Dow Soars to Record 13,000, But...CBS and ABC Find Downside --4/26/2007

1. Dow Soars to Record 13,000, But...CBS and ABC Find Downside
The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared past the 13,000 level on Wednesday, but the CBS and ABC evening newscasts reported the good news in the media's all-too-frequent "yes, but" framework. CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric fretted that "even as investors are making money in the market, Anthony Mason reports there are concerns tonight about the rest of the U.S. economy." Mason talked with a celebrating stock trader before turning downbeat: "But Wall Street and Main Street appear to be headed in different directions. While the stock market's been racing ahead, the economy has been slowing down. Housing is mired in a slump." Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab confirmed bad news for the overall economy, citing how "we have seen economic growth get cut in about half in the last year, so clearly the economy is not as strong as it was a year ago." Mason ominously warned: "Rising gas prices, up 70 cents already this year, could slow the economy even more." ABC anchor Charles Gibson teased World News: "Tonight, the Dow moves into uncharted territory, zooming past 13,000 for the first time. But is the economy as hot as the market?"

2. Olbermann Accuses Giuliani of 'Doing bin Laden's Work for Him'
In his latest "Special Comment" rant, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann used his Countdown show on Wednesday to target Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani for a speech the former New York City Mayor gave at a Lincoln Day Dinner in which he contended that America would be "playing defense" in the war on terrorism under a Democratic President. Olbermann labeled Giuliani's comments as "terrorism," and accused Giuliani of "threatening the American people with 'casualties' if they...elect a Democrat President." The Countdown host further derided Giuliani for "doing Osama bin Laden's work for him." Olbermann: "Claim a difference between the parties on the voters' chances of survival, and you do Osama bin Laden's work for him. And we, Democrats and Republicans alike, and every variation in between, we Americans are sick to death of you and the other terror-mongers trying to frighten us into submission, into the surrender of our rights and our reason, into this betrayal of that for which this country has always stood!" AUDIO&VIDEO

3. CNN Gives Publicity Boost to Kucinich's Effort to Impeach Cheney
One of CNN's favorite people during the month of April was leftist presidential candidate extraordinaire Dennis Kucinich. His appearance on Wednesday's American Morning was the culmination of three straight days of coverage of the Ohio Congressman's impeachment proposal against Vice President Cheney on the morning show as well as The Situation Room which, on Monday, was the first to report that Kucinich was seeking the impeachment of Dick Cheney. Host Wolf Blitzer reported that Kucinich scheduled a news conference where he would announce his articles of impeachment against the Vice President. Then on Tuesday, in a segment with CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider in the first hour of the program, Blitzer hypothesized that Kucinich's impeachment resolution "could give his struggling campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination a boost." Blitzer featured an interview segment with Kucinich, but at least raised how "a lot of your critics already suggesting it's a political stunt." That, however, didn't dissuade CNN and Blitzer from giving airtime to the idea.

4. Flamethrower Moyers: Bushies Were Basement 'Burglars...Arsonists'
If PBS omnipresence Bill Moyers wanted to cultivate an appearance of fairness and balance on the eve of the Wednesday night debut of Bill Moyers' Journal, Buying the War, he didn't do a very good job of it. On the PBS talk show Tavis Smiley on Monday night, Moyers compared Team Bush to a "burglar in the basement" that the watchdog media didn't bark at, or if you prefer, the media was the fire department, and Team Bush was the "arsonist." In fact, he charged "the press was in cahoots with the arsonist." When Smiley pressed Moyers on whether his show is fair and balanced, he slammed Fox News Channel: "Fox News has so poisoned the meaning of fair and balanced that I can't even understand those terms anymore, but anybody who watches this documentary will see that we lay out the evidence." Smiley also catered to Moyers by asking him if the Bush administration was the most secretive in American history.

