It looks like the rumors about Elizabeth Hasselbeck are true.

Courtesy of the New York Post:  

Elisabeth Hasselbeck “is toast” on ABC’s “The View,” sources tell us, despite show doyenne Barbara Walters insisting the conservative blonde isn’t getting fired. 

Rumors swirling that Hasselbeck was on her way out forced Walters to say last Monday, “We have no plans for Elisabeth to leave this show.” But a source tells us, “ABC is desperate to freshen the show. Ratings are going soft, and research numbers on the stars’ likability are scaring network execs. 

“Dumping Joy Behar, who was there 16 years, and Hasselbeck would be the fastest way to do it, they decided. After giving Behar the bad news last week and letting her bow out gracefully, someone leaked the Hasselbeck thing. Some enemies she has on the show saw their chance to get back at her. Barbara was spitting mad that it got mishandled, and called off the firing over [last] weekend.” 

While we heard Hasselbeck would go when her contract is up next year, the source added, “It could be earlier, because the ABC brass believes the show needs to be younged-up fast. They easily could coax her to go early.”

I have no problem believing that  she has enemies on the show, the woman is so unbelievably arrogant and one sided most of the time, that it completely takes away from any attractiveness she might possess.

And even when she finally gets fed up, like she did with Sarah and Bristol Palin, she still cannot help but stand up for other conservatives icons that are equally as bad.

Personally I think they are dumping Joy Behar to provide cover for their firing of Hasselbeck. That way they still appear to be balanced.

Stay tuned for Hasselbeck's new job as pundit and commentator for Fox News. You know it's coming. Where else does she have to go?

President and First Lady explain what was behind the most tweeted picture in history.

I am not a fan of Barbara Walters but I thought this was a genuinely sweet moment between the President and Mrs. Obama.

I sometimes think that without her, he might simply crumble under the weight of his job.

 You know I am one of those people who is always impressed by relationships like this. To me it is almost like a magic trick for someone to believe they found true love and to still know twenty, thirty, or even fifty years later that they were right.

Let's end the day on a high note. Michelle Obama wins the hearts of the ladies of the View.

I am sorry that today was so video-centric here at IM, but there just seemed to be a lot of important video to share.

As you know I am NOT a regular watcher of The View, but I did catch the entire episode this morning and really thought that Michelle Obama was the very epitome of charm and class. I don't like to make comparisons, but I kind of felt she did a better job than the President did during HIS visit two weeks ago.

BTW I joked earlier today that by the end of the show FLOTUS and Elizabeth Hasselbeck were hugging and joking with each other like two high school girlfriends. I would not put it past the First Lady to have made such an impact on the View's token conservative that Hasselbeck might be questioning her political point of view and wondering HOW she can justify being in opposition to this delightful couple.

Just our President being awesome.

To see the image larger just click here.

Immediately after making these remarks Barbara Walters said that in her entire time on the View that this was the FIRST time that she could ever remember the ladies on the panel being respectful and not talking over a guest for such an extended period of time.

And they say this President can't perform miracles.

He got the ladies of the View to stop talking for almost three minutes, compared to that walking on water should be a snap!

Elizabeth Hasselbeck calls out Bristol Palin for attacking President Obama on her ghostwritten blog. Ya gotta love this!

Courtesy of The New Civil Rights Movement:

 “I have a major problem with her saying this. Number one, as you mature as a mother you will also find out that the conversations you have with your kids do influence how you place your opinions on the table. Secondly, for someone who was the victim of being brought into an election as the child of someone on the ticket, how dare you then bring in Sasha and Malia to this situation. You need to mature because you are not.”

You know I used to have a crush on Hasselbeck back when she was on "Survivor," and before she became a hateful mouthpiece for the Right Wing. After this I almost remember what I liked about her back then.

Damn, called out by Elizabeth Hasselbeck AND JWOW, apparently Bristol is an equal opportunity bitch!

I wonder how Nancy French and Sarah feel now?

Full Bristol Palin interview on the View.

