By Peter J. Smith

Elizabeth Hasselbeck NEW YORK, October 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Once again the pro-life views of Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the only conservative woman on ABC’s “The View,” have landed her in trouble after a heated exchange with Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell’s replacement, on Wednesday’s program edition.

Hasselbeck noted her opinion that presidential Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s proposal to give $5,000 for a new birth could help reduce abortions in the United States.

“I feel like this could maybe cause less abortions in the world. You know, people would keep having kids instead.”

Goldberg then took the opportunity to attack Hasselbeck’s pro-life views by asking her if she had ever been in a position to abort a child. Hasselbeck responded “never.”

Goldberg then said, “Okay, then back off a little bit. Back off a little bit. Very few people want to have abortions.” Goldberg’s “very few people”, however, have aborted nearly 50 million children since Roe v. Wade legalized it in 1973. According to one Goldberg biographer, Goldberg has had at least 6 abortions and used to joke perversely that she had a do-it-yourself coathanger abortion at 14 years-old.

Goldberg then lectured Hasselbeck that Americans ought to “revere” women, who have had abortions.

“It is the hardest decision that a woman ever- wait- ever has to make. So, when you talk about it, a little bit of reverence to the women out there who have had to make this horrible decision,” Goldberg continued. Goldberg then repeated the standard pro-abortion harangue that Roe was meant to make abortion “safe” and “clean,” because women were dying from coathanger abortions.

Hasselbeck, unfortunately being the only pro-life and conservative out of the four women on The View, has been repeatedly castigated for her opinion, most notably by fired “View” co-host Rosie O’Donnell. Earlier in September, Barry Manilow had refused to appear on ABC’s “The View,” because the show’s producers refused to remove Hasselbeck from the segment.

Manilow called Hasselbeck “dangerous” and “offensive” for her “views” and said that while he was “a big supporter of the show,” he was canceling his appearance because he felt “I cannot compromise my beliefs.”