Elisabeth Hasselbeck

Rosie O'Donnell acts immaturely enough when she spells words incorrectly and uses teenage girl-like text messaging speak in her blogs.

But the recent behavior by this former View host should prove to liberals that she's the last person we want representing us in the press.

The comedian laid into Elisabeth Hasselbeck - her former friend and cohost - in front of a 1,500-person audience on her cruise (from NYC to a private island in the Bahamas) for gay and lesbian families.

A witness tells Us Magazine that O'Donnell trotted out a giant photo of Hasselbeck doctored up as the devil, made a "crazy" gesture at the poster and said, "Her only f--king credit was Survivor. Come on!"

Sorry, Rosie. Not everyone can ride the coat tails of a friendship with Madonna to stardom.

Even liberals should shake their heads at the actions of Rosie O'Donnell these days. She needs to grow up.

From there, O'Donnell implied that the pair's famous last battle wasn't held on an even playing field because, like Tameka Foster, Hasselbeck is with child.

"I can't fight with pregnant people. Just go have your baby and have a nice life," the bitter loser said.

Those on the cruise, we hope, grew dismayed at this lame outburst. They should have asked for Lance Bass and Pedro Andrade to be their homosexual hosts instead.

Lastly, Rosie once again targeted Donald Trump. Recalls the witness: "Rosie said she'd love to break into his apartment and rub her belly all over him."

Hasselbeck's rep had no comment. Trump's rep could not be reached. But, even though it's scarcely celebrity news these days when O'Donnell lashes out, we can't help but plead with her to stop. Pick your battles, Rosie.

Maybe Elisabeth Hasselbeck isn't the Devil. It's a concept worth contemplating, at least.

For all the venom spewed the way of this conservative talk show host, she's never publicly bashed Rosie O'Donnell. In fact, she's always treated her very fairly in any interview. For example:

"With Rosie, the conversation is always fun, real and true," Hasselbeck told People magazine at Friday's Daytime Emmys gifting lounge in Hollywood. "I think this year was really special, indeed. The show is so much about chemistry and great conversation. We certainly had that this year. It's been a really fantastic year."

Not for critics of Hasselbeck, though. She often seems more hated in the celebrity gossip world than Paris Hilton and Spencer Pratt put together.

As for O'Donnell, she's appearing as a special guest on Cyndi Lauper's True Colors tour, and played drums for the singer at Sunday night's gig in Columbia, Md. Afterwards, she tossed her sticks into the crowd like Tommy Lee.

Earlier in the evening, she gave the crowd her own take on her View experience.

"I got to tell you, I've been hanging around with those heteros for a full year and it's not fun," she said. "Turn around one minute and they'll stab you in the back with a high heel. They will."

Wait... what?!? For a supposedly liberal, open-minded person, is there a reason Rosie pointed to the sexual orientation of her former co-workers? O'Donnell is often more hypocritical than Pete Doherty would be giving anti-drug advice.

On her well-publicized feud with Donald Trump, Rosie said: "We have a difference of opinion, Donald and I. He likes his women thin and silent. I like large and loud. Every time I saw Trump on one of those shows saying I was fat and unappealing, I'm like, 'Pass the Doritos.'"

She also sounded off on Roe v. Wade, quipping: "I don't want anyone to have control over my body besides me and Angelina Jolie." Then, to reassure her partner of 10 years, who was at home, she added: "Just a little joke, Kelli. She's out sick. She'll never hear it. Don't you YouTube it, or it'll be two more years of counseling."

Forget how awkward a certain incident on The View was for co-hosts Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd last week, imagine what it was like backstage.

As Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck exchanged words, things were rather awkward for the guests in the greenroom.

"All four of us were at a loss," Dancing with the Stars' Maksim Chmerkovskiy told People magazine of his time waiting out the argument with dance partner Laila Ali and fellow stars Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson. "It was a straight-up brawl."

Chmerkovskiy says the guests had been warned by View staffers that the show could get "intense" â€" and it quickly did. "At first everyone was sort of laughing, [like,] 'See, I told you it gets intense.' Then it was like, Okay maybe it's one of those very intense ones."

"But people were still giggling. But then it became a fight between [Rosie O'Donnell] and Elisabeth."

At the commercial break, Chmerkovskiy recalls stone-faced View employees running out of the room to deal with the fallout. Actress Alicia Silverstone, who was also in the greenroom, was not happy that her segment was next: "She was like, 'I don't want to go on now.' She had one of those hyperventilating moments where she was like, 'Okay, I'm really nervous.'"

Probably similar to how Tessa Horst when felt Andy Baldwin got down on one knee - but for very different reasons.

But the show went on, and Chmerkovskiy and Ali performed their dance without incident. "It was like nothing had happened," he says. "I thought great, this must be a normal day at The View."

Of course, it was far from it. Sources O'Donnell was genuinely upset by the bickering on the day she now refers to as "nuclear Wednesday."

But she's now at peace with it and "doesn't second-guess her decision at all," says O'Donnell's lifelong friend Jackie Ellard. "In fact, I'm sure she's sleeping better than she has in a long time."

