Exclusive! Ann Coulter on her Time Cover

This is a partial transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," April 19, 2005, that has been edited for clarity.

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ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Time magazine's cover this week proclaims Ann Coulter "Ms. Right," but does Ann think Time magazine got it right?

Joining us now, in her first interview since the magazine appeared, Ann Coulter.

Congratulations.

ANN COULTER, CONSERVATIVE AUTHOR: Thank you.

COLMES: I thought it was a great puff piece. But I understand you're not too happy with the cover. What's the problem?

COULTER: Well, liberals have nearly two years before the next election. And I think they might want to come up with something other than throwing pies and running bad photos before then. I haven't read the article. I was thinking of it, but I kind of stopped at the photo.

COLMES: You didn't like the photo. But you know, it's interesting, the same photographer — I'm going to put on the screen — did a photo of Bill Clinton for the cover of Esquire. And you claimed, I understand, that you felt that the some of you was distorted in that photo.

And Clinton had a very similar, stylistically, photo in Esquire. That's what's on the screen now. So it can't be just because you're a conservative, right?

COULTER: Well, they are different magazines. I don't think they are similar. My feet are the size of the Atlantic Ocean, and my head is the size of a tiny little ant. I don't think the problem is the photographer or that it's the same photographer taking the picture. I'm sure the photographer took a lot of good pictures, too.

I know the last photographer of Time magazine took a lot of good pictures. But I mean, for conservatives worried that the influence of FOX News would start a mainstream-media love fest with conservatives, I think we don't have to worry about that.

COLMES: Well, Bill Clinton's arms are not nearly as long as they are in the Esquire picture. So I didn't hear him complaining. They left out...

(CROSSTALK)

COULTER: Well, on my Web page, I have shown what the Time magazine cover of Hillary Clinton would look like with a similar fish-eye lens, as well as a photo of the photo editor at Time magazine.

COLMES: I thought they gave some of your kinder quotes in there — not some of your biggest hits, you know, like, "I think a baseball bat's the most effective ways to go after liberals;" you only regret that Timothy McVeigh — here on the anniversary, by the way, of the Oklahoma bombing — did not go to The New York Times building.

They left that stuff out. Isn't that some of your greatest stuff?

COULTER: As I told you, I haven't read the article and I'm not going to. I'm in a perfectly good mood. I don't want to read it and get ticked off, and have it be ruined.

COLMES: It's a good article. It's good. It's pro-Ann Coulter. What's the problem? It's a puff piece.

COULTER: I have gotten mixed reviews. But I must say, either it's accurate, and I don't really need to read it. I am the world's foremost authority on Ann Coulter. I don't like to brag about that.

Or it's inaccurate, and it's just going to ruin my mood. So you know, I saw the photo. That's enough for me. And I think there are probably more cover photos with Bill Clinton. I mean, to make that comparison...

(CROSSTALK)

COULTER: I didn't notice the distortion. And I would also say that — go on to another point.

COLMES: You can't criticize the liberal media — if you don't read the article, you can't criticize them.

COULTER: I will also say that, I mean, for 20 years — I didn't criticize the article. I'm not going to read it.

HANNITY: Hey, Ann, it's Sean. Let me interrupt you for a second...

COULTER: For 20 years, we kept hearing about — OK.

SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Ann, first of all — only because we're on a little delay here. Let me just point out, Ann, first of all, it's not a flattering photo. And you have got to believe it's done purposely.

But I will say this. I did read the piece. And one thing, for all of the — there's a couple of things that really stood out. Number one, this guy understood that Ann Coulter's funny and has a sense of humor, that you don't want to be liked by liberals, you never have. And number two, when it comes to national security or it comes to the defense of our troops, those aren't joking matters. Doesn't that really capture a big part of you?

COULTER: On your description, it does. Like I say, I have gotten mixed reviews from my friends.

But I wanted to go back to one point about the photo. I mean, this is — for 20 years, we kept hearing, "Oh, no, the media isn't liberal. They're not liberal. They're just trying to sell newspapers, just trying to sell newspapers."

Well, you know, a hundred years of Madison Avenue advertising suggests that it's not a good idea to put an elongated funhouse photo of a girl next to — if you're trying to sell a car or toothpaste. Just a month ago, Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair said no more men on the covers. We're going to put attractive photos of females.

So apparently, Time magazine is willing to sell fewer magazines in order to run an unflattering photo of a conservative.

So much for, "they're just trying to sell newspapers."

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Let me ask you this. I remember asking you at the time, because you agreed to be interviewed by the Time magazine reporter. And I have got to be honest. If Time magazine said they wanted to interview me, I don't trust them. And I would probably say no. Why did you agree to the interview, and then won't read the piece?

COULTER: I had heard he was a fair reporter. Unlike you, I don't have a radio show. I don't have a TV show. But, OK, I have learned my lesson. I will be interviewed by George Gurley and Jonathan Freedland.

And by the way, Jonathan Freedland writes for The Guardian in London. It's a very liberal paper. They quote me accurately, but that's it.

COLMES: All right.

It's a good piece, though, Ann. I think you would actually be pleased if you read it. I wanted to be more angry, but I wasn't. It was a good piece on you.

COULTER: Yes, but you think the photo looks good.

COLMES: I think it's similar to what they did to Bill Clinton, the same photographer.

Anyway, thanks for being with us tonight.

HANNITY: Thank you.

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