5. Delay for Bush Motorcade Infuriates Walters: He 'Is Not a King'
On Wednesday's The View, moments after Rosie O'Donnell announced she is leaving the show in June, Barbara Walters proclaimed that "I today am not crazy about President George Bush. I have very personal reasons." Why? Because his motorcade temporarily disrupted her walk home in Manhattan. A shocked O'Donnell inquired, "Did they recognize you?" as if Barbara is more important than the others waiting for the motorcade to pass. Walters then exclaimed: "[Bush] is the President, he is not a king." O'Donnell didn't miss the opportunity to interject her political agenda: "I think that's great. All the things that he's done, you know, the screwing up Katrina, the torture, habeas corpus, the war, illegal. That doesn't get you, but put up a barricade, near Barbara Walters house! And there's hell to pay." Walters conceded: "I was a little upset about all the other things too."

6. Letterman's 'Top Ten Reasons Rosie O'Donnell Is Leaving The View'
Letterman's "Top Ten Reasons Rosie O'Donnell Is Leaving The View." #8: "Gearing up for the Kucinich-O'Donnell 2008 campaign."

Dow Soars to Record 13,000, But...CBS
and ABC Find Downside

The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared past the 13,000 level on Wednesday, but the CBS and ABC evening newscasts reported the good news in the media's all-too-frequent "yes, but" framework. CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric fretted that "even as investors are making money in the market, Anthony Mason reports there are concerns tonight about the rest of the U.S. economy." Mason talked with a celebrating stock trader before turning downbeat: "But Wall Street and Main Street appear to be headed in different directions. While the stock market's been racing ahead, the economy has been slowing down. Housing is mired in a slump." Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab confirmed bad news for the overall economy, citing how "we have seen economic growth get cut in about half in the last year, so clearly the economy is not as strong as it was a year ago." Mason ominously warned: "Rising gas prices, up 70 cents already this year, could slow the economy even more."

ABC anchor Charles Gibson teased World News: "Tonight, the Dow moves into uncharted territory, zooming past 13,000 for the first time. But is the economy as hot as the market?" Gibson set up his lead story by contrasting how "the rise in recent months has been steep, despite less-than-inspiring news on the economy overall." Betsy Stark featured pleased investors before cautioning how "there were fresh signs today of trouble in the housing market" and "oil prices shot up another dollar today, which will only add to consumers' woes at the pump." Gibson stayed on the negative, proposing to Stark: "We've had four years of a straight bull market. Doesn't just the timing of this suggest that there might be a correction?" Stark agreed: "By historical standards, Charlie, we're actually overdue for a correction."

[This item was posted Wednesday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

ABC's spin is consistent, at least. "Dow Hits Milestone....But It May Not Be Worth Cheering" announced an ABCNews.com home page headline Wednesday afternoon. Ken Shepherd's NewsBusters item with a screen capture: newsbusters.org

And an on-screen graphic on Monday's Good Morning America wondered: "Will Dow Hit 13,000 Today? Is Unstoppable Market Good or Bad?" See the April 24 CyberAlert: www.mrc.org

If the economy is so awful, why is the stock market rising? Stark offered a hint in her piece: "The fuel behind the drive to 13,000 today, was another batch of better-than-expected corporate profits. Bolstered by a strong global economy and an American consumer that keeps on spending, thanks to a healthy job market and fatter paychecks." Doesn't sound so bad.

The MRC's Brad Wilmouth corrected the closed-captioning against the video for the April 25 CBS Evening News coverage:

Katie Couric: "Ironically, Tompkins ["The Bishop" bomber] was arrested on a day the stock market soared to a record high. The Dow gained more than 135 points and passed 13,000 -- 13, today at least, a very lucky number. But even as investors are making money in the market, Anthony Mason reports there are concerns tonight about the rest of the U.S. economy."

