Ann Coulter delivered her edgy brand of conservatism to a mostly receptive audience at the University of Wyoming Thursday night, where memories are still fresh of the school's controversial handling last year of a former 1960s radical's speech.
About 1,500 people, including about three dozen protesters, showed up to hear her talk and question-and-answer session, which started an hour late because of a flight delay.
The conservative commentator and author used her customary sharp wit to criticize liberals and the Obama administration.
A few in attendance heckled Coulter during her talk only to draw sharp barbs from her and applause from most of the crowd.
"Personally I think bringing Ann Coulter to our campus as a reaction to Bill Ayers is kind of inappropriate," UW student Haley Barton of Lander said, holding a sign reading "We don't want your hate."
But others said they were glad to see a conservative speaker on campus.
"Bill Ayers, he came over, so why can't Ann Coulter?" said Darrel Hamilton, a LaGrange rancher. "If they want to call her radical, well he's as radical the other way so hear both sides of the story."
An anonymous donor upset with Ayers' April 2010 appearance in Laramie paid for half of Coulter's $20,000 speaking fee. UW's College Republicans and the Young America's Foundation, a Virginia-based group that promotes conservative ideas on college campuses, were paying the remainder and other expenses.
Lesbian, gay fundraiser
Others sought to turn the tables by holding a fundraiser for gays, lesbians and advocates of people with alternative lifestyles.
"We decided to organize a fundraiser to raise money for causes we believe in and she actually seems to hate," said Meg Lanker, a UW student who was instrumental in getting Ayers to speak on campus.
The university's handling of the visit by Ayers, a professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, generated criticism from all sides.
The university invited him, then canceled his speech because many residents and UW alumni threatened to withhold contributions to the school. A district court judge finally ordered the school to allow the speech.
His talk ultimately dealt mostly with education issues.
Ayers co-founded the Weather Underground, an anti-war group that claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, including nonfatal explosions at the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol.
He was a fugitive for years but surrendered in 1980. Charges were dropped because of prosecutorial misconduct.
His past briefly became an issue during the 2008 presidential race because he once served with Barack Obama on the board of a Chicago charity.
Caitlin Wallace, a UW law student who organized Coutler's visit, said bringing a conservative commentator and author to Laramie is meant to counterbalance a number of high-profile liberal speakers the university has brought to campus over the years.
"We've already got plans in motion for what we can do next to keep up and keep making sure that a conservative voice is kept on campus," Wallace said.