Rosie Defends Anti-Asian Remarks, Attacks DeLay and O'Reilly

On the April 16 edition of "The View," Rosie O’Donnell responded to Tom DeLay’s call for her firing by asserting we’re "entering dangerous territory" against free speech. Apparently, free speech does not extend to Mr. DeLay’s right to call for her firing. Rosie also tried to clarify her anti-Asian remarks noting she made a joke, and Don Imus did not.

ROSIE O’DONNELL: I don’t feel concerned, but I will tell you this. I think we're in dangerous territory when people like Tom DeLay a man of high moral standards, [laughter] when people like Tom DeLay want me to be fired for my political opinions. That's a dangerous state of affairs here in democracy. If you have a dissenting opinion, you know, that you are somehow a threat to the country or the world, if you want to bring up a subject or question something in our government or that our government is doing you're somehow not patriotic and therefore should be off the air. That’s when we’re–

BARBARA WALTERS: Is that the reasoning that he’s giving?

O’DONNELL: Well, first he said that she was so very offensive to the Chinese people because he's been really so supportive and encouraging of the plight of the Chinese in America his who life and career, Mr. DeLay. [laughter and applause] When I made that joke, the point of the joke being the absurdity of a Danny DeVito being drunk story being international news. So there’s a joke that the point of the joke was the absurdity of a drunk actor making the international news in other countries. Calling someone descriptions -- Imus didn't make a joke. That wasn't a joke. That was name calling.

Echoing left wing smear sites, Rosie noted Rush Limbaugh in passing, but specifically singled out Bill O’Reilly inquiring, "why isn’t he thrown off?"

ROSIE O’DONNELL: But if you listen to what Rush Limbaugh says on his radio show

JOY BEHAR: Yes, listen to him.

O’DONNELL: If you listen to Bill O'Reilly, the horrific things that he says and names he calls people why isn't he thrown off?

Barbara Walters noted that Bill O’Reilly has not made racist remarks. Rosie would not give O'Reilly the same benefit of the doubt she just pleaded for and noted an alleged anti-Mexican slur in the past.

BARBARA WALTERS: Bill O'Reilly has not made racist remarks. Political opinions --

O’DONNELL: Bill O'Reilly has not made racist remarks? He's called Mexicans wet backs. That's a racist remark, wet backs.