Anthony Mason, on the stock market floor: "For Wall Street, which deals in numbers, this was a big one. The Dow at 13,000 for the first time ever. You've worked on this trading floor."
Kenneth Polcari, ICAP Equities: "Yeah, 26 years."
Mason: "Do you get excited when you see 13,000?"
Polcari: "I do."
Mason: "Veteran trader Ken Polcari."
Polcari: "You get excited because it's the round number, it's the next milestone."
Mason: "The market's been up 17 of the last 19 trading days. What is that telling us?"
Polcari: "Well, it's telling you that people are feeling very good about company earnings that are out now."
Mason: "Polcari says profits at blue chip companies like Boeing, American Express and McDonald's are up double digits from a year ago."
Polcari: "Earnings are good, they're coming in better than expectations and people are feeling good."
Mason: "But Wall Street and Main Street appear to be headed in different directions. While the stock market's been racing ahead, the economy has been slowing down. Housing is mired in a slump. Existing home sales plummeted more than eight percent in March. The median price now down to $217,000 has fallen for an unprecedented eight straight months. What's the likelihood this is going to affect the entire economy?"
Liz Ann Sonders, Charles Schwab: "You know, it already has on the consumer side. We have seen economic growth get cut in about half in the last year, so clearly the economy is not as strong as it was a year ago."
Mason: "Rising gas prices, up 70 cents already this year, could slow the economy even more. But stocks continue to soar. It took the Dow more than seven years to go from 11,000 to 12,000. It's reached 13,000 in less than seven months. Already this morning, I got one forecast that said it will hit 14,000 by the end of the year."
Polcari: "Well, you know, that's what happens. Every time you hit a milestone, they're always looking for the next milestone."
Mason: "While the Dow measures just 30 blue chip stocks, they're picked to be a broad barometer of the market. The other two major indexes, the NASDAQ and the S&P 500, also rallied today reaching six-year highs."

A partial transcript of the story on ABC's World News:

Charles Gibson: "Good evening. On Wall Street lately, milestones seem to be flying by like mile markers. As stocks accelerate into record territory. Today, the Dow Jones stock index went over 13,000 for the first time ever, closing at 13,089, up 136 points. The rise in recent months has been steep, despite less-than-inspiring news on the economy overall."

Betsy Stark: "....The fuel behind the drive to 13,000 today, was another batch of better-than-expected corporate profits. Bolstered by a strong global economy and an American consumer that keeps on spending, thanks to a healthy job market and fatter paychecks."
Alan Skrainka, Edward Jones: "Wall Street loves strong profits. And so far, profits are coming in much stronger than anyone expected."
Stark: "But investors also seemed willing to look past some not-so-good news on the road to 13,000. There were fresh signs today of trouble in the housing market: Foreclosures up 35 percent from a year ago. And oil prices shot up another dollar today, which will only add to consumers' woes at the pump."
Unidentified expert: "There's a lot of risks that face this stock market. Bottom line, things are good out there. But they're not great."
Stark: "As we have seen time and again, the mood on Wall Street can change very quickly. For now, the good news is outweighing the bad. And the bulls are carrying the day."
Gibson: "But, Betsy, we've had four years of a straight bull market. Doesn't just the timing of this suggest that there might be a correction?"
Stark: "By historical standards, Charlie, we're actually overdue for a correction, a correction defined as a ten percent pull-back. You're quite right, four years is not typical. Two years is more typical . This bull is long of tooth and there are people who are nervous about that."

Olbermann Accuses Giuliani of 'Doing
bin Laden's Work for Him'

[This item is adapted from a posting, by Brad Wilmouth, on the MRC's NewsBusters blog: newsbusters.org ]

Olbermann began the eight-minute-long April 25 segment by admonishing Giuliani and President Bush for "unreadiness of their own governments" at the time of the 9/11 attacks: "Only in this America of the early 21st century could it be true that the man who was President during the worst attack on our nation and the man who was the mayor of the city in which that attack principally unfolded would not only be absolved of any and all blame for the unreadiness of their own governments, but, moreover, would thereafter be branded heroes of those attacks."

