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Coulter on DeLay scandal:

Reporters and liberals "want it to be against the law to be a Republican, and they would like us in Guant�namo"

Defending former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) on the September 28 edition of Fox News' DaySide, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter attacked reporters and liberals, claiming that "they want it to be against the law to be a Republican, and they would like us in Guant�namo." Her comments were made in the context of discussing, with DaySide co-hosts Mike Jerrick and Juliet Huddy, a question that a reporter posed to White House press secretary Scott McClellan: "Is the President concerned that there's a stench of corruption around the Republican establishment in Washington?" "The stench of corruption means Republicans are in power," Coulter said. Later, she claimed, "They want us all in Guant�namo. And, by the way, I want to say, if you're a Republican in Washington and you haven't been indicted, you're doing something wrong."

Coulter also said the accusations against DeLay are minor compared to the Monica Lewinsky scandal: "They had a president getting oral love from an intern on Easter Sunday in the Oval Office, and what they have on DeLay is which account a campaign contribution went into."

From the September 28 edition of Fox News' DaySide:

HUDDY: We also have Ann Coulter, who is champing at the bit to jump out on this one. The stench of corruption, did you hear that one?

JERRICK: That's from a journalist, an objective journalist -- from a reporter's question earlier at a White House briefing

HUDDY: Oh, but you're talking about the Republican Party. I'm sure you've got some comments on that.

COULTER: The stench of corruption means Republicans are in power. They had a president getting oral love from an intern on Easter Sunday in the Oval Office, and what they have on DeLay is which account a campaign contribution went into.

JERRICK: Conversely, though, the House GOP caucus rule requiring the majority leader to step down if indicted could be part of a self-preservation mode. If he is going to have, you know, what some -- some people call stench on him, he can say, "I have to step down, it's a rule," instead of saying, "Well, I need to get out of the picture here because it's bad for my other friends here who are running mid-term elections."

HUDDY: Taking a little of the spotlight.

COULTER: Right. That's true. I'm just always very hesitant to be referring to a stench rather than a conviction, because there's always a stench around Republicans, whether -- I mean, as long as there are enough liberals to scream corruption, there's always going to be a stench.

JERRICK: You smell pretty good today.

COULTER: Thank you.

JERRICK: I don't know what perfume it is, but it's fantastic.

COULTER: This is no different from the prosecutor going after Rush Limbaugh and every ruling that comes out goes against the prosecutor. This is just going -- they want it to be against the law to be a Republican, and they would like us in Guant�namo.

HUDDY: Ann, stay with us, if you don't mind. Do you mind sitting here for a second?

COULTER: I would love to.

HUDDY: And the culture of corruption according to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi D-CA; the stench of corruption according to a -- or suggested by one of the media. Final thoughts?

COULTER: They want us all in Guant�namo. And, by the way, I just want to say, if you're a Republican in Washington, if you haven't been indicted, you're doing something wrong.

JERRICK: But it does not help -- I mean, three times admonished by the House Ethics Committee, Tom DeLay was. I mean, this is just perfect fodder for anybody running against a Republican.

COULTER: What were the admonishments for? Was that the travel that it turned out that they've all gone on?

JERRICK: Still, you know how that becomes a blur in political debates.

COULTER: That's the way liberals operate, stench, corruption, corruption. Jerrick holds How to Talk To a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter next to her Oh yes, buy the book.