Christine O’Donnell On Her Piers Morgan Walk-Out: ‘It was fun.’ [UPDATE]

After walking out of her interview with Piers Morgan, Christine O’Donnell addressed the Women’s National Republican Club on West 51st Street, starting about 45 minutes late, just before 7. “I want to apologize for being so late. I know that’s not respectful of your time, so please accept my apology,” Ms. O’Donnell began. “We started out at about 5 o’clock in the morning at Fox and Friends and we’ve gone nonstop until the final stop at CNN a few minutes ago.” Strangely, no mention was made of the walk-out that Piers Morgan was at that very moment hyping on Twitter.

After her brief remarks, The Transom tentatively approached the book-signing table, where Ms. O’Donnell was inscribing a copy of Troublemaker: “Gov. Christie: Keep up the great work! -Christine O’Donnell.” The book was for a well-wisher who said she intended to gift it to Chris Christie.

Why had she stormed out of Mr. Morgan’s studios? (Even during the Q.&A. session following her speech, when asked about the media’s treatment of her, Ms. O’Donnell chose to focus on what she saw as the evenhanded treatment she’d received at the hands of ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.) Ms. O’Donnell laughed when we told her it was a big story. “Is it?” she asked, with (sincere?) incredulity.

“We were late for this, and he wasn’t ending, and we were going, ‘Wrap up, wrap up!’ He was late and he wasn’t ending. He’s looking for ratings. He’s looking for ratings. He was being rude, and I said, ‘Piers, I gotta go! You know, I’m late already!’ He’s looking for ratings, and trying to stir up a controversy.”

“But it was fun!” said an aide.

“It was fun,” concurred Ms. O’Donnell.

(During that Piers Morgan interview, Ms. O’Donnell states, “I was supposed to be speaking at the Republican Women’s Club at 6 o’clock and I chose to be a little late for that not to be—not to endure a rude talk show host but to talk about my book and talk about the issues I address in my book. Have you read the book?” Ms. O’Donnell mentions her lateness to the Women’s National Republican Club only after calling Mr. Morgan “rude” twice and making clear that she is walking out.)

But a mere media contretemps is far less troubling to Ms. O’Donnell than what she sees as double standards faced by female candidates. She told The Transom: “In the 2008 campaign, no one would have dared ask Barack Obama, ‘How are you going to control your libido? You’re a strapping young man. What are you going to do around all those interns?’ But people can ask Michele Bachmann about her migraines.” That said, Ms. O’Donnell is intrigued, so far, with Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry as presidential candidates, but declined for now to make an endorsement. “If it gets close, and we need to wrap it up, then I might make an endorsement.”

Of her time in New York—she was leaving after the speech to go to Washington for more promotion—Ms. O’Donnell told The Transom: ”It’s been a whirlwind!”

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_