After quoting some of Giuliani's comments about the importance of having a Republican President to implement the war on terrorism, which Olbermann labeled a "vote Democrat or die" message, he accused Giuliani of "threatening" the American people, having "flights of grandeur" and of using the "language of bin Laden." Olbermann: "At least that Republican President under which we have not been safer has, even at his worst, maintained some microscopic distance between himself and a campaign platform that blithely threatened the American people with 'casualties' if they, next year, elect a Democratic President or, inferring from Mr. Giuliani's flights of grandeur in New Hampshire last night, even if they elect a different Republican. How dare you, sir? 'How many casualties will we have?' This is the language of bin Laden."

After accusing Giuliani of trying to "terrorize" Americans into believing a vote for Democrats is "an act of suicide," Olbermann continued: "This is not the mere politicizing of the war in Iraq, nor the vague mumbled epithets about Democratic 'softness' from a delusional Vice President. This is casualties on a partisan basis, of the naked assertion that Mr. Giuliani's party knows all and will save those who have voted for it, and to hell with everybody else. And that he, with no foreign policy experience whatsoever, is somehow the messiah-of-the-moment."

Olbermann soon accused the former mayor of "terrorism" again as he quoted Giuliani: "'The Democrats do not understand the full nature and scope of the terrorist war against us,' Mr. Giuliani continued to the Rockingham County Lincoln Day Dinner last night. 'Never, ever again will this country be on defense waiting for (terrorists) to attack us, if I have anything to say about it. And make no mistake,' he concluded, 'the Democrats want to put us back on defense.' There is no room for this. This is terrorism itself, dressed up as counter-terrorism."

Olbermann then charged Giuliani "and other terror-mongers" of trying to "frighten" Americans into surrendering their rights, accusing Giuliani of "doing Osama bin Laden's work for him." Olbermann: "Claim a difference between the parties on the voters' chances of survival, and you do Osama bin Laden's work for him. And we, Democrats and Republicans alike, and every variation in between, we Americans are sick to death of you and the other terror-mongers trying to frighten us into submission, into the surrender of our rights and our reason, into this betrayal of that for which this country has always stood!"

After having earlier suggested Republicans were "running roughshod over Americans' rights while braying that it was actually protecting them," Olbermann seemed to see no irony in concluding his rant by quoting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who stripped many Japanese-American citizens of their rights in internment camps in during World War II, as the Countdown host concluded the segment:
"Franklin Roosevelt's words ring true again tonight. And, clarified and amplified, they are just as current now as they were when first he spoke them 74 years ago. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself,' and those who would exploit our fear, for power and for their own personal, selfish, cynical gain. Good night and good luck."

For a complete transcript of Olbermann's April 25 "Special Comment," check the NewsBusters posting linked above or the Countdown Web site: www.msnbc.msn.com

CNN Gives Publicity Boost to Kucinich's
Effort to Impeach Cheney

One of CNN's favorite people during the month of April was leftist presidential candidate extraordinaire Dennis Kucinich. His appearance on Wednesday's American Morning was the culmination of three straight days of coverage of the Ohio Congressman's impeachment proposal against Vice President Cheney on the morning show as well as The Situation Room which, on Monday, was the first to report that Kucinich was seeking the impeachment of Dick Cheney. Host Wolf Blitzer reported that Kucinich scheduled a news conference where he would announce his articles of impeachment against the Vice President. Then on Tuesday, in a segment with CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider in the first hour of the program, Blitzer hypothesized that Kucinich's impeachment resolution "could give his struggling campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination a boost." Blitzer featured an interview segment with Kucinich, but at least raised how "a lot of your critics already suggesting it's a political stunt." That, however, didn't dissuade CNN and Blitzer from giving airtime to the idea.

On Monday, Blitzer had asked CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley about Kucinich's motivation for seeking Cheney's impeachment. She admitted that this was an "issue of the Left," and "an article of faith...with those who are supporters of Dennis Kucinich." She also categorized Kucinich as a "natural messenger" for this cause.

