"The View" ladies dive in to rescue Michelle Obama after she calls Barack "pathetic." UPDATE Obama spokesman Vietor said Michelle said "empathetic."

UPDATE after this was posted, Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor called to say Michelle Obama said “empathetic,” not pathetic. I listened to a tape several times and heard the word pathetic. The reaction from the ladies on The View suggests that’s what they heard too. “It is aword that can be misheard,” Vietor said. Vietor said Obama said “sweet, empathetic” not “sweet and pathetic.” One thing for sure. When someone says “Sweet,” I listen.END OF UPDATE

ORIGINAL Barbara Walters asks Michelle Obama about how she reacted when husband Barack told her he was running for president. “Did you want him to be president,” Walters asked.

No, said Obama. “”Please, don’t do this. You know, I did not want Barack to go into politics because I thought politics was a mean business. And you know, I knew this man that I loved, he was sweet and pathetic, I thought. there was no way…….””

At that Walters the other hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd seemed to instantly realize what Obama did not–that you do not call a potential president of the United State pathetic, even if you love him–and they started kind of shouting at her, to sort of stop her before she does more damage and gives another quote that will be used against her…

Someone suggested that Obama really intended to say “empathetic.”

Goldberg spelled out E M P A T H…