Barack Obama the Hot Topic on The View

Barbara Walters hit on Barack Obama today on The View, telling the Democratic candidate he was "very sexy looking." They also touched on some other topics.

On being a distant relative of Brad Pitt: "I guess we're ninth cousins something removed or something. I think he got the better-looking side of the gene pool."

On surviving the attack machine: "I'm skinny but I'm tough. I think the way to handle attacks, wherever they're coming from. And there have been some tough punches thrown in this Democratic primary. It's not like I've kind of been taking a cakewalk through this primary. The way I like to handle attacks is to answer honestly, swiftly, forcefully and truthfully. I think the truth is a powerful weapon."

On Jeremiah Wright: "Had the reverend not retired, and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws — then I wouldn't have felt comfortable staying there at the church."

View the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

Sphere: Related Content

News: Heath Ledger Hoax, Italy, Matt Damon, Mexico, Diana Ross,

Time magazine looks at the 15th anniversary of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": "The issue exploded during Clinton's first week as President, triggered by those in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill opposed to his campaign pledge to reverse an executive order barring gays and lesbians from serving. 'The issue is whether men and women who can and have served with real distinction should be excluded from military service solely on the basis of their status,' Clinton said at the time. 'And I believe they should not.' While the phrase 'don't ask, don't tell' wasn't used at that January 29, 1993, press conference, that's what everyone soon began calling the policy."

Not that Oz: Matt Damon in the Emerald City.

Diana Ross BOOED in Jamaica: Not ready for her close-up.

200 Mexican youths and parents march to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS: "Participants marched through the city's main streets chanting slogans, such as 'Not One More Infected Person' and 'Equal Rights for Young Homosexuals.' Some of the participants also dressed in costumes and distributed condoms. Josue Quino, head of the CAIPAJ gay adolescent and youth center, said the march was necessary to warn youth that a 'single unprotected [sexual] encounter is enough to' contract HIV. Members from the Group of Mothers and Fathers for Diversity also marched in the demonstration, carrying signs that said 'We're Proud of Our Children' and 'Our Children Have United Our Families.'"

Manchester UK police investigate rape at gay sauna.

Clay Aiken: no love.

Which one's Twiggy, which one's Keira Knightley?

Barbara Walters bans Kathy Griffin from The View...again. Griffin: "I was supposed to be on 'The View' [today]. But then I get a call from [producer] Bill Geddie and he says, 'You were too mean to Barbara [Walters] on your last special, so you can't come on.' Can you believe it? I've been banned before, but never re-banned!"

Scammer, posing as Heath Ledger's father, takes advantage of doctor, funeral home, Tom Cruise, and John Travolta: " Cops want to arrest the con man on fraud and larceny charges, and sent detectives to Ledger's wake at the funeral home Friday in hopes of catching him, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. But police do not know the identity of the impostor - who also tried to finagle from one unidentified Hollywood star the numbers of actors Mel Gibson and Christian Bale, who have co-starred in movies with Ledger."

Michael Jackson to get additional reconstructive surgery — this time to his album Thriller.

Method Acting: Sean Penn and James Franco, playing Harvey Milk and his lover Scott Smith, respectively, in the Gus van Sant biopic Milk, reportedly wanted to shack up together for a while before filming started to get to know one another, but due to scheduling difficulties, those plans fell through.

Study finds middle age is truly depressing: "For men and women the probability of depression slowly builds and then peaks when people are in their forties -- a similar pattern found in 72 countries ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe, the researchers said. About eight nations -- mostly in the developing world -- did not follow the U-shaped pattern for happiness levels, Oswald and his colleague David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College in the United States wrote. 'It happens to men and women, to single and married people, to rich and poor, and to those with and without children,' Oswald said. 'Nobody knows why we see this consistency.' One possibility may be that people realize they won't achieve many of their aspirations at middle age, the researchers said. Another reason could be that after seeing their fellow middle-aged peers begin to die, people begin to value their own remaining years and embrace life once more. But the good news is that if people make it to aged 70 and are still physically fit, they are on average as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year old."

German airline to offer nudist flight.

Italian MP called 'faggot, fairy' and 'traitor' for voting against party lines in order to defend Italian Premier Romano Prodi: "The name-calling erupted on the floor of the Italian Senate on Jan. 24 as Sen. Stefano 'Nuccio' Cusumano shocked fellow members of the tiny Udeur Party by declaring his support for Prodi. The party decided a week earlier to withdraw from Prodi’s fragile ruling coalition, forcing a 'confidence' vote under Italy’s parliamentary system. The Senate voted 161 to 156 to defeat a resolution of confidence for Prodi, forcing him to resign immediately. Although the Udeur Party had helped Prodi form his center-left government in 2006, the party strongly opposed legislation backed by Prodi to provide legal rights and benefits for same-sex couples."

