The Oprah Winfrey Show: September 2008 Archives

Oprah Winfrey spoke briefly during a live broadcast of her talk show Friday about her decision not to interview Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin while the election was going on.

It's the first time Winfrey has acknowledged the manufactured controversy on her show.

"I declared back in May I was not going to use my show as a platform," Winfrey said.

I spoke out as a private citizen for the candidate of my choice, she added, echoing comments she said in a statement weeks back.

Winfrey said it was suggested Michelle Obama -- wife of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama -- appear on her show following Michelle's speech at the Democratic National Convention. However, Winfrey said no for the same reason she was not using the show as a platform for any of the candidates.

Winfrey has openly supported and campaigned for Barack Obama, but has never made that support known during episodes of her show.

More on the controversy here and why it's a non-issue.

Despite Internet rumors claiming pop diva Mariah Carey might weigh in during Friday's show that she's pregnant, a show spokeswoman says it's not happening.

According to the Harpo rep, there are no scheduled plans to have Carey on the show and no plans to have her on the show in the immediate future.

Carey's reps have denied she's pregnant -- a rumor that's been a buzz since her marriage to R&B star Nick Cannon.

Winfrey is broadcasting her Friday shows live from Chicago this season to talk about hot topic issues and other water cooler stories.

Stay tuned to tomorrow's show.

Harpo photo by George Burns

Oprah welcomes 175 U.S. athletes to Chicago for Olympic pep rally
Our rating and highlights

• Oprah Winfrey rallies for Chicago to host 2016 Olympics with tribute and welcome home to U.S. athletes

• Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley -- with wife Maggie -- attends his first Oprah show

• "American Idol" winner David Cook's serenaded U.S. Olympic athletes with his "The Time of My Life" song

Oprah Winfrey kicked off a new season of her daytime talkshow Monday in true Olympic form -- showing after more than two decades on television, she's still at the top of her game and remains a natural at what she does.

During last month's Olympic hoopla, I figured it'd be a given to see superstar swimmer Micheal Phelps cross Winfrey's stage this season. Winfrey did just that -- and trumped it -- flying in over 175 U.S. Olympic athletes to take stage at Millenium Park in what was Chicago's biggest pep rally to date to lure the 2016 games to Chicago and pay tribute to this year's athletes.

MINNEAPOLIS -- While I'm in St. Paul covering the Republican National Convention, thousands of spectators cheered over 150 Olympic athletes -- such as Michael Phelps, Dara Torres and Kobe Bryant -- on Wednesday for the season premiere for ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' in Millenium Park. The show will air Monday, Sept. 8.

Click here to read Sun-Times' Andrew Herman's story on the homecoming >>