Barry Manilow vs. "The View"...Round 2!

Barry Manilow, who said he did not want to appear on "The View" with Elisabeth Hasselbeck on the stage because of her conservative views, is explaining his feelings a bit more on his website: "I wanted to let you know that I will no longer be on The View tomorrow as scheduled." he wrote to fans. "I had made a request that I be interviewed by Joy, Barbara or Whoopi, but not Elisabeth Hasselback. Unfortunately, the show was not willing to accommodate this simple request so I bowed out. It’s really too bad because I've always been a big supporter of the show, but I cannot compromise my beliefs. The good news is that I will be on a whole slew of other shows promoting the new album so I hope you can catch me on those."
This doesn't exactly square with what was said yesterday by Barbara Walters and "View" producer Bill Geddie who said they cancelled the gig rather than letting any guest dictate such things. Geddie said: "You sit with one of us, you sit with all of us."
OK, so is Barry trying to drum up some extra publicity for his new album "Greatest Songs of the Seventies"? Maybe. But his previous albums of 50s and 60s tunes were huge sellers so I'm thinking he really just can't stand the thought of being on the stage with Rosie O'Donnell foe Hasselbeck.

Manilow is friends with Rosie and recorded "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with her for the album but it did not make the final cut.
"It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time," Manilow told Access Hollywood. "She is just inspiring because you know she’s not a singer. She knows that, but she just got behind the microphone and ripped away. She was great and in tune too. The problem was, as I put the album together, it became a very romantic album. And having this thing come crashing in out of nowhere, the tone just didn’t feel right. It’ll probably wind up being a bonus cut somewhere."