Gay Fort Worth city councilman Joel Burns talks to the Victory Fund, calls anti-gay attack a galvanizing moment: “That morning was an awful, terrible, not good morning. I thought of my mother and father, the little rural town that they live in, and waking up and reading the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and seeing my name on the front page. No parent ever wants to see their child attacked, even if they’re an adult.”

Sphere: Related Content

News: Dana Perino, Mexico City, Pedro Andrade, Hate Crimes Act

NYT nails Congress for failure to pass Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes act.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino admits she didn't know what the Cuban Missile Crisis was: "I was panicked a bit because I really don't know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis...It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

Snubbed by Barbara Walters: Larry Birkhead not as fascinating as he thought.

New York City remembers pioneering gay rights activist Bob Kohler: " With candles and signs held high, and with pill bottles and ceramic pots filled with some of Mr. Kohler’s cremated remains, dozens of his friends and admirers marched through the streets, chanting to the beat of a drummer, stories of Mr. Kohler’s courage in more than six decades of activism spilling from their lips. Some cried as they stepped down West 13th Street, Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street to Sheridan Square, ending up at the Hudson River piers, a refuge for many gay youths in the area. 'Till the very end he struggled for us, all of us,' said Jennifer Flynn, 36, a friend and member of a group of mostly lesbian activists who helped to care for Mr. Kohler as he battled cancer in his final days. 'He could have lived a comfortable life somewhere. He could have ignored everyone.'"

Washington state gay rights leaders expect to see more advances in the coming legislative session: "Advocates say they'll push for expanded rights in areas such as property, retirement and pension benefits in the 2008 session."

Jude Law gets a birthday kiss from Jonny Miller.

Mexico City grants gay prisoners conjugal visits.

Missionaries shot dead at training center before gunman shoots four more at New Life Church, where Ted Haggard once preached: "A gunman in a black trench coat and a high-powered rifle entered the church's main foyer about 1 p.m. and began shooting, according to the source at the church, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the police department had asked that it release all information. The church's 11 a.m. service had recently ended, and hundreds of people were milling about when the gunman opened fire. Nearby were parents picking up their children from the nursery. The gunman was killed by a member of the church's armed security staff, the source said. Four people were shot, and the source did not know whether the shooter was one of the four. A SWAT team was searching the building for an explosive device, but the source could not confirm any details."

NYT: The 53 places to go in 2008, and the 70 best ideas of 2007.

Lance Bass' ex Pedro Andrade has a new gig as a host for LXTV: "I just found my spot, and I'll be right here if you need me."

Anti-gay Scout leader arrested for molesting young boys: "Mr. Evans sued the city in his role as a leader of the Sea Scouts, an affiliate program of the Boy Scouts. The city, after providing free berthing for a Sea Scouts boat for 60 years, said in 1998 that a Boy Scout policy barring gay scouts and atheists violated Berkeley’s rules against discrimination. The city said the Scouts would have to leave the berth or pay $500 a month rent. Mr. Evans sued for discrimination and for violating the Scouts’ First Amendment rights. The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of Berkeley."

Israel recognizes same-sex adoptions from overseas: "This is another step toward equality and the abolition of discrimination toward same-sex couples. The time has come for the state to recognize these couples, just as it recognizes the adoptions of heterosexual couples."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Robbie Williams, Saturn, Neo-Nazis, Andy Roddick's Banana

Neo-Nazi group targeting gay politicians: "Openly gay Chapel Hill (NC) Town Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt is the target of a bunch of online neo-Nazi thugs who have compiled a list of out gay elected officials, or as one put it, 'List of Open and Unapologetic Faggot Politicians.'"

Gay gossip cabal: "Whatever Paris Hilton is, she came by it honestly."

Watch Barbara Walters "most fascinating" segment on David and Victoria Beckham.

Brazilian President announces LGBT summit: "President Luiz Inazio Lula da Silva of Brazil has announced the country’s first National Conference of Homosexuals, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals, a controversial event that will be held in May 2008 with the explicit endorsement of the government’s Special Secretariat for Human Rights. According to officials, the event will seek to develop directives that allow public policies and a national plan that promotes the rights of homosexuals to be implemented. The conference will also work on strengthening the “Brazil Without Homophobia” program."

Britney Spears has a new man in her life: Jesus Christ.

Fugitive anti-gay shooter arrested in Atlanta: "A fugitive task force arrested a 30-year-old man on charges he shot at two young men while making derogatory comments about homosexuals outside a predominantly-gay Midtown bar in October. Tommy Lee Gresham, 30, of Cobb County is facing a charge of aggravated assault, Atlanta police Officer Darlene Harris said. The Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested him Tuesday afternoon after a Cobb County police officer spotted the wanted man and followed him home. Greshman, nicknamed 'Stretch,' is accused of shooting at two young men Oct. 19 outside the WETbar, located on Spring Street, after he followed them from a nearby gas station. Neither man was seriously hurt; one had a graze wound and the other was hit by ricocheting shrapnel, Harris said."

