10-20-10 - The News today, DADT and an interview with Nancy Komen

In case you missed it...

DWTS, THE TEA PARTY FOR DUMMIES, CHRISTINE O'DONNELL AND BILL O'REILLY
Rosie began today's show saying she was mad and declaring that she was never watching Dancing With The Stars again because Florence Henderson was voted off.  Deirdre thinks Florence didn't get enough votes because most people who are voting are young kids and they don't know who Florence Henderson is.  So, most the voters didn't grow up with Florence in their lives like they did.  Rosie was touched by Florence's reaction as she was sent home.  Janette was too.  Rosie said she thinks that Bristol Palin has to go.  Deirdre is sure Bristol won't be going anywhere because viewers like having Sarah Palin's daughter on the show.

Rosie asked Brendan to explain what the Tea Party, Palin's main fan base, actually is.  Brendan said, in an overall sense, the Tea Party is the far right element of the Republican party.  But the Tea Party also represents Libertarians and Anarchists.  Brendan pointed out that the people running the Tea Party movement (in simple terms) are very rich people that don't want businesses regulated.  Brendan continued to say  the Republican gains in the mid-term elections would have been even greater if it weren't for the Tea Party candidates.  He said in a way, the Tea Party has messed up some of the Republican Party's chances of having an overwhelming win in November. 

They discussed the latest soundbite being discussed in the media between Christine O'Donnell and Chris Coon.  Coon had just said that public schools are paid for by tax dollars so they must remain religiously neutral due to the separation of church and state.  Christine then asks her opponent where in the Constitution does it state there should be a separation of church and state.   The audience bursts into laughter because they're at a LAW school studying Constitutional LAW.



Bobby commented that Christine O'Donnell steps in "it," then she jumps in "it," then she started swimming in "it" as her comments become worse and worse as the line of questioning continues.  Rosie sees these Christine O'Donnell and Sarah Palin type candidates as having all of the facade and none of the content of a true candidate for public office.  Rosie was startled after listening to Christine's ignorance and Deirdre said she's scared by it!  Brendan defended her and said it's almost not her fault.  Brendan said that Christine O'Donnell is a self-identified Christian Conservative and the Christian Conservative movement has done a lot of propaganda work saying the exact words "separation of church and state" is not in the Constitution.    It's true, those exact words aren't in it.  But the phrase was used by a founding father (Thomas Jefferson) to explain the First Amendment.   Brendan said that Christine has been indoctrinated with the knowledge that the words "separation of church and state" are not actually in the Constitution but she didn't have the ability to verbally explain what she meant in her questioning of her opponent.  Brendan said it's scary that Christine O'Donnell is a vote away from representing all of us!

Rosie wondered how these types of candidates get the nominations.  Bobby said that the Tea Party movement plays on people's fears and that many people today just read headlines or listen to soundbites and not the whole story.  Brendan said we have a docile and complacent public.  Janette said this situation has been creeping up for many decades now as we become more and more complacent, as elections go up for sale and political corruption grows and grows.  Rosie thinks news is cherry-picked and manufactured by those that run the news organizations in order to promote their own agendas.

Janette also feels that as Americans we generally don't believe in our ability to effect change anymore.  She referenced the Vietnam era when as a nation we believed if we screamed loud enough we would surely be heard and change would happen.

Rosie talked about the times that she had Bill O'Reilly on The Rosie O'Donnell Show in the 1990s.  She said there was a time when people laughed at his shenanigans.  When Bill did her show he wasn't nearly as known as he is today.  She wondered how people like Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck take themselves so seriously and how they believe that what they feel, think or say is valid, important or true.  Rosie said she has a show to entertain, she's an entertainer.  She's not giving her audience commandments by which to run their lives.  She seemed disturbed by how inflated their egos are and out of control they seem with power.  Janette said that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck live in their own little worlds of power.  Bobby thinks that O'Reilly and Beck say the things they say just to manipulate the public into thinking that way but he cannot believe that they truly believe the shit that they say!  Deirdre and Rosie think they surely believe what they say.  Bobby thought they have to be smarter that to actually believe their rhetoric.  Janette reminded Bobby that it's not only the uneducated that practice bias and hatred. 

