Topic: NewsBusters
The latest in the Media Research Center's Ann-Coulter-is-a-victim meme:
-- Geoffrey Dickens referenced Chris Matthews' "now infamous, staging of the Ann Coulter vs. Elizabeth Edwards throwdown."
-- Matthew Sheffield referenced "Chris Matthews's ambush of Ann Coulter."
In fact, it wasn't an "ambush"; Coulter knew in advance that Edwards might call. From today's "Hardball":
DAVID SHUSTER (correspondent): So, how did the Ann Coulter-Elizabeth confrontation happen? Before Tuesday's "Hardball" appearance, MSNBC promoted that viewer comments and questions would be part of the program.
TAMMY HADDAD ("Hardball" executive producer): The Edwards campaign called to ask if it was possible that Elizabeth could talk to Ann Coulter live on the air, and we told them yes.
SHUSTER: In turn, Haddad had a conversation with Coulter.
HADDAD: I talked to Ann before the show and told her that we had gotten a call from the Edwards campaign and that Elizabeth might call in, and she was fine with it.
UPDATE: Here's the transcript.