In an odd turn, ABC publicity distributed to critics a link to an ABC News story confirming that View co-star Rosie O'Donnell will not return to the show after her Memorial Day break, despite the fact that three weeks remain on her contract.

UPDATE: Here's O'Donnell's self-indulgent video blog on the whole thing.

O'Donnell apparently was so tweaked over an on camera spat about the Iraq war with resident conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck that she's making her long weekend even longer. What the ABC story doesn't say: that the New York Post is reporting O'Donnell's chief writer (somebody writes that stuff?!) was escorted from the building Thursday after drawing moustaches on pictures of Hasselbeck around the office (in the blog, her Rosie-ness denied rumors she trashed her View dressing room after the argument).

The announcement shreds the thin pretense that O'Donnell was leaving the View purely over contract negotiations which didn't pan out, and fuels her own reputation as  a self-destructive star who can't work with anyone.

It also makes Barbara Walters look like a guest on her own show; she had just released a statement to ABC News saying: "Welcome to 'The View' & so Aunt Barbara is back and there will be peace in the kingdom," Walters said in an exclusive statement to ABC News Thursday. "Rosie O'Donnell is off today: It is her partner Kelly's birthday, so Rosie asked to have the day off."

"It's a hot weekend, so everybody can cool off," Walters continued. "And for those who think, let us say, the interesting day, was planned for ratings -- that's just absurd. The highest ratings we've had for 'The View' this whole year were in February, when there were no feuds."

I know this is hardly the Iraq war or Abu Ghraib, but why has ABC News suddenly become a conduit for statements from The View? Shouldn't they be reporting on them like they would any other TV show?

But the coolest twist in this twisted tale: the person who started th argument was co-host Joy Behar.