[This item is based upon a posting, by Matthew Balan, on the MRC's NewsBusters blog: newsbusters.org ]

A partial transcript of Blitzer's April 24 session with Kucinich:

Blitzer: "Why the Vice President, if you're so concerned about the war, as opposed to the Commander-in-Chief? That would be the President."
Kucinich: "Well, the Vice President had a singular responsibility in whipping up public sentiment to lay the groundwork for a war against Iraq on false pretenses, and the articles of impeachment cover that. And there's another practical reason, Wolf, and that is that if someone was to aim at impeaching the President, then Mr. Cheney would become the president. I don't think that this country could tolerate two consecutive impeachments. So I think that the evidence is there to focus on the Vice President. That's the appropriate place to begin. And that's what I've done today in filing House Resolution 333."
Blitzer: "A lot of your critics already suggesting it's a political stunt, given the fact that the Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has ruled out impeachment. The Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, says that's not on his agenda. Do you think you have enough votes to really get this out of a committee?"
Kucinich: "I think that people in Congress are about to find out that all over the United States, citizens have been asking questions. What kind of a government do we have? And why isn't someone stepping forward to challenge the conduct of this Vice President? And so, people are asking me today, is anyone standing behind me? And I think there are millions of Americans who believe that it was time to raise this issue. And the reason I did it now, Wolf, is because the Vice President is beating the same drums of war against Iran that he beat against Iraq under false pretenses, and he's doing it all over again, against Iran. The same false pretenses. And I say that it's time to stand up to that. Our country couldn't afford this last war, we sure can't afford to go into another one. And somebody has to challenge the conduct of this Vice President. And that's what I've done today."
Blitzer: "Well, high crimes and misdemeanors. That's a high threshold. Specifically, explain to our viewers what your articles -- you have three articles of impeachment -- what they are alleging."
Kucinich: "Well, the first article, and I quote, says that he 'fabricated a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the use of the United States armed forces against the nation of Iraq.' And the second article points to the fact that he 'fabricated a connection between the government of Iraq and al Qaeda and used that to justify war.' And the third article says that he's 'openly threatening aggressive war against Iran,' which is a violation of Article 6 of our Constitution, and a violation of Article 2 Section 4 of the UN charter. That's basically a synopsis of the articles."

Flamethrower Moyers: Bushies Were Basement
'Burglars...Arsonists'

If PBS omnipresence Bill Moyers wanted to cultivate an appearance of fairness and balance on the eve of the Wednesday night debut of Bill Moyers Journal, Buying the War, he didn't do a very good job of it. On the PBS talk show Tavis Smiley on Monday night, Moyers compared Team Bush to a "burglar in the basement" that the watchdog media didn't bark at, or if you prefer, the media was the fire department, and Team Bush was the "arsonist." In fact, he charged "the press was in cahoots with the arsonist."

[This item, by Tim Graham, was posted Wednesday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

When Smiley pressed Moyers on whether his show is fair and balanced, he slammed Fox News Channel: "Fox News has so poisoned the meaning of fair and balanced that I can't even understand those terms anymore, but anybody who watches this documentary will see that we lay out the evidence." Smiley also catered to Moyers by asking him if the Bush administration was the most secretive in American history.

Moyers explained that his show would explore the "Mission Accomplished" picture and "the way the press bought into that photo opportunity and pronounced the war over before all these tens of thousands of casualties, is symbolic of how the press bought the war four years ago and is complicitous in what has happened since then."

Smiley asked: "You think the majority of Americans gets that, or needs to see a piece like this to understand how that happened?"
Moyers replied: "Well, I hope a lot of people watch this, Tavis, because if the watchdog doesn't bark, how do you know there's a burglar in the basement? And the press is supposed to be a watchdog. I'll put it another way: if you think that the fire department in your neighborhood is in collusion with the arsonist, you want to know about it. And the fact of the matter is, in the build-up to the war the watchdog didn't bark and the fire department -- in this case the press -- was in cahoots with the arsonist."

