Rosie O'Donnell to Air Streisand Speech
November 5, 2000 7:02 pm EST
By Timna Tanners
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Talk show host Rosie O'Donnell will air
a political speech by her friend Barbra Streisand supporting
Democratic candidate Al Gore after her show's syndicator backed
down from objections, sources said Sunday.
The syndicator, Warner Brothers, dropped objections after
O'Donnell put her job on the line by saying she would not renew
her contract if Warner blocked the Streisand speech, the sources
said. The contract on her "Rosie O'Donnell Show" expires in two
months.
She said in Thursday and Friday shows that she planned to air
the four-minute clip of Streisand's comments at a fund-raiser for
Gore on Monday's show.
Streisand lauded O'Donnell's decision to run her comments in a
phone interview with CSPAN. "Rosie's a very brave girl, because
she's bucking Warner Brothers to do that," she said.
Spokesmen for O'Donnell were unavailable for comment. The talk
show host ran a copy of Streisand's endorsement on her web
site.
A close friend of Streisand, O'Donnell offered to air the
endorsement of Gore after Streisand expressed disappointment
with an interview conducted by Barbara Walters, where the
singer's political views were edited.
"She did the interview with Walters because of their
long-standing friendship and on the condition that she run the
speech she gave at the Democratic Convention after Gore's
nomination," a spokesman for Streisand said.
ABC, which produces Walters' "20/20" interview show, decided to
use only 44 words of her speech, the spokesman said, followed
by a clip of Republican candidate George Bush in his first debate
with Gore, addressing Streisand's claims.
A longtime Democratic Party supporter, Streisand said she
backed the vice president because of his pro-choice position and
environmental stand, among other reasons.
November 5, 2000 7:02 pm EST
By Timna Tanners
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Talk show host Rosie O'Donnell will air
a political speech by her friend Barbra Streisand supporting
Democratic candidate Al Gore after her show's syndicator backed
down from objections, sources said Sunday.
The syndicator, Warner Brothers, dropped objections after
O'Donnell put her job on the line by saying she would not renew
her contract if Warner blocked the Streisand speech, the sources
said. The contract on her "Rosie O'Donnell Show" expires in two
months.
She said in Thursday and Friday shows that she planned to air
the four-minute clip of Streisand's comments at a fund-raiser for
Gore on Monday's show.
Streisand lauded O'Donnell's decision to run her comments in a
phone interview with CSPAN. "Rosie's a very brave girl, because
she's bucking Warner Brothers to do that," she said.
Spokesmen for O'Donnell were unavailable for comment. The talk
show host ran a copy of Streisand's endorsement on her web
site.
A close friend of Streisand, O'Donnell offered to air the
endorsement of Gore after Streisand expressed disappointment
with an interview conducted by Barbara Walters, where the
singer's political views were edited.
"She did the interview with Walters because of their
long-standing friendship and on the condition that she run the
speech she gave at the Democratic Convention after Gore's
nomination," a spokesman for Streisand said.
ABC, which produces Walters' "20/20" interview show, decided to
use only 44 words of her speech, the spokesman said, followed
by a clip of Republican candidate George Bush in his first debate
with Gore, addressing Streisand's claims.
A longtime Democratic Party supporter, Streisand said she
backed the vice president because of his pro-choice position and
environmental stand, among other reasons.