They referenced The View drama from the other day and how Bill went on his television show later defending what he had said that Muslims attacked us on 9/11.  Bill went on to say that we never said  the "radical Japanese" attacked us or  the "radical Germans" attacked us.  Rosie pointed out that the two are not the same.  One is a COUNTRY and one is to a RELIGION! 

Janette brought up the way some Americans have responded to the mosque that is to be built at ground zero.  She said it's not even a mosque, it's a community center and all the protests started when one woman called it a mosque and everyone took that idea and ran.  Rosie said it's fear, bigotry and hatred that they sell on Fox.  The fact Bill O'Reilly presents his opinions as FACTS and he's considered a political journalist really bothers Rosie.    

A listener called in who listens to Rosie and also Bill O'Reilly.  She thought  people have grabbed onto him so much because we're at our worst right now and his perspective is to try to get people to stand up and demand change.  She then referred to the new Healthcare Plan as "Obamacare" to which Rosie called her out.  Rosie told the caller "Obamacare" is a term that she's clearly learned from watching Fox News and listening to Bill O'Reilly.  Rosie told the caller to remember there are things about the Healthcare Reform that are positive.  She asked the caller to remember that despite the fact her premiums may go up, we have a responsibility as a nation to take care of all of our citizens.  Brendan said  he thinks the appeal of people like Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck are that they are bullies.  He said they bully their way into talking points and conversations and people like that.  He said a "bully pulpit" is appealing to some people. 

Rosie wondered why we allow these bullies to continue and Brendan quoted Paul Simon and said, "Man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."

Rosie, still reeling from the last caller, said to call Bill O'Reilly a political journalist is ridiculous.  Rosie took a call from a listener who thinks Glenn Beck is scarier than Bill O'Reilly.  She said people who are willfully ignorant will buy into his antisemitic, religious based theories thinking they're correct as they're shrouded in Libertarianism.  She felt sorry for true Libertarians because the political belief has been hijacked by those nuts! 

Rosie doesn't understand how anyone can watch Fox News and think it's true news.  She feels in order to have democracy function, it is the job of the press to keep our elected officials accountable without slanting the news they deliver to play to one political party.  Janette feels news is news and should not be opinion.  She said news used to be news because of its objectivity.   She said in the past you never even knew what political party the newscaster you were listening to was affiliated with.  She said news used to be not something to agree or disagree with, it was just something to know. 

WEAR PURPLE, DON'T ASK DON'T TELL AND OBAMA GETTING IT REPEALED
Bobby reminded everyone to wear purple today in support of tolerance, to support gay teens and to end hate.  Rosie mentioned that she really enjoyed Hillary Clinton's "It Gets Better" video.  See below.

Hillary Clinton - Tomorrow Will Be Better 

Rosie also said  Don't Ask Don't Tell has temporarily been ruled unconstitutional and as of yesterday gays were allowed to enlist in the Armed Forces. Rosie wanted to discuss when President Obama was on MTV the other day and a woman questioned him on why he has not repealed DADT.  See clip below.



Rosie wonders why Obama doesn't simply repeal the law since he's the Commander and Chief and it was a campaign promise!  Brendan said that Obama believes he has the votes to get it passed through Congress when it's not attached to a spending bill.  He said the nightmare scenario is if Obama loses the Senate in the midterm elections and then cannot get it passed. Brendan warned that the President is alienating his base and he's not getting any gains for it from the opposition either. Bobby defended the President and said he's only been in office for two years and he wants people to give him time to get it done.  He reminded everyone that although he's the Commander and Chief, it's not a dictatorship and he has to follow the laws we have in place in this country in order to have a bill repealed.  He doesn't want the repeal of DADT to be compared to things that President Bush pushed through during his presidency (like when he made it possible for him to declare war without an act of Congress and when he made it legal tap people's telephones).  He wants people to have patience and allow Obama the opportunity to make it happen through the correct channels.

