The View

Rosie and Babwa stuck it to The Donald again today, with Babwa calling him a "poor, pathetic man." They showed solidarity with each other and their "View" companions, and Rosie then couldn't resist a little knife-turning of her own.

Rosie opened the show, sneering,"He's at it again," referring to Trump's open letter to Rosie yesterday, in which he recounted a conversation with Walters wherein she supposedly called Rosie a "pig" and essentially gave Rosie her walking papers.

Just after Barbara took her shots at Trump, whom they couldn't bring themselves to call by his name, Ro and Babs reaffirmed (at least on-air) their professional relationship ("We're both OK?" "We're OK"). Then, they engaged in a deeply galvanizing, team-building high five with Joy and Elisabeth, whereupon Ro took one final parting shot at Trump, exclaiming, "His show tanked!" (referring to "The Apprentice's" tepid Sunday debut) and quickly changed the topic.

No word on whether Trump will preempt President Bush's address to the nation this evening to present his response. The Donald did, however, release a statement early this afternoon slamming both of them, yet again.

According to Nielsen Media Research, Trump's "Apprentice" took a serious shellacking in the ratings this week, while Rosie continued to help the yentas on "The View" leave their daytime competition in the dust.

"The Apprentice" finished a distant third in its time slot on Sunday night, light years behind "Desperate Housewives" and "Cold Case," and barely in front of old "Family Guy" reruns on Fox. In fact, Trump's lead-in show, "You're the One That I Want," featuring pathetic Broadway wannabes, scored higher numbers. Ouch!

In contrast, Rosie's been unstoppable ever since she took her first shot at the combed-over real estate magnate. "The View" has been a ratings juggernaut, picking up approximately 77,000 new viewers per week in its metered markets. The latest round of bickering caused nearly twice the surge.

Donald Trump says that Barbara Walters called Rosie O'Donnell a "pig" in a phone conversation and that "she won't be [at "The View"] for long."

Trump sent a letter to Rosie O'Donnell this morning alleging that he and Babwa had a conversation about the Trump-Rosie hostilities while Babwa was on vacation. Trump says that, according to Walters, "working with [Rosie] is like living in hell" and, "Don't worry, she won't be here for long." What's more, Trump says that Walters advised him, "Donald, never get into the mud with pigs."

Donald also tells Rosie that she has "good reason to be angry" at Walters, anger that spilled over in a confrontation yesterday on "The View," prompting two items in New York tabloids this morning. A "View" rep tells TMZ, "Barbara refuses to get dragged into this."

On last night's "Monday Night Raw," the feuding lookalikes exchanged blows. "Rosie" put up a good fight, but "Trump" won the match by body-slamming his plump competitor after stuffing her face with cake, even though she prefers pie. "The Donald's" hair even came to his aid, as he finished off "Rosie" with a vicious hairbutt.

Sigh. If only they'd do it for real!

Rosie wasted no time in her first "View" appearance of 2007 to punch back at Trump, likening the Donald to "Mount Vesuvius" and taking another potshot at the mogul's unfortunate hair. Then, Babwa piled on, asserting that Trump had concocted his assertion that she "hates" Rosie. "Everything he said I said about [Rosie] is totally untrue," said Babwa.

And just when Ro said she would put an end to her Trump-bashing early in the show, she kept on going, and going, and going Energizer-style herself, doing another cranky impression and slyly (and jokingly) insinuating that Trump might have had something to do with the persistent gas smell lingering over Manhattan this morning. (Trump had nothing to say, by the way, during his appearance on "Live with Regis and Kelly" today.)

Melania Trump knows how to stand by her man, although she might not know quite how to say it.

The Donald's trophy wife, who somehow gets hotter by the minute, pumped for her hubby today on "Good Day L.A.," saying that Rosie has "anger inside and she needs to work on that in herself."

She warned Rosie: "She should read his book. In every book he say, if somebody attack you, you attack them ten times harder ... if you watch 'The View' you can see how hatred she has toward my husband." You don't say.

Barbara Walters said she still loves Rosie, but Donald Trump isn't buying it.

On today's episode of "The View," Walters read a statement correcting specifics in a recent rant Rosie O'Donnell waged against Donald Trump, and added that she has never regretted hiring Rosie -- though Trump maintains the opposite was said to him.

Trump called into CNN Headline News' "Showbiz Tonight" and said Barbara's feelings towards Rosie are anything but cordial, and he believes she has to put up a front for the sake of the show. "Is she going to get on and say that 'I can't stand Rosie'? She has to work with her," adds Trump, "Barbara knows what she said to me, and if I really tell you what she said, it just creates havoc." Far be it from The Donald to want any havoc!

