Rosie O'Donnell appeared shocked by the suggestion that Barack Obama "doesn't love people." The View co-host on Tuesday sparred with Republican Nicolle Wallace over the President and demonstrated that she's still obsessed with George W. Bush. After Wallace asserted that Joe Biden has an easier time because "Joe Biden genuinely loves people," the 9/11 truther [1]sputtered: "So, are you implying that Obama doesn't?...He doesn't love people? Oh, wow." [MP3 audio here [2].]
Liberal co-host Rosie Perez [3] shrieked, "Oh, that's bull crap!" O'Donnell, who famously doubted that fire can melt steel, [4] also needed help identifying a prominent national journalist. The segment began with a discussion of Charles Krauthammer's contention [5] that the President is a narcissist. A baffled O'Donnell said of the conservative writer: "Nicolle, can you tell us who is that guy? I've never heard of him."
The argument then shifted to President Bush. O'Donnell compared:
ROSIE O'DONNELL: Okay, so let me just ask you something. When Kanye West says, "I don't think President Bush cares about black people," it's like an international incident. But you can say that you don't think Obama likes people?
NICOLLE WALLACE: I don't think he – Let me say too about the Kanye West – George Bush when he wrote his book – one of the most interesting thing he revealed he was personally wounded by that statement.
O'DONNELL: I know. I think he was very upset in the plane as he flew over Katrina.
Overriding O'Donnell, Wallace, who worked for the Bush White House, corrected, "New Orleans is a safe city because of what it went through and President Bush did everything that every one of any party and any level of government said to rebuild the city."
A partial transcript of the September 16 segment is below:
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: President Obama is being called a lot of things these days and conservative columnist and now former psychiatrist – how do you say – Charles Krauthammer,
NICOLLE WALLACE: Charles Krauthammer. He's a god in our world.
...
GOLDBERG: He's calling President Obama a narcissist, saying he's so self involved. He uses terms like my military, my intelligence community in speeches and calling him a narcissist is how he figures, I guess that's how narcissists refer to other narcissists.
ROSIE O'DONNELL: Yes.
GOLDBERG: You're a narcissist. You're self-involved. But Obama is the President. So I'm not surprised he's a little self involved.
O'DONNELL: Nicolle, can you tell us, who is that guy? I've never heard of him.
WALLACE: So, Charles Krauthammer is a god in our world.
O'DONNELL: Well, what does he do?
WALLACE: He's a very well respected and thoughtful columnist. He also appears on television. But before that, So, he was actually offering a semi-expert opinion.
...
WALLACE: I think Joe Biden has an easier time with Congress because I think Joe Biden genuinely loves people and I think he and his wife are more comfortable --O'DONNELL: So, are you implying that Obama doesn't?
WALLACE: Yeah.
O'DONNELL: He doesn't love people?
WALLACE: I don't think so.
ROSIE PEREZ: Oh, that's bull crap!
O'DONNELL: Oh, wow.
WALLACE: I mean, I think he likes you people. I do. I think he loves the three of you. You all campaigned for him. You all campaigned for him and I think he loves you guys.
PEREZ: You're so wrong. You're so wrong. I met him when he was a senator. He's actually a very personable person.
GOLDBERG: I actually did not campaign for him. No, I didn't. And so, you know, e have to really be careful. It's what we were talking about yesterday, that we didn't talk about [sic] where people just make assumptions.
...
O'DONNELL: So, you think Bill Clinton likes people?
WALLACE: I think Bill Clinton likes people.
O'DONNELL: But you don't think Obama likes people?
WALLACE: I don't think he loves -- and he's talked about not loving the theater side of the job. I'm not saying things that all Democrats disagree with.
O'DONNELL: Okay, so let me just ask you something. When Kanye West says, "I don't believe President Bush cares about black people," it's like an international incident. But you can say that you don't think Obama likes people?
WALLACE: I don't think he – Let me say too about the Kanye West – George Bush when he wrote his book – one of the most interesting thing he revealed he was personally wounded by that statement.
O'DONNELL: I know. I think he was very upset in the plane as he flew over Katrina.
...
WALLACE: A lot of people were happy of what got done to rebuild New Orleans. New Orleans is a safe city because of what it went through and President Bush did everything that every one of any party and any level of government said to rebuild the city.
O'DONNELL: I did not attack him. I simply stated the fact he flew over in a plane before he ever went to address the people who were there and it was a very long time before he showed up. That is a fact. Not an attack.
— Scott Whitlock is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Scott Whitlock on Twitter. [6]