All Hail Reno, The Great Unifier.
Posted on 03/11/2005 8:11:17 AM PST by twas
Two political and oratory opposites clashed on the stage of Alumni Arena Thursday, as former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno faced off against political pundit Ann Coulter.
The event, part of the Distinguished Speaker Series, brought two radically different personalities together. Coulter, conservative and outspoken, received both wild applause and jeers throughout the debate with the liberal and reserved Reno.
The topic of the debate, which was moderated by WBFO's Mike Scott, was the unification of America while facing issues like terrorism and Social Security. Coulter was quick to stir up the audience with her loud and extroverted mannerisms, and her suggestion that America might be better off divided.
Coulter pointed to the time after Sept. 11 when Democrats did not, as she sees it, join with Republicans to protect America.
"I thought liberals might join with us on that," Coulter said. "But I was wrong."
Coulter hammered home the success of the recent elections in Iraq, citing the different naysayers who she believes have been proven wrong. Among the targets were U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and former President Jimmy Carter.
"They (Iraqis) believed in their own future, but American liberals didn't," Coulter said.
Reno offered a message of unification during her opening statement, asking for compromise and deliberation between the parties. She noted former Republican President Dwight Eisenhower as a president who understood the need for cooperation.
"I would like to have a thoughtful conversation on what we can do to bring America together," Reno said.
Among the topics of interest for Reno were national security, public education and health care.
Reno also maintained a sense of humor about personal attacks that have come against her in the past, including a reference to her appearance on Saturday Night Live and Coulter's jibes at Reno in her last book.
"It keeps you humble," Reno said.
Following the opening remarks and rebuttals, audience members were able to submit questions for the debate. Answers from Reno and Coulter often threw the crowd into an uproar for or against either side.
"I'm feeling a lot of love from the Democrats," Coulter joked. Coulter noted the lack of jeering for Reno, when asked about her own abrasive stance. "I don't think it's my side that needs to stop behaving like children."
Throughout the debate, Reno called for unity.
"We cannot let politics ruin this nation," she said.
One audience question addressed whether the debaters thought the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion should be overturned.
Coulter said it is exactly because of the abortion issue that the fight for the next Supreme Court justices will be World War III. Coulter said she would rather see the decision go to the people.
"I just want to vote on abortion," she said.
Reno said she doesn't think it will be overturned.
Other questions ranged from why liberals are embarrassed to be called such, and if there will be a woman president on the 2008 ballot.
"There will be a woman president within my lifetime," Reno said.
While a high number of students who came out for the event said they were pleased to participate in the political discourse, many had mixed and divided reactions to the speakers themselves.
"I disliked Coulter's partisan arguments, as they lacked in substance," said Steve Niezgoda, a junior political science major. "Reno kept her dignity and maintained her focus on uniting the nation."
"I was disappointed in Reno's brevity and lack of rhetoric," said Caitlin DeMay, a sophomore psychology major. "She didn't say anything profound to me. She didn't seem to take a side."
Reno, in addition to serving as the nation's top law enforcement official, was also elected State Attorney General of Florida five times. Coulter has authored four different bestsellers, including the recent "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1360807/posts
These are two different sources.
One is The Buffalo News and the other is the campus newspaper, The Spectrum.
Well, at Waco she united them all, in death.
All Hail Reno, The Great Unifier.
Whenever you hear a lib say:
"I would like to have a thoughtful conversation on what we can do to bring America together," Reno said"
You should replace that with:
"We are smarter than you. We know whats good for you. Do what we tell you. Start by giving us your money."
Hmmm, maybe it'll be Ann Coulter - President Coulter has a nice ring to it.
Did Reno promote unity in Florida when she sent a swat team in to steal a child from his family in favor of a Communist dictator?
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