The New York Times live-blogged it here. (The New York Times article on today's rolling out of a new Michelle is here.)

Here comes Michelle, walking out arm in arm with Barbara Walters. She's wearing a pretty black and white print sleeveless summer dress and looks very pretty.

"I have to be greeted properly" and does a fist bump. She says she isn't that hip, she got it from the young staff, it's the new high-five.

Walters starts with the NYT article about the makeover and the Time Magazine article asking whether she will help or hurt her husband's campaign, and the "first time I'm proud of my country" remark.

She says she takes the attacks in stride. Of course she's proud of her country. She grew up on the south side of Chicago and her working class dad sent her and her brother to Princeton.

Explains her past comment as being about pride in the political process rather than the country.

The challenge she has, or the weakness, is that she wears her heart on her sleeve. She thinks who she is will come through. So she doesn't worry about it.

Whoopi points out her past comment said it was the first time she was "really proud" not just "proud."

She likes Laura Bush. There's a reason people like her, it's because she doesn't fuel the fire.

Asked if she will watch what she says now. She says in this media age, they all have to.

Is it time for diversity training? "You can't have diversity discussion with me being the only diversity." She reaches out and grabs conservative co-host's Elizabeth Hasselback's arm and praises her as being a great mom.

Asked about sexism against Hillary in the campaign. She says yes, there also were elements of racism. As Hillary said, she made 18 million cracks on the ceiling, she made them so that her girls won't face them.

Should Hillary be her husband's running mate? The one thing a nominee earns is the right to pick a running mate who reflects their vision of what's best for the country, "I'm just glad I'll have nothing to do with it."

Commercial. Discussion about how much time it takes to do hair and makeup. She has some high-end clothes, she works with a local designer in Chicago, she got the dress she is wearing today at a store that just sells black and white clothes.

Whoopi talks about how the media portrays black women as ugly, without teeth or with gold teeth or who can't string a sentence together. Michelle doesn't answer that one, none of them do.

Now they are talking about panty-hose. Barbra is wearing them, Michelle is not. She stopped wearing them a long time ago because they are painful, they rip, are inconvenient and she's 5'11".

Now on parenting. She's at home more than on the campaign trail. Children need a parent around. Tells a story about Malia, their 10 year old. When asked if she gets nervous, she said she knows people aren't there to see her. She can pick up the trash but she can't pass any laws. So she waves and smiles and then she's out of there.

Commerical. This is the most vapid show ever. I'm not sure I'll make it the whole hour.

On Obama's father day speech about black fathers. Whoopi is reading from the teleprompter.

Michelle: we have to talk about accountability. Barack has always been that kind of politician (adds she doesn't see him as a politician.) His comments are connected to his own experience. The greatest gift he can give is not to be like his own father. Kids need models in their lives. When that's missing, it's not good for the kids.

Talks about attending kids' recitals. Now they are on food schedules for their kids.

Did she want Obama to be President? No. She thought he was sweet and pathetic -- she mispoke, meant empathethic, big laughs. She says she was selfish, thinking about the sacrifices her and girls would have to make. When she stepped out of that, out of being Michelle and a mom, and thought about what is best for the country, she saw it differently.

Does Obama still take out the garbage? No.

Commercial. Matthew Broderick interview coming up. Michelle will be interviewing him.

Who watches these shows? Michelle rarely gets to finish an answer before one of the yakkers bursts in with a change of subject. They are going for stream of consciousness and spontaneity but nothing of interest comes out. They all seem like they have ADD.

Michelle Obama is definitely being restrained. It's not so much a quintet, with her becoming one of them, but the four of them with her. She's much more of a guest than a co-host. I don't know why they billed her as a co-host. She's not leading the discussion but answering their questions.

Broderick interview: Michelle asks why his son James Wilkie (age 5 or so) wants Obama to be President. It's a kid thing. Michelle says she thinks it's because they like to say his name.

Well, so much for Michelle leading the interview. Now Whoopie and Sheri (?) and Joy take over. Back to a discussion of food and James Wilkie. Sheri reads her question off a piece of paper. (It wasn't that complicated a question.)

Barbra Walters and Whoopie Goldberg should be embarassed to have their careers reduced to being on this silly show.

On gambling, which is a topic of Broderick's newest movie. Michelle comments that her mother won $17k at the slot machines.

Interview over. Fifteen minutes left, I'll finish, but this was a huge waste of time. The Bachelorette is more entertaining and until now, I thought that was the height of vapidity. I'd sit through a whole season of Bachelorettes before watching this show again.

I didn't get any sense of Michelle Obama from this show. They didn't give her enough time and she was very careful not to get too involved. Her personality did not come through. I hope she goes back to being herself. Her passion is one of her best features and at least on this show there was none.

Now they are discussing breakfast with a nutritionist. The nutritionist is like the energizer bunny, Michelle tries to get a word in with the other yakkers. Finally someone asks her what she eats for breakfast. She says she usually has fruit and toast and she gets her protein from bacon. "We're bacon people."

Commercial (last one I hope.) I'm trying to picture what Michelle will be thinking in the car as she leaves the studio. Probably a sigh of relief that it's over, that nothing went wrong and regretting that she spent so much time getting ready for it.

Closing: Michelle says "These are phenomenal ladies."

I think Michelle would be much better on Leno or Letterman instead of a coffee-klatch type show like this. She wasn't the star or even the center of attention. She wasn't able to elevate the discussion, but forced to respond at their banal level. She mostly just smiled and acted agreeable. A huge waste of time, for her and for us.

Signing off now.