Ann Coulter in Tweet: 'I Highly Approve of Romney's Decision to Be Kind & Gentle to the Retard

Conservative commentator and author Ann Coulter is known for her edgy proclamations and oft-times controversial take on the issues. Last night, while commenting about the final presidential debate, Coulter took to Twitter, where she seemingly used a less-than-complimentary word to describe either debate moderator Bob Schieffer or President Barack Obama -- "retard."

Ann Coulter attends the TIME 100 Gala celebrating TIME'S 100 Most Influential People In The World at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2012 in New York City. Credit: Getty Images for TIME

The pundit tweeted, "I highly approve of Romney’s decision to be kind and gentle to the retard." While she didn't explicitly name the individual being targeted, based on the factors at play, one can only assume that it was either Obama or Schieffer.

As of Tuesday morning, the social media message had been re-tweeted (shared) 2,506 times and it was selected as a favorite message by 1,018 people.

In an article highlighting and deriding the controversial message, Mediaite's Tommy Christopher wrote that Coulter, "crossed lines of decency untrod even by her standards."

Politicker also noted that this isn't the first time the commentator has come under fire for using the word, which many advocates view as an offensive term to people with special needs. A few weeks ago, Dan Niblock, a father of a child with Down syndrome, penned an article on NBC's "Today" web site, demanding an apology for Coulter's use of the word in a separate tweet.

"I want Ann Coulter to apologize for using a form of hate speech that is particularly searing to people who have special needs," Niblock said. "This isn't about Republicans versus Democrats, it's about having class and a little decency."

What do you think about Coulter's use of the term? Let us know in the comments section.

This article has been updated.