Ann

It turns out that several newspaper's cancelled Ann Coulter's columns during her recent, several weeks-long promotion of her new book. Ann was repeatedly making an issue of accusations that her book unfairly bashes the widows of 9/11 victims -- thereby drumming up interest in the book itself.

The column cancellations represent a victory for journalistic standards (and decency), but are now being called censorship by the Radical Right. How strange... a free press for me, but not for thee? More likely they don't mind censorship, as long as they get to control the censoring.

Some newspapers are now holding local polls asking readers whether to continue Ann Coulter's column at all. In Decatur, Illinois, where they have recently published a(n extreme) weekly Right/Left face-off, with Molly Ivins on the left side of the editorial page and Ann Coulter on the right, the editor is now asking his readers whether he should cancel one or the other, neither, or both. Canceling them both is currently leading the pool with 36%.

Support for canceling both Ivins and Coulter may indicate a sea change in what ails America; a renewed effort for a more moderate political environment in the making.