Unlike NPR interviewer Terry Gross, Smiley at least addressed the issue of the Moyers tilt, but Moyers used the usual dodge that since he blasts nearly everyone (for being to the right of his left-wing pole), he's the fair one:

Smiley: "I paused there deliberately for just a second at the end of your remark to see if you were going to go further, and I paused because I suspect there's some watching right now who are saying, 'There goes Bill Moyers again.' You start with the conservative press, you come to the middle, and you stop as if there is no liberal media bias."
Moyers: "Well, in this case when you watch the documentary Wednesday night, you will see that we're as tough on the liberal New Republic as we are on the conservative Weekly Standard. I believe very strongly in laying out a case before reaching any conclusion. And I'll tell you that they're not gonna be happy in liberal America in the liberal press when they see this documentary, because the truth hurts.
"And it hurts the Republicans and conservatives in this case because they went along, and it hurts some liberals and the Democrats, because they were wrong. In fact, one of my most interesting scenes in the documentary is of ambitious Democrats like Hillary Clinton and John Kerry going along, essentially, with the intelligence that was given them by the administration."

Smiley pressed further on the fairness front: "In advance of people seeing this on Wednesday night, what assurance do you give the people that the piece -- pardon the pun -- is fair and balanced? And I ask that against the backdrop of what you've just shared now. You were very forthright and very honest, which I appreciate, about your being skeptical of the war to begin with, skeptical of how the media covered or didn't cover the war. How, then, does one who has your point of view put together a fair and balanced piece about this provocative question?"
Moyers: "You gather the evidence. Fox News has so poisoned the meaning of fair and balanced that I can't even understand those terms anymore, but anybody who watches this documentary will see that we lay out the evidence. And I ask everybody who watches - I ask everybody who's watching tonight to watch the documentary and ask yourself as you go along if the evidence isn't being laid out, and then reach your own conclusion.
"That's really why I did the documentary. I wanted to go back, review -- and I've interviewed Dan Rather for this documentary, Tim Russert for this documentary, Walter Isaacson, who was the president of CNN at the time of the invasion of Iraq, Bob Simon of 60 Minutes, and I want the audience to listen to those interviews, look at the evidence, and then reach your own conclusion about what you think, not what Bill Moyers thinks. That's not that important."

That's a fairly funny answer. I've interviewed all the liberal media stars, and I think you can conclude from that slanted slate that I'm fair? At the end, Smiley sounded more like a typical liberal: "Finally, is it just me or is this administration the most secretive of all time? You've worked in the White House. I wonder to what extent, again, their modus operandi -- which is secrecy at all costs -- has anything to do with the story that you're going to unveil for us on Wednesday night?"
Moyers: "Well, Lyndon Johnson signed the Freedom of Information act back in 1964. He signed it reluctantly, because having been in Congress for so many years he was a man with a passion for secrecy, too. But there's no question but that this administration -- and I'm not the only one saying this -- there are a lot of people who say this -- historians and other journalists say this is the most secretive administration that anyone can remember. And you know what? That's come home to haunt it, because if you are so secret and you keep things to yourself, when it starts coming out, as this is now coming out about what's happened in Iraq and other things -- the Justice hearings -- the House tumbles pretty quickly. And when people realize they've been lied to, they don't trust you anymore and your credibility goes sinking like the Titanic."
Smiley: "So again, Wednesday night on most PBS stations across the country, Buying the War, the premiere episode of Bill Moyers' Journal and its return to PBS. That's Wednesday night on most stations. A 90-minute special, and then of course on Friday nights it will resume its regular time slot. Bill Moyers, as always, an honor to have you on the program. Thanks for your insight and for your time, sir."
Moyers: "Thank you, Tavis. And my guest on Friday night, by the way, will be Jon Stewart of The Daily Show because I think he's one of the most significant analysts of the news and information of our time."

