Coulter big draw for Christian Coalition

ATLANTA, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Conservative author and TV pundit Ann Coulter was a big draw for the Christian Coalition of Georgia meeting in Atlanta.

State Chairwoman Sadie Fields told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that featuring the right-wing celebrity as the keynote speaker at Saturday's dinner brought in $150,000 -- even before the after-speech appeal for funds.

Coulter's speech on abortion was short on the outrageous comments she is known for, the newspaper said. In response to a question from the audience, she did refer to Sen. John McCain and Republican colleagues who have been fighting President Bush on interrogation rules as "the al-Qaida contingent."

In fact, Coulter was upstaged by the man who introduced her, conservative talk radio host Mike Gallagher. He described what he said was an off-the-record session with Bush and a gaggle of radio right-wingers, including Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham.

Bush told them "we'll lose" if the War on Terror becomes a fight between Christianity and Islam, Gallagher said.

"Remind me never to invite you to an off-the-record session," Coulter told him.