Coulter Crossed the Line This Time, Critic Says

Ann Coulter has gone too far this time, says LA Times media critic Tim Rutten. Reacting with outrage at the conservative firebrand's statements may be playing into her game, but after her remark on CNBC that Jews must be "perfected" into Christians, it's necessary, he says. Coulter's comment is anti-Semitism masquerading as political commentary, and it's dangerous, Rutten writes.

Her statement illustrates a broader trend, in which "brutal" partisan politics are bleeding into everyday life and eroding a tolerant civil society. And the worst part? She wasn't even trying to ignite controversy. "It is fair to say that the rails leading to Auschwitz were greased by precisely the opinion Coulter expressed on American television," writes Rutten. (More Ann Coulter stories.)