Here's something you don't see everyday: The notoriously liberal Rosie O'Donnell on Tuesday recounted a time in 2002 where she snubbed Bill Clinton. The View co-host, angry over how the ex-president treated Monica Lewinsky, added that she thought the Democrat should have been prosecuted for his actions. After stating that she "loves" Lewinsky, O'Donnell explained the public encounter: "The Secret Service came over and said 'President Clinton would like to speak to you' and I said "I really can't right at the moment." [MP3 audio here.]
She continued, "And they said, 'No, but he really wants to speak to you.' And I said, "I really can't." O'Donnell then leveled this charge: "But I think she's an amazing woman and if it was a company like GE he would have been prosecuted because you're not allowed to have sex with people."
Her co-hosts then explained that Clinton was prosecuted via impeachment. The View host clarified, "I think, corporately, the corporation would have said you're out. You're not allowed to have sex with anyone in your line of duty."
Earlier in the day, ABC and CBS glossed over Bill Clinton's culpability in the affair.
A partial transcript of the October 21 segment is below:
11:07
ROSIE O'DONNELL: I love Monica Lewinsky. In 2002, I was opening the Mohegan Sun and President Clinton was there, as well as Aretha Franklin and Cher and the Secret Service came over and said President Clinton would like to speak to you and I said "I really can't right at the moment." And they said, "No, but he really wants to speak to you." And I said, "I really can't." And I went on stage and did a little bit about it. And I said she's walking around the world with the Scarlet letter A on her forehead and he's laughing his way through his life and I didn't think it was fair and she wrote me a letter and she said that I was the first public person that stood up for her in 2002. But I think she's an amazing woman and if it was a company like GE he would have been prosecuted because you're not allowed to have sex with people –
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: He was prosecuted. Didn't we --
NICOLLE WALLACE: He was impeached.
GOLDBERG: He was impeached.
O'DONNELL: So, if it was a company, right, I think, corporately, the corporation would have said you're out. You're not allowed to have sex with anyone in your line of duty. Right? Like –
WALLACE: Chain of command.
O'DONNELL: Chain of command. Right.
WALLACE: It's a good point.
ROSIE PEREZ: I think that, the issue is we shouldn't excuse her for her behavior. But we should stand behind her because no one deserves to be bullied in the fashion that she was.
O'DONNELL: Yeah.
