This would have been a fun litmus test on where grassroots righties stand on gay issues if it had involved any other conservative publication. As it is, judging from some of the comments in this morning’s Headlines thread, WND’s relentless Birtherism has made it an easy call. Coulter 1, WND 0:

“Ultimately, as a matter of principle, it would not make sense for us to have Ann speak to a conference about ‘taking America back’ when she clearly does not recognize that the ideals to be espoused there simply do not include the radical and very ‘unconservative’ agenda represented by GOProud,” WND editor and CEO Joseph Farah said. “The drift of the conservative movement to a brand of materialistic libertarianism is one of the main reasons we planned this conference from the beginning.”

Coulter, who is and will remain a WND columnist, said she was hired to deliver a speech at Homocon but that does not mean she endorses GOProud’s views.

“They hired me to give a speech, so I’m giving a speech. I do it all the time,” she said. “I speak to a lot of groups and do not endorse them. I speak at Harvard and I certainly don’t endorse their views. I’ve spoken to Democratic groups and liberal Republican groups that loooove abortion. The main thing I do is speak on college campuses, which is about the equivalent of speaking at an al-Qaida conference. I’m sure I agree with GOProud more than I do with at least half of my college audiences. But in any event, giving a speech is not an endorsement of every position held by the people I’m speaking to.”

Coulter added that she was set to speak for WND, but she thinks the organization is “nuts on the birther thing.”

That was round one. Round two came this afternoon when Coulter unloaded on WND in a righteously angry e-mail to the Daily Caller.

farah is doing this for PUBLICITY and publicity alone;…

I will say that he could give less than two sh-ts about the conservative movement — as demonstrated by his promotion of the birther nonsense (long ago disproved by my newspaper, human events, also sweetness & light, american spectator and national review etc, etc etc). He’s the only allegedly serious conservative pushing the birther thing. for ONE reason: to get hits on his website…

also, FYI; my fellow evangelicals — and I know lots and lots of ‘em — – all think it’s great that I’m doing this. (of course, they know I’m not changing my mind on gay marriage even though I like gays.) this is total b.s. for PUBLICITY by a publicity whore. Attack ann coulter, get publicity. liberals figured that out a long time ago, so he’s a little late to the party.

She also claims that they never actually hired her, in which case they’re not dropping her from anything. Naturally, rather than celebrate capital-P Progress in a prominent conservative choosing to speak at a gay event, some lefties are dumping on her anyway for being a sellout who’ll “go anywhere and do anything at all, if the price is right!” Why, she’s almost like a prostitute, speaking to those darned gays. Exit question: Does anyone seriously have a problem with her doing this, even after her I-still-oppose-gay-marriage caveat? Good enough for Dick Cheney, good enough for me!