It is interesting to me that Bristol walks out there  is NONE of the usual hugging and enthusiasm that you see with virtually EVERY other guest.  Instead she she walks right past Elizabeth, Sherri, and Joy to sit down next to Barbara who seems to be the ONLY person glad to see her there.

Then Barbara, no stranger to the plastic surgeon's knife herself, begins to compliment Bristol on her weight loss and her new look. Awkward!

However Tripp is an extremely cute little boy, and when they show him on screen it suddenly defrosts the other co-hosts, allowing yet another Palin to use their children to gain sympathy and acceptance.

Barbara then confronts Bristol concerning her story about having her virginity "stolen," asking her whether or not she gave consent. Bristol stumbles over her response, seeming to believe that "losing your virginity" is akin to losing your car keys, and then claiming that if she had not been drunk it would never have happened. (I did think it funny when Barbara asked her if she was "high." Especially since I have talked to a few ex-friends of hers that say she is not a virgin in that area either. So much for that "moral code.")

By the way Levi WAS at the house almost constantly, and essentially moved in there when her mother was on the campaign trail. I have talked to both Mercede and Sherry about this extensively and they both say he was there constantly for months. Once Tripp was born, that is when the relationship suddenly ended (yet again).

When Bristol admits she has asked Levi to hand over his parental rights, that part is accurate. Bristol seems determined to have the opportunity to refer to herself as a "single mom" (And earn money by doing so) and Levi has made that hard by constantly attempting to be a part of Tripp's life.  It seems much of the reason she wants him out of the picture is because his presence screws up her ability to attract pity for raising her son on her own, with no support. (I guess everybody is just supposed to ignore that her mother is a millionaire now.)

Now as for WHY Levi has not taken Bristol back to court for not allowing him his visitation rights, I cannot explain.  I will say that back when Levi was first going through this legal process with Bristol that I tried to get Tank and Rex to hire a REAL family lawyer to represent him, even going so far as to find one willing to look at the case for free, and possibly representing him pro bono.

They refused, and instead seem to have made the worst possible custody deal I have seen in a long time.

Yes, it has occurred to me that Team Levi was paid off, but I have no real proof of that. I have also wondered if Levi himself was paid off, but both Sherry and Sadie simply refuse to accept that possibility. And once again I have no real proof.

As for Tripp being Levi's child, I truly believe that he THINKS Tripp is his son, which is why he has his name tattooed on his bicep. I know that he never had a paternity test, which I also pushed for back in the day, so of course we can always speculate, but Sherry and Mercede went to the hospital on December 27, and believe they met their nephew/grandson on that day.

After this Levi portion, around the 4:37 mark, Whoopi asks Bristol if the criticism she has received since "writing" the book has bothered her, which gives Bristol the opportunity to trot out her newly discovered Christian talking points.

Next Barbara asks her about her new abstinence pledge to wait until she is married before having sex again.  Bristol ABSOLUTELY lies right to her face when asked about this. (Hey Bristol if you are reading this I saw the pictures, and I know you are lying.)

By the way I really believe that Bristol's dislike of Meghan McCain and her family stems from NOTHING more than simple jealousy.

Clearly Bristol has had her hand slapped for saying that Sarah has made her decision to run or not, and refuses to answer the question this time.

At the end I almost choked when Whoopi said that Bristol was being a good mother (I totally disagree with that), and when Bristol said that she welcomes Levi into Tripp's life all of the time (Nothing could be further from the truth). She has become a seamless a liar as her mother, and I truly fear for how Tripp will be raised by this family.

You know I really do not believe that Bristol, nor Sarah for that matter, are really able to perceive just how poorly they come across to the majority of Americans. Even the terrible book sales may not be enough to convince Bristol that she has defined herself as an untalented, money grubbing, hypocrite, who uses her child to line her pockets while disrespecting his father in the public square, and that MOST people find that extremely distasteful.

If things don't go her way she will simply blame it on the "haters," and walk away without learning anything, or growing as a person in any way.