Rosie took a call from a listener whose partner is a military member.  She said repealing DADT won't even help her partner.  She said even if they repealed it she still couldn't go into work tomorrow and admit she's gay because she'd be ostracized and the conditions would be made so horrible for her she'd have to leave. Janette read an article in the New York Times which stated that most members of the military thought the repeal had already occurred.   Rosie took a call from a listener who disagreed with Bobby.  He said everyone in the military is ready for the change and as soon as the judge ruled it unconstitutional sweeping changes immediately went into effect.  He blamed politics for making it drag on and said if we don't repeal it soon he's worried it's never going to get done.  

THE 200TH SHOW, LIFE BEFORE TIVO, THE CHAI LATTE BROKEN DOWN AND DATING
Janette announced that today is their 200th show! YAY! 

Rosie said she watched last night's repeat of Glee and enjoyed it.  She said at the end when they sang True Colors her children sang along and she was truly touched by that.  Blake kept asking Rosie to fast-forward through the commercials, and she was having a hard time explaining to him that she couldn't fast-forward through a live program.  He asked her if there were someone she could call to have the commercials skipped.  Rosie told her kids the stories of the olden days when they didn't have VCRs or DVRs.  She told them you were lucky if you were able to see your favorite shows and even luckier if you caught the rerun months later.  She said it's hard for her kids to wrap their heads around that concept.  Janette remembered a night she was horribly upset because she couldn't watch an episode of Star Trek because her father wanted to watch something else.  Rosie remembered she had two choices in her house of where to watch TV.  They had the color television in the living room and the little black and white TV in her parent's bedroom.

Rosie said she's become addicted to a venti Chai Latte at Starbucks.  She was there yesterday purchasing said latte when a young girl with rainbow jewelry was next to her in line.  She started up a conversation with the girl and asked her if she was a DJ because she was wearing large headphones.  The girl said she wasn't a DJ but that would be her dream job.  Rosie asked her where she went to school and the girl told her she was not in school, she was 29 years old!  That got Rosie thinking about about people who date people so much younger than themselves.  She wondered how that ever happens and what they would have in common.

Deirdre has noticed that she's a bit judgmental of people who date outside their age.  She's 44 and she's now interested in a man who's 50.  At first she thought FIFTY!  Then she realized that is only six years older than her!  Rosie said her Ex Kelli was dating someone for a while who was 50.  Rosie found that shocking until Kelli reminded her that Rosie is 48!  She thought, "Oh crap, I am almost 50!"

Deirdre looked up the nutritional information for a Chai Latte and said that it contains: 221 calories, 8 grams of fat and 41 grams of sugar!  Janette said that is way too many calories for a drink, even if it's her lunch.  Rosie never drank them until Chelsea introduced them to her.  It shocked Bobby to find out that Rosie went to Starbucks at all!  Janette suggested a healthy green drink instead of a Chai Latte and Rosie didn't sound very interested or excited by that recommendation.

AMBASSADOR NANCY BRINKER

Rosie then introduced Ambassador Nancy Brinker who was on the telephone.  Nancy Brinker is the founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization named after her only sister, Susan.  Brinker was also United States Ambassador to Hungary from 2001 to 2003 and Chief of Protocol of the United States in 2007.

Nancy's sister Susan died from breast cancer in 1980 at age 36.  Before she died, Susan asked Nancy to promise to help end this disease. Susan  had two children who were 10 and 6 when she died.   Nancy said she is quite sure Susan was BRCA positive as she is.  Her sister's cancer was  very aggressive and not treated right in the beginning and she lived and died in Peoria with no local cancer programs or advocates.  Nancy didn't find out she was positive for the breast cancer gene until years later.  She too developed breast cancer but her cancer was treated very aggressively and she was put into a clinical trial very early on. Nancy is living cancer free today.

Nancy said the foundation she set up was small in its beginning but they acted big.  Now they're the largest breast cancer organization in the world.