And certainly better than Paris Hilton will in jail.

The debate over Rosie O'Donnell continues.

While the liberal lesbian sits at home and fans either rally to her defense or enemies bid her good riddance, one group of passionate followers are calling for the firing of Rosie's former co-host, Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

An online petition that currently has over 14,000 signatures on it is urging The View to let the show's lone conservative voice go. People seem more fired up over this incident than they are over the elimination of Melinda Doolittle on American Idol.

And that's fine. America allows people to express their views in any non-violent ways they see fit. But doesn't that include Hasselbeck? The following excerpt from the petition's website makes it seem like the originators simply want Elisabeth fired because they don't agree with her:

While the purpose of The View is for different views to be expressed, each co-host should be able to express their views without being attacked by a closed-minded co-host who blindly refuses to listen to facts and uses the show to angrily spout propaganda.

So, based on this text, Hasselbeck cannot have an opinion because she doesn't listen to facts? Look, The Hollywood Gossip doesn't buy most of what Elisabeth is saying, but we'll blog to our deaths her right to say it at least. That's what makes America the best country in the world!

Now go exercise your right to laugh at photos of Lindsay Lohan passed out drunk.

Let's get this out of the way now: Elisabeth Hasselbeck is no Debbie Matenopoulos; i.e. don't look for her to pose in Playboy any time soon.

But The View host did recently talk about the show and her future with TV Guide. Let's listen in!

TV Guide: Congratulations on your pregnancy! Did you plan it so you could deliver during November sweeps?
Elisabeth Hasselbeck: No. If I could have planned it, I would already have a 1-year-old right now! [She and her husband, New York Giants quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, have a 2-year-old daughter, Grace.]

TV Guide: How would you describe this past year on The View with Star Jones Reynolds' acrimonious departure and Rosie O'Donnell's tumultuous arrival and precipitous decision to leave?
Hasselbeck: Exhilarating. And fun.

TV Guide: C'mon! Wasn't it kind of like reliving Survivor but with better food?
Hasselbeck: It's very different. Underneath these blonde highlights, I'm a fighter. I like to have someone who is as passionate about this world as I am. I found that in Rosie this year. It's been such a privilege to have the most bare-knuckled, honest conversations with her. When someone as strong as Rosie steps in, you either step up or you get disempowered.

TV Guide: Wait! Isn't liberal Rosie a bully who makes Elisabeth cry?
Hasselbeck: Absolutely not! Ro and I have become friends. We e-mail each other, we talk about art, we go out together with our kids. I feel such trust for her. Because we so openly take such opposite positions politically, we have made a concerted effort to get to know each other personally.

TV Guide: How would you answer those who call Rosie an obnoxious loudmouth?
Hasselbeck: I'd like to know the last time someone called a man out there, who was giving an opinion backed up with fact, a "loudmouth." It takes a man to say something completely heinous, chauvinistic and racist for people to even bat an eye.

The Hollywood Gossip note: Mel Gibson is still available for this duty.

TV Guide: Your big YouTube moment was an emotional spat with Barbara Walters over the morning-after pill. Why were you so upset?
Hasselbeck: That situation gets me fired up. It amazes me that people will storm Washington for trees, and yet we don't stand up for the lives of the unborn. It's a personal cause.

TV Guide: Were you fired up enough to want to quit The View?
Hasselbeck: I never have been. I'm a person of strong faith. I believe that God has a plan for me to be here, and I believe that I'm a better citizen because of this job â€" using my mouth and my mind for political causes and social issues.

The Hollywood Gossip note: This runs counter to Antonella Barba, who uses her mouth for ... other things.

As Rosie O'Donnell leaves, someone else is joining The View.

Co-host and Rosie combatant, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, announced this week that she and husband Tim are expecting their second child in November.

On Monday's show, O'Donnell asked: "I was just wondering if there's anything new, Elisabeth?"

"Um, just a couple things," replied Hasselbeck, 29. "Like, I'm totally three months pregnant."

Confetti then flew out of the studio ceiling, as Elisabeth joined Salma Hayek as a recently knocked up celebrity.

"I figured that we're going to be lonely without you," Hasselbeck said to O'Donnell. "So, Tim and I thought we should get busy and maybe make a little co-host.

Hasselbeck and her hubby, New York Giants quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, will celebrate their five-year anniversary in July. They welcomed their first child, Grace Elisabeth, on April 6, 2005 â€" Tim's 27th birthday. As far as we know, unlike Dannielynn, Grace's name won't be changed any time soon.

As for her clashes over the year with O'Donnell, the politically conservative Hasselbeck has said many time they're pals offstage:

"Politically, we're rivals," she said. "That is clear. However, we are personally friends. We are on e-mail all day long with each other."

Hasselbeck, a onetime artist and accessories designer, made her TV debut in 2001 as a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback (she finished fourth). She went on to host the Style Network's The Look for Less before replacing Lisa Ling on The View in 2003.