Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesThe liberal media elite has run afoul of Ann Coulter yet again. Well, that didn't take long.
The lightning-rod conservative pundit is crying conspiracy—liberal media elite conspiracy, that is—over her last-minute cancellation from this morning's edition of the Today show. She claims her new book's inflammatory, right-leaning rhetoric, and not, as NBC insists, the little matter of devoting more air time to the ever-worsening Middle East conflict, was the reason for her abrupt bump.
"I guess this ends the 'they just want to get ratings' argument about liberal media bias," Coulter grouses on her website.
Coulter was due to appear on the first and fourth hours of Today to promote her new book, Guilty: Liberal 'Victims' and Their Assault on America, and while the Drudge Report yesterday upped the conspiracy ante, breathlessly reporting that Coulter has been permanently banned from the show, NBC News says hooey.
"We've had Ann Coulter on Today many times, but because of the news in Washington and the Middle East, we decided to cancel her appearance tomorrow," the network said Monday. "Understanding the media as well as she does, we are sure she knows this happens from time to time. We look forward to welcoming her back in the future."
Coulter will instead appear on CBS' Early Show this morning to promote her new tome and no doubt continue to bash NBC, as she did on last night's edition of Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes.
"I know the whole thing was a setup to block me from other TV shows," she said. "I think if my book does well I can buy NBC."
In lieu of Coulter's appearance this morning, Today featured an interview with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair about his Middle East peacekeeping missions, a rundown of President-elect Barack Obama's economic stimulus package and—this one's really gotta hurt—an interview with Perez Hilton.