Rosie glad to not be the 'crazy O'Donnell'

NEW YORK, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Talk show host Rosie O'Donnell says she is happy to hear talk of a "crazy" U.S. Senate nominee with whom she shares a last name.

O'Donnell, who is often criticized for being outspoken politically, made the comments to "Inside Edition" about Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell, who said in a 1999 appearance on "Politically Incorrect" she dabbled in witchcraft when she was a teenager.

"It's thrilling for me to hear 'crazy O'Donnell talks about witchcraft' and it's not me," Rosie O'Donnell said. "So just the fact that there's insane O'Donnell, and they are not talking about me, makes me so happy. So keep going, Christine."

Rosie O'Donnell, a former panelist on "The View," announced last month she had signed on as host of a new daytime talk show for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. The new series is to debut next year.

From 1996 to 2002, she starred in the Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show "The Rosie O'Donnell Show."