Rosie reminded listeners that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and discussed with Nancy the recent questions over whether or not mammograms are an effective way to diagnose the disease and how MRI's have been found to be a better alternative but are more cost prohibitive.  Nancy said one thing is for sure and that is there's a technology gap.  Mammography is the only screening tool really being utilized for diagnosis and she said they need newer generation tools.  Nancy knows that better tools for screening are out there but they need more political will and she feels  because it's still largely a woman's disease that prevents progress.  She also discussed the frustrations over the fact that breast cancer has never been diagnosed an epidemic and what that would mean for funding.  Her foundation has given over a billion and a half dollars to breast cancer research yet they still don't get large gifts from corporations despite the fact that breast cancer effects 200,000 women a year and over 40,000 women die every year from this disease (and that's only in the United States).

Nancy remains hopeful that they will find a cure for breast cancer and she's determined to make sure that we have better screening for the disease.  She would like to see the day when breast cancer is a manageable disease, almost like Diabetes, and people live for a long time with treatment after they've been diagnosed.  Rosie and Nancy talked about the physical and the emotional toll breast cancer takes on the family. 

Nancy hopes her own breast cancer is gone forever but said she always has the worry that it could come back.  Rosie asked her if she ever wonders why she survived and her sister did not.  Nancy wasn't sure of the  reason but said sometimes she wonders if it's her work that she's done to fight it that's kept her alive.

Rosie said  many of the women in her neighborhood where she grew up got breast cancer.  Her own mother died of the disease when Rosie was only 10 years old.  Rosie's dear friend Jackie's mother got breast cancer a few years after Rosie's mom died and was given only a 5% chance of survival.  She's still alive today.  Nancy said  some people may have stronger immune systems that help them fight the disease.   Nancy's friend was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer 18 years ago and is still alive today. 

They discussed the BRCA test and the need for genetic screening.  Nancy doesn't think everyone with a family history of breast cancer needs to have genetic testing but she said if you have a certain family history, like a family member with a premenopausal diagnosis or if you're a Ashkenazi Jew, you should seriously consider it.  Rosie was offered the genetic test but has decided not to have it.  She said she gets tested every year for the disease and she's very fortunate to be able to afford the best tests available.   

Nancy said that last year alone her foundation funded 500,000 mammograms.  She wrote the book "Promise Me" about her sister, their relationship and her service to this cause.  She said it was hard to do but she realized it was time to start to chronicle her life and why she promised to do more.  She said it was very difficult looking back at painful times in her life and hard to relive but she's proud of the organization and all it has accomplished.

Rosie thanked Nancy for the interview and for her work to fight breast cancer.  For more information on the Susan G. Komen Foundation you can visit their website HERE.  Also, you can pick up a copy of her book Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer to read her story. 

GAME
Today's game was all about letters.  Each player was given a letter and they had to recall a word that both started and ended with that letter.   

ROUND ONE
Janette - the letter was N.  She said Nun. 
Rosie - the letter was D.  She said Dead.
Deirdre - the letter was F.  She couldn't guess one.
Caller - the letter was B.  She couldn't guess one.
Bobby - the letter was H. He guessed High. 

ROUND TWO
Janette - the letter was K. She said Kack which wasn't a word.
Rosie - the letter was E. She said Everyone.
Deirdre - the letter was M. She guessed Mom.
Caller - the letter was W.  She guessed Wow. 
Bobby - the letter was L. He couldn't guess one.

ROUND THREE
Janette - the letter was T. She said Tat. 
Rosie - the letter was A. She said Alfalfa.  Rosie was the winner!   She got 3 for 3. 
Deirdre - the letter was G. She said Grog.
Caller - the letter was R. She said Roar.
Bobby - the letter was S. He guessed Seizes.

Rosie said she had an advantage because she plays Scrabble nightly on Pogo.com.  The caller won two tickets to the big comedy show that Rosie is hosting on November 5th and a $50 gift card!  She was excited because she had just gotten her BRCA test results back and she was negative for the breast cancer gene. 

Bobby told a quick story about a cab driver he had who was wearing latex gloves and a mask and started yelling that he sees the devil everywhere on the street.  He lovingly said that the driver reminded him of Janette. 

Rosie has finally seen an episode of the new talk show The Talk produced by their friend John Redmann who once produced The Rosie O'Donnell Show.  Rosie really liked it and said she loves all the women on the program.  Her only criticism was that she thought the set was too large.  

Rosie closed the show.

and that's what you missed -kw