The outspoken Joan Rivers broached a topic she rarely discusses in an interview with CNN's Zoraida Sambolin for the network's morning program, "Early Start."
Rivers, who has been all over the press (and Manhattan) promoting her new book "I Hate Everyone...Starting With Me," sat down for a more in-depth interview with Sambolin that aired Wednesday.
"I wanted to talk politics," Sambolin said. "And Joan says, 'I never talks politics.' But yesterday, she did."
It's possible that Rivers does not talk politics because she doesn't necessarily find the subject to be a joking matter. "This country is in trouble," Rivers said with a serious tone. When asked what she thought of President Obama and GOP candidate Mitt Romney, Rivers tersely called them "both idiots." She harshly criticized the campaign climate in the United States, and recommended that the country adopt the campaign rules used in the United Kingdom.
"How dare you spend two years campaigning," Rivers charged. "They should do what England does. Six weeks to find out what everyone thinks before they vote for them for Parliament. That makes sense."
She repeated, "Two years? First of all—the president—get into the White House and do your goddamn duty. And Mitt Romney—two years you all hate each other and now you're all going to come together and say 'but we really love him?'"
She called the money spent on campaigns "disgusting" and "outrageous," and railed against Obama and his supporters for attending a dinner party for Democrats that cost $40,000 per plate. "You're not Democrats," Rivers said. "You're not Democrats. You're very strong Republicans. I find that—I find the whole thing disgusting. Both sides disgusting."
Rivers was likely referring to the dinner George Clooney threw for Obama at his home in Los Angeles last month. Judging from her reaction, Rivers would likely feel equally turned off by the dinner Sarah Jessica Parker and Vogue chief Anna Wintour are planning for Obama for a reported $40,000 per ticket.
Later in the interview, the conversation hit on a more somber note when Rivers discussed the importance of laughter. "I think you must laugh at everything," Rivers said, choking up. "Life is so terribly sad."
Rivers added that her grandson's friend was just diagnosed with cancer. "He’s an 11-year-old boy. Right below the surface, life is so sad that if we don't laugh—look at me," Rivers said, acknowledging her tears. "We just die. Laugh at everything. I don't care. If you're alive, you better start laughing."
Watch Rivers' discussion about politics in the clip above, and more excerpts from the interview below.
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