Essentially, despite her often expressed denials as a teenager, she has now BECOME her mother. Which, by the way, is EXACTLY the fate that she deserves.

Conan O'Brien features Sarah Palin explaining why many Americans find the idea of her as President "a little scary."

Now THAT was funny.

And if any of you needed yet another reason to love Conan, you should know that one of the reasons that there was tension between O'Brien and the network is that he refused to yield to pressure to have Palin on his show.

Yeah!  How much do you love him now?

All of Barbara Walters 10 most fascinating people were happy with their portrayal on her show save one. Do I really even have to give you a hint?

I hope next year Walters leaves the ungrateful, thin skinned bitch off her list.

We all now that what Palin hates more than anything is to be ignored.  Hopefully someday soon she will have the opportunity to spend ALL day hating the fact that she is being ignored. Then she might know what it feels like to be one of her children.

Here is the full Barbara Walters interview with Sarah Palin.

Palin does not hesitate to pimp her personal mythology during this interview.  She makes sure while describing what she reads that she includes a book about running marathons, C.S. Lewis books for Christian credibility, NewsMax as a nod to her Right Wing supporters, and the Wall Street Journal and a couple of newspapers just to show that Katie Couric bitch that she was wrong. She also refers to herself as "Sarah Palin, the hockey mom from Wasilla" in an attempt to redirect potential supporters away from the reality that she is now a multi-millionaire, with a television studio in her home, and the power to unleash thousands of flying monkeys to attack anybody who dares criticize or stand up to her, back to the more simple identity that worked so well for her during the 2008 campaign.

I found it very humorous that one part of the interview Palin makes light of the idea that she is "polarizing" and then only a handful of minutes later starts referring to the Republicans who suggest that she may have cost the GOP the Senate as "impotent," "limp," and "weak," and that they are "hiding behind somebody's skirts."

Yeah nothing polarizing about that! (I kind of thought it was interesting that immediately after Palin refers to her detractors as impotent and hiding behind somebody's skirts, that Walters asks that Todd join them on the set.  Is THAT a little shot there Barbara?)

Another thing that I found very telling is that Palin felt the need to respond, not only rumors of her and Todd's marital troubles, but to the babygate rumor, as well as the rumors about why Track really went into the military.  It is obvious that Sister Sarah STILL reads the blogs, and that she is STILL worried that information will be revealed which will change those rumors into undeniable facts. (Stay tuned Sarah, I am working on that!)

How is it that the guy that has barely said three words on camera in the last two years now can't stop talking when asked JUST for three words?

Brief clip of Barbara Walters interviewing Sarah Palin, and her ventriloquist dummy husband, about the Teabaggers and Bristol's success on DWTS.

(Palin interview starts at the 1:33 mark.)



That is just insulting to the television audience.  Palin knows full well that nobody had to individually call the Teabaggers, They responded to the websites that encouraged them to vote for Bristol and then gave out information to help them cheat more effectively.

Palin knows EXACTLY how that worked, and decides to hide behind feigned ignorance when confronted on camera. And then she has Todd, who has now been reduced to the role of one of those teacup chihuahuas that wealthy women tote around in their handbags, to echo back whatever mooseshit that falls from her lipsticked mouth in order to earn his room and board. ("See Barbara?  I am not lying as proven by my emotionally abused husband who is completely dependant on my good graces.")

 From the Washington Post:

While Palin may not have called every tea party in America, The Washington Post did -- although not specifically to discuss Bristol Palin. A months-long survey of the nation's tea party groups showed that only 14 percent identified Palin as the tea party's leader, while 7 percent identified Glenn Beck. A third of the groups identified "no one" as the movement's leader. So, whether Palin called every tea party group or not, she still has strong support within the movement.

Also, a Washington Post-ABC News poll, found that, at the time, 54 percent of Americans thought that Bristol advanced on Dancing with the Stars due to large-scale voting by viewers who support her mother. Only 14 percent thought it was because she was one of the best dancers on the show. Twenty-six percent of respondents had no opinion on the matter.