Although he says he has nothing but love for Barbara, there's "zero chance" Trump will appear on "The View" to hug it out with Ro anytime soon.

Hear Trump's towering interview tonight at 11pm ET.

Walters said she never told her "friend" Donald Trump that she wanted Rosie off the show, saying, "Nothing could be further from the truth." O'Donnell is currently on vacation and Walters says she will be welcomed back "with open arms."

Last night, the Donald phoned into "Larry King Live" from a phone on his private jet, and continued to bash his newfound enemy by comparing Rosie's claims that Donald went bankrupt to the "lies" that got the U.S. involved in the war in the Middle East.

"When people lie, Larry, I like to go after them. And I think, frankly, more people should be like that. I mean you look at this country, look at the problems we have -- lots of lies got us into the war in Iraq."

Earlier in the week, Rosie posted a message on her blog detailing Trump's financial history. "She said ... I went bankrupt three or four times, there's only one problem, I never went bankrupt."

The bitter feud officially began when Rosie ripped Trump on "The View," for acting as America's "moral authority" in his public pardon of Miss USA Tara Conner.

Fitting, perhaps, since "pig-faced" was just one of the adjectives Trump used to describe Rosie yesterday after their public slapfight exploded. Against expectations, Rosie chose not to get in the ring with the Infamously-Coifed One, making only passing reference to The Donald.

Pointing out the presence of her partner Kelli in the studio audience, Rosie said, "I was afraid to leave her home in case someone with a combover [ahem] came and stole her from me."

And that was that. Meanwhile, Donald vented on "Good Morning L.A." Is Rosie now taking the high road, or has she been silenced? Her rep says she's has no additional comment.

Donald Trump continued his vicious attack on Rosie O'Donnell on Thursday by calling into local morning show "Good Day L.A.," and proclaiming that Barbara Walters hates Rosie as much as he does!

The Donald fired off a litany of insults, personally attacking the "View" co-host by calling her a "bully," "a loser," "stupid," and even compared her to a "clam."

Some of the Trump lowlights were:

Regarding "The View's" surge in ratings this year: "I bring it up because they talk about me. Ultimately, that show will fail because of Rosie," adding, "Barbara (Walters) made a mistake. She cannot stand Rosie O'Donnell."

On Rosie's intelligence: "She's not very smart. I think Rosie is stupid."

On Rosie's appearance: "If you can look as ugly as she looks ... I give her credit for having succeeding moderately."

On Rosie's sexuality: "I think she's very attracted to Miss USA. She probably wanted to put the crown on her head herself."

On, er, well, you figure it out: "She was like a little clam. A disgusting thought isn't it, when you compare Rosie to a clam?"

TMZ spoke to Walters' rep (who also reps Rosie), who says that Barbara had no comment and added that she is on vacation "in the middle of nowhere."

The blowup, which seems to have been brewing for years, exploded yesterday after Rosie attacked Trump on "The View," chastising him for acting as America's "moral authority" in his public pardon of Miss USA Tara Conner.

After the on-air rant, Rosie told "EXTRA" that Donald really didn't care about Conner's drug addiction, calling the whole thing a publicity stunt. "I just think he's a hot bag of wind," said O'Donnell.

Barbara Walters and Rosie O'Donnell got into a whole fight about whether Barbara was richer than Rosie, and Rosie said she was not coming back to "The View" ... and Rosie hates all Asian people.

That was what Babwa and Rosie said we'd write today about a particularly raucous Hot Topics on "The View," and if they're going to write our copy for us, well, thanks, ladies!

The hullabaloo started when Rosie and her boss Barbara began an absurdist quarrel about who was less rich, whereupon Rosie ruthlessly mocked Star Jones' famous on-air eff-you to the show, saying, "After much prayer and counsel, I have decided that I won't be coming back to 'The View.'" She quickly rescinded, but the psychic damage was done.

Rosie said that the pin-thin Richie was about the same size as her 9-year-old, and Barbara lamented that Nicole felt compelled to downsize herself from the miniscule 100 pounds listed on her driver's license, to the skeletal 85 pounds that authorites listed as her weight on arrest.

She may not have used the N-word, but that doesn't mean Rosie O'Donnell is in the clear when it comes to race relations.

According to Page 6, Asian-Americans are fuming at "The View" host for saying that Danny DeVito's drunken antics made headlines in China that read: 'Ching chong, ching ching chong, Danny DeVito!"

"The use of the distorted phrases is insulting to the Chinese and Chinese-Americans, and gives the impression that they are a group that is substandard to English-speaking people," says the Asian-American Journalists Association. But Rosie's rep thinks they just don't get it: "I certainly hope that one day they will be able to grasp her humor."

