George,

Many years ago, during the "communist under every bed" era, a book hit the market under the title, "None Dare Call it Treason"; it was a publication whose principal theme was based on a collection of lies, distortions, half truths, guilt by association and outright smears.

Almost exclusively, the targets were Democrats, in general, liberals in particular or just about anyone who disagreed with the author, John A. Stormer. Conspiracies abounded. Traitors were everywhere.

I understand, some twenty-six years later, he has issued a revision, of which I am not familiar. The original publication sold several million copies.

Now, Ann Coulter has a screed, in book form, which closely parallels the "style" of Stormer, except it is far worse, if that is possible! It is a diatribe of vitriol and spew that is sickening. As I scanned the book, I was almost of the mind that it had to be satire.

Nothing as untruthful, or inaccurate could possibly pass for intelligent discourse.

Her hatred is palpable...it is so biased as to be (almost) comical. She gives new meaning to the word partisan.

The word liberal becomes a foul obscenity in her vicious, unending attack on, you guessed it, ANYONE who disagrees with her distorted, shallow view of foreign policy, war, the economy or anything within her purview. Her favorite "voodoo doll" is, of course, former president Clinton, followed closely by another ex Democratic president, Jimmy Carter. As was the case of Stormer, Coulter's book's nightmarish view of the loyal opposition is on the national best seller list.

She is the darling of the extreme right wing, Fox News and the Bush Administration. Her fans number in the millions, and, like Rush Limbaugh, her follower think she can do no wrong.

The overpowering propaganda machine of the political right has all but drowned the voice of the moderate center, liberal commentators and reasonable Americans. Everywhere!

Coulter is just one of the many worst of the worst examples of the the perversity of extremism that infects our land like an insidious virus. The polls if they are to be taken with any seriousness, indicate that Bush still enjoys the support of some 56% of the populace and, if recent news articles mean anything, his support, after dropping sharply, has stabilized! Where are the authors who might, with reasonable success, make the best seller list with an honest, accurate appraisal of this Administration's malfeasance and failures?

The evidence is widespread.

Maybe the book should be called, "None Dare Call Him a Liar or How Everyone in The White House, Except the Janitor and The President, Knew".

Harry Tenney (electronic mail, August 13, 2003)