Hey bidders, those of you who miss out on David Beckham's half-eaten corncob from Wellington, New Zealand may still be able to get in on Andy Roddick's half-eaten banana from the Davis Cup!

Protests cause Grenada to re-think not allowing gay cruises to dock there: "Several hotels received visitor cancellations after the Toronto Star reported last week that the country was questioning whether to allow entry to gay cruise ships, tourism minister Clarice Modeste-Curwen said in a statement yesterday. Some protesters also wrote the Canadian government asking that aid be cut to Grenada's Port of St. Georges where cruise ships dock, she added. 'This does not augur well for our tourism sector.' She said: 'We will continue to welcome all visitors and we will work, along with our population, to ensure that their time and ours will be enjoyable. Grenada respects the rights of all persons of all persuasions and lifestyles.' Left unmentioned was that homosexual relations remain illegal in Grenada. The government's position was reached 'following several days of consultations on the matter involving tourism officials and various stakeholders,' the minister's statement said."

UFO Moons: "Two of Saturn's small moons look eerily like flying saucers, new observations by the Cassini spacecraft reveal. The moons, which lie within the giant planet's rings, may have come by their strange shape by gradually accumulating ring particles in a ridge around their equators. The Voyager spacecraft discovered the moons, called Pan and Atlas, in the early 1980s. Pan, which is 33 kilometres wide, orbits Saturn within a gap in the planet's A ring called the Encke Division (scroll down for image), while the 39-km-wide Atlas orbits just outside the A ring. Both moons have a flattened shape, being wider than they are tall. But their uncanny resemblance to UFOs only became clear recently, when Cassini viewed them with its powerful cameras."

New NowNext takes a look at the funniest gay rumors of 2007.

Robbie Williams to return to Take That after all? Mom: "On the question of him doing something with them, I feel that will happen. It would be something he wanted to do. I'm thrilled that out of all the negative stuff that happened, there's now something great happening. Take That were excellent when they were all together and they are excellent now."

Sphere: Related Content

Whoopi Goldberg Wants to "Do" Nancy Pelosi and Her Husband

From yesterday's The View.

And one YouTube commenter makes the note: "Can you imagine if a group of males treated the wife of a politician that way on national television?"

Sphere: Related Content

Rosie Gone, Barbara Walters Now Free to Discuss Heterosexual Sex

Barbara Walters talked to Ryan Seacrest on his KISS-FM radio show "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" Wednesday, about how things had changed at The View since Rosie O'Donnell's departure:

"The Hot Topics have been fun. There are some things that we were able to discuss that we weren't able to discuss with Rosie, like heterosexual sex. Because, you know, Rosie's lifestyle is different, being an open lesbian...We are perhaps not quite as political [or] vocal about [things], but the Hot Topics have been very fun, and the ratings are up, so we're quite happy. Obviously, the audience is very loyal."

Rosie's response: "She is almost 80."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Rosie O'Donnell, Gay Divorcees, Brazil and YouTube

In a dispute over $780,000, a State Supreme Court judge in New York has ruled that one couple's separation agreement is valid even if their marriage, performed in Massachusetts, is not.

Art attack: Rosie O'Donnell posts painting of "Him" on her website, and as Rosie returns from vacation the feud takes a new turn.

Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer's civil partnership ceremony included a rented ice skating rink where the couple had their "first skate" and was attended by Rufus Wainwright, Sir Ian McKellen, Geri Halliwell, Neve Campbell, Jason Isaacs, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Monica Lewinsky, according to E's Marc Malkin. Said Cumming: "We'd like to thank everyone for their good wishes and messages of support—they mean a lot to us, not only as a celebration of our happiness but also a celebration that two men actually can get married and have the same civil rights as any straight couple. We really hope that soon gay people in America will be treated with the same respect as they are here in the U.K. America is really missing out. You know, the gays really know how to throw a party."

REPORT: French Vogue art director Fabien Baron dumped by Hugo Boss advertising campaign over excessive demands, such as "Baron's insistence that they travel in a black Range Rover for a shoot in Africa."

The first Presidential Debate of the 2008 cycle will be hosted by the South Carolina Democrats and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn on April 26.

YouTube banned in Brazil over MTV presenter's sex tape.

Conservatives at Agape Press, funded by the American Family Association, can't believe that retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Shalikashvili would come out against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so they're calling his recent editorial on the topic a result of his recent stroke. Said one Servicemembers Legal Defense Network spokesman: "Even for Ms. Donnelly, her newest line of attack is an all-time low. To even insinuate that a four-star General is unable to reach his own conclusions about this issue is outrageous."

Sphere: Related Content