Well, it looks like we all owe Ann Coulter an apology.
Mere hours after raising eyebrows and generating headlines by seemingly calling Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.) a "douchebag," the conservative pundit appeared on "The Joy Behar Show" to set the record straight.
Also read: Was Ann Coulter Censored by MSNBC for John McCain Insult? (Video)
No, Coulter clarified, she didn't call McCain a douchebag. She called him a dickweed.
See? All better!
"I don't want to be bleeped again, but I said dickkweed," Coulter told Behar. "I thought you could say that," Coulter said. "They were talking about the lack of consistency … I was making the point, I don't think consistency is the most important value … And you know, look at John McCain, he was consistently a dickweed."
A significant portion of Coulter's appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday was bleeped out, prompting many to test their lip-reading skills and conclude that she had called McCain a douchebag. While Coulter's exact statement wasn't made apparent, it was clear that she had used verboten language — shortly after the offending comments were made, host Joe Scarborough said, apparently to the control room, "Just blur it all out."
Scarborough also engaged in a bit of digital butt-covering after the show, tweeting, "John McCain is a great American hero. All of us on 'Morning Joe' thank him for his service to America. He is a great man."
Reminded by Behar that "Morning Joe" guest Mark Halperin was suspended in June after calling President Obama a "dick," Coulter quipped, "They will not be able to use the 2012 Republican campaign slogan, which is going to be 'Obama: He's Kind of a Dick.'"
Sounds like there might be some stiff competition in the political arena next year.
Watch Coulter clarify her stance on John McCain in the video: