Christine O'Donnell in 1999: 'I dabbled into witchcraft'

By Matt DeLong

Last updated at 12:12 p.m.

The story of Christine O'Donnell's past got a little stranger Friday. Bill Maher -- on whose former show, "Politically Incorrect," O'Donnell appeared repeatedly in the late 1990s -- showed a previously unaired clip from Oct. 29, 1999, on his current HBO program, "Real Time," in which the GOP Senate nominee from Delaware said she "dabbled into witchcraft." From ThinkProgress:

O'DONNELL: I dabbled into witchcraft -- I never joined a coven. But I did, I did. ... I dabbled into witchcraft. I hung around people who were doing these things. I'm not making this stuff up. I know what they told me they do. [...]

One of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar, and I didn't know it. I mean, there's little blood there and stuff like that. ... We went to a movie and then had a midnight picnic on a satanic altar.

O'Donnell is an outspoken conservative Christian, making this admission a little surprising.

Maher said he will show a clip every week until O'Donnell appears on his show. "It's like a hostage crisis," Maher said. "Every week you don't show up, I'm going to throw another body out."

Watch:



Update: In other O'Donnell news that may or may not be related, Bob Schieffer tweeted Saturday that the candidate has pulled out of a scheduled appearance on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday. She is still scheduled to appear on "Fox News Sunday" at 9 a.m.

Second Update: O'Donnell has also canceled her appearance on "Fox News Sunday."

Diane Banister, whose public relations firm booked the shows for O'Donnell, said in an e-mail Saturday that O'Donnell canceled so she could attend a Republican campaign event Sunday in Delaware's Sussex County.

More:

O'Donnell fights back at Values Voter Summit

O'Donnell to Delaware voters: Keep an open mind

Rough Sketch: O'Donnell on human mice, lying to Nazis

O'Donnell's win sends message to GOP

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