Employees of big corporations have seen it a thousand times.
"We are sad to announce John Doe has resigned effective immediately. He has decided to pursue other opportunities. We are sad he is leaving and wish him the best of luck."
In other words, John Doe was canned, his locks were changed and he was escorted to the door by a guard.
ABC released a similarly worded announcement Friday about Rosie O'Donnell's departure from "The View." It came after O'Donnell questioned whether it's America, not al Qaeda, who are terrorists in Iraq.
"655,000 Iraqi civilians have died. Who are the terrorists?" she asked.
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Network officials claim O'Donnell requested an early exit from her contract. It was due to expire in about three weeks. ABC wants people to believe they were simply honoring her request, but most folks are smart enough to read between the lines.
O'Donnell's remark is an insult to all troops serving in Iraq, but it also reflects a lot of pure stupidity from someone who's an expert in such things. Although many Americans question the wisdom of invading Iraq, the civilian deaths count is subject to considerable debate. Her reference to 655,000 is an estimate on the extreme high end. More importantly, most of the deaths didn't come at the hands of Americans. Murderous strife has been brewing between Sunnis and Shiites for decades. And adjoining countries are doing everything they can to fuel the civil strife.
It's not the first time Rosie has barked nonsense without remorse, and it won't be the last. Converting rude behavior into greenbacks is a skill she has honed to a razor's edge.
Sadly, a large number of people find her bizarre displays worth watching. Even worse, "The View" host Barbara Walters gives credence to O'Donnell's rabid utterings with remarks such as "Rosie contributed to one of our most exciting and successful years at 'The View.' "
Egads, Barbara! We expect that sort of twisted logic from Rosie, but when did you rebuke journalism and become a shameless Hollywood shill? It must be true: When you lay down with dogs, you get fleas.
