Goodbye Rosie, hello Rosie?

Numerous sources claim that Roseanne Barr has the inside track to replace Rosie O’Donnell on ABC’s “The View,” seen locally at 11 a.m. weekdays on WTAE-TV (4) and WYTV (33) in Youngstown. UPI quotes Barr’s spokesperson as saying no offer has been made, but says the New York Post has talked to a source at ABC who calls Barr an ideal fit: “She’s a piece of work, she’s a character, she says what’s on her mind and she’s funny. Other names being floated for the midday gabfest include Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathie Lee Gifford, Connie Chung, Bette Midler and Kathy Griffin, according to UPI. … Meanwhile, WJAS’s Jack Bogut says that if ABC waits a few months, they can hire Katie Couric for “The View.” Ouch! Conservative websites like NewsMax.com and Newsbusters are gleefully reporting the terrible ratings of the CBS evening news and predicting Couric’s imminent ouster. But Liz Smith of the New York Post says there’s a backlash building against the dump-Katie brigade. “The stories about Katie are what happen to women in TV,” Lesley Stahl of CBS’ “60 Minutes” tells Smith. “We are made into caricatures. It happened to Barbara [Walters], it happened to Diane and to Connie Chung. Katie is working really hard, and you can see it in the broadcast now.”