Rosie O'Donnell Reacts to Wisconsin's Political Battle: 'Where is the President's Response?'

Today on Rosie O'Donnell's SiriusXM radio show, Rosie spoke about her flight from Miami to New York, where she had the opportunity to chat with Rev. Al Sharpton. He was on his way to Wisconsin to support the protesters of Gov. Walker's Budget Repair Bill. Throughout the weeks of the ongoing bill battle, O'Donnell has shared her frustration and concern at the possibility of Wisconsin losing "the only power any union has," the threat of losing our two-party system and President Obama's silence in the matter.

Recalling a campaign speech by then candidate Obama in 2007, Rosie played the audio of a YouTube video from a rally in Spartansburg, South Carolina, with his campaign promise, "Understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain, when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I'll walk on that picket line with you, as president of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that someone's standing in their corner."

"Where is he? Why hasn't he said anything? Why hasn't he done anything?" O'Donnell demanded on her morning satellite radio show, "Why is he not acting like a leader?" She went on to say, "I need to be led, and I want to be led by someone other than the network news."

O'Donnell and her radio crew discussed what this bill could mean to the rest of the country. According to CommonwealthFoundation.org, the five states that do not allow collective bargaining, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Virginia sit at 49^th, 38^th, 48^th, 45^th, and 34^th, respectively, in the ranking of the 2010 SAT scores by state. According to segment producer Pete Mele, there are 10 states Tea Party governors: Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico and Ohio. It is the fear of union supporters that once the bill is passed in Wisconsin, it will become the fate of the other nine states.

"Even if you are a Democrat and a liberal, you are allowed to criticize the President and his lack of action..." O'Donnell said to a caller in response to his plea for her to give Obama a chance. He wanted to see her use her power and influence to inspire change, rather than hear her rant about Obama not being a leader.

Executive producer and head writer for Rosie Radio Jeanette Barber joined O'Donnell in her concern regarding the worker's rights and says we could end up like China and only earn $2,000 to $3,000 a year. The unions have acquiesced to the demands of the budget repair bill, but Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker still refuses to meet with them. Barber says that this refusal by Walker to sit down and work this out shows that this is less about money and more about busting the unions.

At the end of this on-air conversation, it was clear that O'Donnell did not and will not waiver in her stance that Obama needs to speak up to the nation, "It's immoral to be silent about this issue. What's at stake is our entire democracy."

Tune in to Rosie Radio on Sirius XM Stars, Sirius 102 and XM 155, from 10 a.m. to noon ET. Replays of her shows can also be heard throughout the afternoon and evening.

Barber, Jeanette (Executive Producer). (2011, February 28). Rosie Radio Show, New York: SiriusXM Stars - Sirius 201, XM 155