Coulter: Payback Time for Palin vs. McCain

Firebrand conservative commentator Ann Coulter says she hopes Sarah Palin uses her forthcoming book to get "payback" against the McCain campaign for the way it treated Palin, McCain's running mate during the 2008 presidential campaign.

The Associated Press, which bought a copy of the book, reports that, in it, Palin confirms reports of tension between her aides and McCain's, and that she writes about the "jaded aura" of professional campaign aides, and how McCain's entourage limited her access to the media-- leading many to think that she was avoiding reporters.

Coulter made her remark on "The Early Show" Friday -- the day after the release of brief excerpts of Palin's interview on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" about Palin's book, "Going Rogue," which is due out Tuesday.

"The tension and the conflict between her and this campaign (appears to have been) formidable," co-anchor Harry Smith said.

"Right," Coulter responded. "And, wow, I hope she pays them back in this book, and I can't wait to read it. No, I mean, (Ariz. Sen. John) McCain -- he was the media's favorite Republican. So, any criticism his side made of Palin was instantly printed, and now we finally get the payback. And I'm looking forward to it."

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Coulter also says she has "no idea" if Palin intends to seek the presidency," but Palin "has a massive fan base. This book has been No. 1 on Amazon since it was announced. It isn't out yet, and we're talking about it. So she has a popular appeal. I'm sure she'll campaign for other Republicans if she wants to run for office in three years or 11 or 15. Who knows?

" ... I think she's -- right now, we just see her promoting this book and having massive -- I mean, she sends out a Twitter post on the 'death panels' (some observers claim was in proposed health care reform legislation) and suddenly, that's all everyone's talking about, and it gets the death panel killed. That's a little Twitter post when she's just sitting in her kitchen. She has massive influence. What she does with that, I don't know."

Coulter cautioned that, "It's not like I'm supporting her for president. I don't know who our president is going to be. I don't know if conservatives do. I think she is a very powerful voice for conservativism and wow, she has a lot of appeal out in America. And the camera loves her. I think that has a lot to do with the hatred for her. I think any liberal male took his life in his hands for saying, 'Well, I'd never vote for her, but, boy, she's attractive!' "

Coulter called Palin an "authentic American, the way most members of the media are not, that certainly (New York Times columnists) Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd do not represent the average American. She has a blue collar, union card-holding husband. She can go and be comfortable in very many parts of the country where Maureen Dowd and Frank Rich would never deign to visit, much less be comfortable."