A conservative blogger also claimed credit for the massive voter turnout in favor of Bristol, saying he orchestrated the fracas to get back at Democrats for years of voter fraud at the polls.

Barbara Walters interviews the President and Mrs. Obama. The word for today is "class."

I am not a big fan of Barbara Walter, but this interview was a joy to watch.

Here are parts one, two, three, and four.

I will embed part five because I want all of you to see how the Obama's talk about their family, their difficulties, and their view of the sacrifices made by our military fighting men and women. 



Now compare what you just heard to how somebody else responds to the challenges in her life.

BTW Walters should NEVER have brought up the Grizzled Mama to either our President or his wife.  These are serious accomplished people, and asking them to comment on the antics of the court jester is an insult to them, and to the American people.

In case you missed it...

Here is Paul Krugman confronting Roger Ailes on ABC"s"This Week" about the misinformation that is constantly disseminated by Fox News.



I hate it when these jerks on Fox News pretend to defend the intelligence of the American people, when in fact they are using it as a smokescreen to hide the fact that they are actively trying to dumb down their audience.

In this clip from the same show Ailes defends Glenn Beck's crazy talk and avoids answering whether or not newest Fox news contributor Sarah Palin's is qualified to be president. (Here is a hint, she is NOT.)



God that guy is a pompous ass.

Well I think he rolled the dice one time too many when he hired Sarah Palin. She is the Typhoid Mary of politics, and she will surely infect Fox News as well.

Barbara Walters Nightline interview with Sarah Palin.

I cannot believe Walters asked Sarah if she wanted to play basketball against Obama. At least she realizes that she would be outmatched.

By the way "political correctness" is a new Conservative catch phrase to hide their inherent racism and lack of civility. Pay close attention and you will notice you are hearing it often.

It is pretty clear that Palin has NO idea of the complexities surrounding the Jewish/Palestinian conflict in Israel. Nor does she care. She is a Christian Zionist who believes that Israel must be engaged in a war that virtually destroys the Jewish people in order to usher in the Rapture and return of the Messiah.

She does not give two shits about Israel except for the part it supposedly plays in delivering "her people" to heaven. I wonder if Joe Lieberman knows that?

Not to be missed Sarah Palin segments on Countdown and The Rachel Maddow Show.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Keith does a very good job of calling Sarah out on her lies as well. There seem to be enough lies to keep almost ALL of the MSM, cable news shows, and bloggers busy for days to come.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Now Rachel presents Nicolle Wallace's rebuttal of the lies Sarah Palin told about her. This is VERY powerful and reveals just how petty and deceptive Palin is willing to be.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

If you want to really understand how important it is to keep revealing the truth about Sarah Palin and to keep her from gaining any more influence, then watch this interview with Frank Schaeffer. It may at first seem not to relate to Palin and her supporters, but believe me it does.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Is the connection becoming clearer?

Barbara Walters Sarah Palin interview.

Part One



Did she say "bullcrap"? You know I think that Walters took a little joy at rubbing Palin's face in the jokes being made at her expense.

Part Two



Did she really parrot Dick Cheney's charge that President Obama is "dithering"? Lady you better stick to something you know, like faking pregnancies.

Not to nit pick but how could Barbara Walters have interviewed little Trig, per Sarah's Facebook post, if only Piper and Willow accompanied their mother on the book tour? Were they going to conduct a telephonic interview, with a deaf toddler with Down's Syndrome?

Does this woman EVER stop lying?

The answer of course is no, because only a few minutes later she lies concerning her knowledge that Bristol was sexually active. Palin's Deceptions proved long ago that Sarah suspected Bristol was pregnant as far back as the Spring of 2007.

By the way "Giddy-happy" is NOT an Alaskan term! I have quite literally NEVER heard that before in my life.

And once again her lie about Levi's lack of desire to be in his child's life is one we have seen refuted repeatedly by Levi. He desperately wants to spend time with his son.

I will post tomorrow's interview when it becomes available.

