Mary Katherine Ham Dissects Rosie’s Departure

Contract dispute?

Rosie O'Donnell is leaving "The View." ABC has been unable to come to a contractual agreement with "The View"co-host. As a result, her duties on the show will come to an end mid-June.

The president of daytime programming for the Disney-ABC Television Group, Brian Frons, told ABCNEWS.com, "Going in we knew we would have an amazing year with her, and that anything beyond that would be gravy.But we were willing to take the chance because we understood what a coup it was to entice Ro back to daytime television. So here we are ayear later, and while we've tried to come to terms on a deal that would extend her co-hosting duties on 'The View,' we find ourselves unable toagree on some key elements."

One wonders if one of the "key elements" was her personality.

NewsMax calls it a "canning."
Babs says it was "amicable."

Allah's inconsolable.

Update: The last straw? Grabbing her crotch and shouting vulgarities as part of her hosting duties for a swanky media luncheon with a slew of high-school girls present?

Update: Video of the media luncheon meltdown. (content warning)

Update: The transcript of "The View," on which everyone makes fake nice, like there was never any basic problem with the way Rosie conducted herself.

The best part: "O'DONNELL: Thank you. But I'll still be on my blog."

Update: The horrifying possible replacement pool.