The Florida Federation of Republican Women has launched a boycott against Oprah Winfrey’s TV show and magazine because the talk queen has said she will not have Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin on her show until after the election.

Democrat Barack Obama — whom Winfrey is supporting for president — was on “Oprah” twice before he announced his run for president, in January 2005 and in October 2006. Winfrey has said she will have neither party’s candidates on her show while they are running for their respective offices.

But the 58-year-old federation, which has 4,500 members, says Winfrey should have Palin on her show now, given how important the Alaska governor’s run is for women.

“She is an icon, and set her herself up to be such a women’s rights and women’s issues person. To have the first vice president of our lifetime on the Republican ticket being a woman and to sit it out regardless of what her personal political beliefs were was disingenuous, we felt,” the group’s First Vice President Cindy Graves told “FOX & Friends” on Wednesday morning.

Graves, 50, says she used to watch “Oprah” and occasionally bought her magazine. She told FOXNews.com that the group has been joined by women all over the country since launching the boycott last Saturday.

“People from Southern California, Tennessee, Texas, Colorado, Rhode Island, just about every state in the union. We’ve also had a tremendous response from Democrats and Independents who are supporting McCain, and Hillary supporters,” she said.

Asked whether the boycott is affecting Oprah’s TV ratings and magazine subscriptions, Graves said Winfrey is “keeping that quiet.”

A call to Oprah’s company, Harpo Productions, for comment was not immediately returned.

Winfrey reacted strongly on Friday to a report posted on the Drudge Report that she and “a couple of her top people are adamantly” against booking Palin on her show.

“The item in today’s Drudge Report is categorically untrue,” Winfrey said in a statement sent to news organizations in reaction to the Drudge Report’s posting. “There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show. At the beginning of this presidential campaign when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates. I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over.”

Before Obama became a candidate, Winfrey used her show to introduce him to America’s women voters, and she has endorsed and campaigned with the Democratic nominee. She also was very visible at Obama’s nomination acceptance speech in Denver last month.

Winfrey and her executive producer, Sheri Salata, both donated the maximum $2,300 contribution to Obama’s campaign during the primary season.

According to the Drudge Report, Winfrey’s staff is sharply divided on booking Palin.

“Half of her staff really wants Sarah Palin on,” an unidentified source told Drudge. “Oprah’s Web site is getting tons of requests to put her on, but Oprah and a couple of her top people are adamantly against it because of Obama.”

http://drudgereport.com/flash3os.htm

Story. . .

Oprah should support Palin simply because palin is a woman; thas not sexist.

But a black suppporting Obama simply becuase he is black is racist.

No where are the women actually calling Oprah to support Palin, I think the group is simply saying that she allow her on her show so she use the forum to speak to female voters out there.

Okay thats true.

I just remember that a lot of women were outraged when Oprah didnt endorse Clinton. And Palin's emergence may have rekindled those sentiments.

That's not right and they are trying to bully Oprah because they think she's leaning to the left. Why must Oprah invite her on her talk show? To facilitate her political agenda through oprah's medium?

Oprah openely declared her support for Obama.
It's no secret.
Why should she have Sarah on her show?
These publicans can be unreasonable sometimes.

“She is an icon, and set her herself up to be such a women’s rights and women’s issues person

No she's not.

she doesnt wnat either on her show til after the election so what's the problem?

Why use Oprah's show to promote herself? Doesn't FOX have enough neo-con talk shows to feature her on?

put her on the show to speak to female voters my foot - its like Glenn Beck interviewing Obama or something, won't happen period.

Oprah decided not to use her show to promote any candidate, and she's one now, so wait till after the contest.

She's joking if she thinks someone who has declared support for another candidate will give her 'free' publicity. Try again publicans - another clear attempt to make this more about Palin's gender and not really about what she can do - how many organisations are boycotting Jerry Springer for not putting Palin on his show?

debosky:

Try again publicans - another clear attempt to make this more about Palin's gender and not really about what she can do - how many organisations are boycotting Jerry Springer for not putting Palin on his show?

Seriously.

The whole thing is getting really ridiculous

debosky:

Oprah decided not to use her show to promote any candidate, and she's one now, so wait till after the contest.

She's joking if she thinks someone who has declared support for another candidate will give her 'free' publicity. Try again publicans - another clear attempt to make this more about Palin's gender and not really about what she can do - how many organisations are boycotting Jerry Springer for not putting Palin on his show?

How could she have ''decided not to use her show to promote any candidate'' when she had the Obamas on the show? If I recall correctly,she even had Bush on the show when he was running against Gore.

As for making it about gender,the Democrats have have already done a fine job of disposing of substance to engage in scurrilous rumours. That Palin is having the effect she has today is due to the Democrats absurd descent into an anti-Palin frenzy

@4 Play (m) read between the lines please, she had Obama on her show before he decided to run for the presidency.

WHo cares if this little group stop watching Oprah? will it affect the billions she has in Swiss bank account? useless people just looking for publicity.

It's just like my friend telling me he won't eat my food no more.

This is really very silly. Oprah has the right to have who she wants on her show.

I swear the McCain/Palin camp is pulling everything they can out the bag and trying to throw it at our next President. I am hoping that white folks dont feed into the hype and we can just hold on to this thing for the next 54 days.

Those fools are just clutching at straws if they know their policy and plans for the US is tight they wouldnt stop Oprah

Sarah is just in skirts thats all.

She does not support anything popular amongst women.