Sarah Palin uses little Trig to deflect criticism and to drum up interest in her Barbara Walters interview today. This is stomach churning.

Had a great conversation today with Barbara Walters regarding America’s special needs community. (Completely transparent attempt to appeal to her audience's compassionate nature.)Her compassion for those who some in our society see as “less than perfect” comes from personal experience as she was so close to her sister. Barbara wrote lovingly about her sister in her #1 bestselling memoir titled, Audition. (This is laying it on thick even by Sarah Palin standards. Surely people are not buying this?)Barbara and I even attempted to interview Trig during this segment, but he was about as patient through the interview as any other one-and-a-half-year-old child! (What? They "attempted to interview" a 19 month old toddler with Down's Syndrome? This little boy is almost completely deaf and has virtually no ability to communicate. I doubt he has very many words in his vocabulary, if any, and he could not even begin to respond to even the simplest of questions! This is the sickest pimping of a special needs child that I have ever seen!)I appreciate Barbara highlighting America’s special needs community. The beautiful heart of our country shines when we embrace these precious ones. Knowing of their unconditional love and need for our embrace reminds me every day of what really matters in this world.

- Sarah Palin

That entire passage made me ill to my stomach! I thought I had seen Sarah Palin at her worst, but I stand corrected. In the words of a friend of mine 'There is no bottom to how low she will go."

The AP takes note of the strange absence of Levi from Palin's book. It looks like Sarah finally blinked.

(Check out this bizarre photo of Walters with Sarah, Willow, and Piper. Sarah is still desperate to paint them as one big happy family.Photo courtesy of AP photographer Steve Fenin)

Sarah Palin's new memoir describes heart-wrenching anguish about her teen daughter's pregnancy playing out before a national audience. But the 413-page tome doesn't contain a single reference to the father of her grandson, soon-to-be Playgirl model Levi Johnston.

My understanding is that originally "Going Rogue" ripped into Levi with a vengeance.

It is pretty clear that his warnings to her have been heard and that SOMEBODY decided not to call his bluff.

However if Sarah has convinced herself that she is safe from having her deepest secrets revealed, then she is in for a rude awakening. E-mail boxes are being stuffed, and cell phones are ringing off of the hook, with people who want to tell all they know about Sarah Palin.

Choosing to write this book may have been the dumbest thing she has ever done.

By the way I guess this is not the FIRST time that Sarah blinked. This from the Wall Street Journal:

Ms. Palin was particularly angry at bloggers and the media, associates said, for speculation that her baby Trig was really the child of Bristol, her daughter.

At one point, according to people familiar with the discussions, Ms. Palin considered pursuing a libel suit against at least one blogger, the Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan. Ms. Palin decided against such a move because of the publicity it would bring.(That is bullshit. She well knew that the case would open up to public scrutiny the lies she was working so hard to keep secret.)

Mr. Sullivan, in response, said asking "factually verifiable questions is obviously not libel."

A spokeswoman for Ms. Palin didn't respond to email requests seeking comment. (No surprise there.)

Update: Speaking of bloggers and rumors, here is a page from "Going Rogue" that discusses MY part in the Palin media circus.

She addresses the missing ring as no big deal because it was only $35 anyhow, and once again makes the claim that Todd's looks keep her happy in the marriage. Unbelievable.

I guess she is just refusing to acknowledge that Todd moved out of Wasilla awhile ago, and that the rumors of marital problems have been substantiated by numerous sources. Including an even more recent one, that is just about as close to the family as you can get.

(H/T to my friend Celtic Diva for the page.)

The full Barack Obama interview with Barbara Walters. It is actually quite good.

Part One (Talk of the economy.



Part Two (In this portion Obama discusses racism and his personal safety.)



Part Three (Barack and Michele together, Damn those kids are cute!)



Part Four (Sasha and Malia's future is discussed.)



Part Five (Barack gives a Thanksgiving message.)



Part Six (Barack does not want a "girly" dog. I don't blame him a bit.)



I am not a huge fan of Barbara Walters, but this was a very nice and informative interview.