When exactly did Britney Spears jump the shark? Writer Camille Paglia says it was when she kissed Madonna on the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. Paglia told US that, in a sense, Madonna was saying, "'I'm passing the torch to you.' It was a fabulous moment. Britney looked toned, in control of her career. Literally from that kiss, from that moment onward, Britney has spiraled out of control." Thanks a lot, Madge.

Pop diva Mariah Carey is trying to stop porn star Mary Carey from trademarking her name, claiming that fans might get confused. Entertainment Weekly reports that Mary Carey, who has starred in films like "Double Air Bags" and "Boobsville Sorority Girls," finds the whole thing "silly." We're guessing Mariah just doesn't want anything distracting from her dynamic duo.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are back in the good ol' U.S. of A. To celebrate Brad's upcoming birthday, Hollywood's hottest couple visited Fallingwater, an architectural wonderland built by Frank Lloyd Wright, near Pittsburgh. Then the pretty pair headed to New York so Angie could promote her new movie, "The Good Shepherd" ... George Clooney is working on a deal to produce a movie based on John Grisham's first nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man." Right now, though, Clooney has no plans to star in or direct it ... Kid Rock, who moved back to Detroit after his split with Pam Anderson, has been seen with his ex, Conchita Leeflang. He even flew to L.A. to go to Leeflang's birthday party at rapper Eddie Mayhem's crib.

"Don't anybody worry where Rosie's going – she's right here," said O'Donnell, rumored to be leaving after her contract ended in the summer. Reports swirled that she might bolt to join the cast of FX's drama "Nip/Tuck," on which she's had a starring role. But Rosie pointed out she could shoot her episodes of "Nip/Tuck" while "The View" is on hiatus during the summer.

Sources have suggested that Rosie's had a tough time fitting in at "The View," but there's no doubt that she's been ratings gold for the show – last month it had its biggest November audience ever.

Dolly Parton told Jessica Simpson not to worry about her shaky performance at the Kennedy Center Honors, saying that Jessica is "so talented and that she'd be "honored" to return the favor someday.

Parton released a statement in which she waved off Simpson's nerve-wracked rendition of "9 to 5." "Jessica is so talented that I'm sure that someday they will be paying tribute to her and I would be honored to perform for her," said Parton. "But I'll probably be so nervous that I'll forget my wig!"

Beyonce ambushed her Jiggaman with a stunningly expensive three-day birthday party – but it didn't turn into the nuptials that had been rumored. As Rush & Molloy report, the supposed "wedding," which was meant to be happening this weekend, isn't, and the couple and their lucky pals are already back from the birthday party. Still, what a party it was: The couple and 20 of their closest pals boarded two chartered 757s Monday night (one had a 20-seat movie theater), boarded a 270-foot yacht in St. Martin, then swam, snorkeled, and even submarined into the depths of the ocean for two days. An R&M source estimates that the sybaritic shindig cost $1 million per day.

In the bizarre email uncovered yesterday by Page Six, Lindsay Lohan mentioned that she might sue a certain "LR" for tattling on her to the tabloids. That "LR," says the Post, is her former assistant, Lindsay Ratowsky. The two Lindsays have had a famously rocky relationship ever since Ratowsky ditched Lohan to work for Jessica Biel, and she fumed when Ratowsky showed up to an event last week with Biel. Meanwhile, as TMZ reported yesterday, Al Gore doesn't know anything about helping La Lohan do an image makeover, nor do the Clintons, either, as the freckled phenom had suggested in her missive.

Tori Spelling is selling her stuff today in Studio City, so get there early (it starts at 9 AM PT) and sharpen those elbows. She tells People, "I wanted to get organized before the baby arrives, so this seemed the perfect time to clean house." You can snap up her "90210" memorabilia and "jeans that [her] preggers butt can't fit into anymore." ... Heather Mills has fired Anthony Julius of London law firm Mishcon de Reya and will be representing herself in her divorce proceedings because, according to her rep, she can't afford a lawyer ... Original "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch is appealing his conviction on tax-evasion charges, saying that he had agreed with the show's producers that his tax burden would be shouldered by them, which they deny. Hatch is serving a four-year prison sentence.

With all of Rosie O'Donnell's discussion of Britney's drawers this week on "The View," we thought we'd delve into her, er, personal wardrobe too.

Should you so desire, eBay has an auction for an XL teddy Rosie wore during the filming of "Exit to Eden." With a starting price of $250, this wouldn't cover a single pair for Britney, but it will get you into Rosie's pants (if you really want to go there).