT: I think that is great. And I think Musto was over the top. I am not defending what he said.

INGRAHAM: That would have been nice. What would be nice if — thank you. We heard from feminists that this kind of attack against a young woman who holds the majority view in our country and who was just answering a question honestly — feminists should be screaming about this.

FELDT: May I answer you now, Laura?

INGRAHAM: Just don't malign me in the process. Go ahead.

FELDT: OK. If I may answer you now, let me just say that feminism is about justice and equality. I think that what Ms. Prejean needs is perhaps a heart transplant rather than the breast implant that she had paid for by the pageant.

INGRAHAM: So you are attacking her looks.

FELDT: No, this is true.

INGRAHAM: Why did you just say that? This is unbelievable.

FELDT: I think now she is fair game. She is now fair game because she is a national spokesperson for a group that opposes marriage equality.

INGRAHAM: This is great! A feminist is attacking a woman for how she looks. This is great. You guys have come full circle here in the United States of America. Now it is OK for feminists to ridicule women for the way they look.

FELDT: I did not ridicule her, nor do I know of another feminist who did.

INGRAHAM: You just did by implication. You said she needs a brain transplant rather than a breast transplant.

FELDT: I'm sorry, I said a heart transplant.

INGRAHAM: Why did you bring up her breast implants?

FELDT: Feminism is about justice and equality. Now that she has become a national spokesperson for a group that actively opposes marriage equality. She has unfortunately become fair game. She has put herself out there. I respect her for doing that. She is entitled to her opinion.

INGRAHAM: She's fair game all right.

FELDT: She has to know that when she puts herself out there, just as I have in my own past, you are subject to the most vitriolic kinds of attacks. That is what happens.

INGRAHAM: Gloria, I do not think she would refer to any physical attributes that you have or do not have in responding to why she believes that traditional marriage, as President Obama believes, as former President Clinton believes, as most democrats who ran for the presidency, the nomination believe. So I do not think she would refer to your physical appearance.

FELDT: We do not know that.

INGRAHAM: And I think referencing hers is a little odd. She answered a question truthfully. For that, she has been viciously savaged, not substantively, but viciously, personally savaged. That's the whole point.

FELDT: But let's look of the substance of it. She herself said she understands why gay rights activists have responded so strongly. In an interview she said she understood that they felt hurt. That is why I said I think she needs a heart transplant.

INGRAHAM: She forgave them.

FELDT: I think it would be much better if she were to think about how to bring equality and justice rather than trying to prevent some people from exercising their own civil rights to be who they are. You know, I actually think...

INGRAHAM: Gloria, basically you can't have this view — your view is if you are among the majority of Americans who believe in traditional marriage, if you are in that majority, you basically do not have a heart.

FELDT: Actually, the latest polls say the majority of Americans support civil unions. So the actual public opinion is trending toward.

INGRAHAM: That's different from marriage. You are not answering the question, Gloria.

FELDT: I am telling you are wrong in your data of what you said.

INGRAHAM: You are saying the majority of Americans don't support traditional marriage?

FELDT: The majority of Americans may support traditional marriage, but they also support gay unions and gay rights. They're becoming more and more open and tolerant to people...

INGRAHAM: So you're comfortable with that. Waging an actual debate. Instead of saying, look, I hope Carrie Prejean sees that in my view, your view, there are civil rights implications here, making marriage acceptable to of the people. Make the substantive case. I have heard that case and it is an interesting debate. Doing that is fine. But standing by as a feminist and basically giving the nod and the OK to say she is quote "fair game," referencing her breast implants as you did in this show, which I am shocked about, how was that a feminist thing to do? I can't believe it, Gloria.

FELDT: Feminism, as I said, is about equality and justice. The position she is taking is actually in opposition to freedom and justice and equality for a whole group of Americans. And frankly, she was seeking to represent our country…

INGRAHAM: No she wasn't.

FELDT: …which is a large and diverse country in a global competition.

INGRAHAM: But they can't disagree with you.

FELDT: I think she is entitled to her opinion.

INGRAHAM: She can't disagree with her. No, she can't.

FELDT: She has to take the consequences of having her opinion.

INGRAHAM: She knows, believe me, Gloria, she knows now she cannot look to feminist as a woman speaking her mind in public. She is not allowed to have those thoughts. I appreciate it.

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