That pretty much seals Stewart with a kiss as a big liberal.

Delay for Bush Motorcade Infuriates Walters:
He 'Is Not a King'

On Wednesday's The View, moments after Rosie O'Donnell announced she is leaving the show in June, Barbara Walters proclaimed that "I today am not crazy about President George Bush. I have very personal reasons." Why? Because his motorcade temporarily disrupted her walk home in Manhattan. A shocked O'Donnell inquired, "Did they recognize you?" as if Barbara is more important than the others waiting for the motorcade to pass. Walters then exclaimed: "[Bush] is the President, he is not a king." O'Donnell didn't miss the opportunity to interject her political agenda: "I think that's great. All the things that he's done, you know, the screwing up Katrina, the torture, habeas corpus, the war, illegal. That doesn't get you, but put up a barricade, near Barbara Walters house! And there's hell to pay." Walters conceded: "I was a little upset about all the other things too."

[This item is based on a posting, by Justin McCarthy, on the MRC's NewsBusters blog: newsbusters.org ]

The discussion on the April 25 show:

Rosie O'Donnell: "Alright, now, let's talk about real news, because frankly, that's just this. Okay, George Bush barricade: Barbara Walters what happened?"
Barbara Walters: "I have a rant, and I very rarely rant."
O'Donnell: "Go, take it honey."
Walters: "I today am not crazy about President George Bush. I have very personal reasons. So, I am walking home at the end of the day, it's like quarter of seven, and I'm walking from the office, west side, east side, with Monica who is my wonderful assistant. So we get to the west side, I can't cross the street. I mean, here's one side, here's the other. I literally cannot cross the street. There are barricades, there are people standing -- two very nice police women say you cannot cross the street -- I can't cross the street?"
O'Donnell: "Wait, did they recognize you?"
Walters: "Yes."
O'Donnell: "They said Barbara Walters you can't-"
Walters: "She says you and the others can not, stand behind the barricades. That was too much. I said 'I will obey you, but I'm not standing behind, who's coming?' 'The President.' 'Where's his car?' 'Any minute.' Fifteen minutes later, as I'm standing there, I can see down the, there's no car, there's no nothing. We still cannot cross the street. So, finally one person crosses, another person, and then we cross the street. He is the President, he is not a king. To stand behind barricades -- [Cheers and applause] I don't know whether it was his doing and I'm crazy about Mayor Bloomberg, but enough already. When you cannot cross the street to go to your own house -- that's the end of my rant."
O'Donnell: "I think that's great. All the things that he's done, you know, the screwing up Katrina, the torture, habeas corpus, the war, illegal. That doesn't get you, but put up a barricade, near Barbara Walters house! And there's Hell to pay."
Walters: "I was a little upset about all the other things too."

Letterman's 'Top Ten Reasons Rosie O'Donnell
Is Leaving The View'

From the April 25 Late Show with David Letterman, the "Top Ten Reasons Rosie O'Donnell Is Leaving The View." Late Show home page: www.cbs.com

10. Couldn't maintain rigorous one-hour-a-day work schedule

9. It's been awkward ever since she threw Joy Behar through a plate glass window

8. Gearing up for the Kucinich-O'Donnell 2008 campaign

7. Fed up with Elisabeth Hasselbeck being sweet

6. Taking time off to be with her fiance Donald Trump

5. She feels she can get more feuding done by working at home

4. No number four -- writer too despondent after hearing the news

3. Can make more money wrasslin' gators in Florida

2. Tired of empty gin bottles in Barbara Walters' office

1. Tested positive for steroids

For the MRC's "Profile in Bias" on Rosie O'Donnell, "The Full Rosie: Daytime Host's Long Record of Mean-Spirited Left-Wing Ravings," a compilation of her most obnoxious comments -- many with video clips -- uttered on The View and earlier, go to: www.mrc.org

-- Brent Baker