Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Larry King Live
Interview with Vice President Joe Biden; John and Teresa Heinz Kerry Interview; New "We Are The World" Version to Open Olympics
Aired February 10, 2010 - 21:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, Vice President Joe Biden sits down with me to talk money and jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think. You're going to see a net creation of jobs every month.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: And what the future holds for every American during these tough economic times.
Plus, Senator John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry exclusive -- here on their first interview together on the private heartbreak that they're now making public -- her battle with cancer.
And then --
(SINGING)
KING: -- they brought us "We Are the World" and are making history again, all for the people of Haiti. Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie take us behind-the-scenes of their incredible new version. We've got a preview of what the planet is going to see in just two days.
Next on LARRY KING LIVE.
A great pleasure to welcome to LARRY KING LIVE Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States. It's going to be hard to call you Mr. Vice President because we go back a long way --
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We do.
KING: But I've got to do that.
BIDEN: Joe is fine.
KING: That's the rules. OK.
Let's begin right from the top of the get-go. Jobs -- so many people are out of work. People are angry. A basic question, what are you and the president going to do to turn this thing around? BIDEN: Well, the first thing we're going to do is sort of keep us from going totally off cliff. And that's why in the Recovery Act, we went out there and everyone acknowledges that we created somewhere between 1.6 million and 2.4 million. But there are still seven million people who lost their jobs this year. And so what we're doing now is focusing -- and hopefully with some Republican help this time -- on job creation; focusing a lot on small business, because they're the ones who create jobs; doing everything from eliminating capital gains to offering a $5,000 tax credit for hiring new employees to moving in the direction of future oriented things too, Larry.
It's not just enough to create the job that right this minute, which is the -- which is our -- our primary responsibility -- but to lay the foundation for creating good decent jobs in the green economy and dealing with the -- you know, everything from broadband to making sure that we have a -- you know, a new system of energy production in this country.
KING: It seems overwhelming.
Like, does it wear on you?
BIDEN: Well, you know, Larry, I'm vice president, not president. I get to give a lot of advice. And I get responsibility, but the guy who has to make the decisions is the president.
And I'm -- I'm -- I mean it's remarkable how centered this guy is. I mean, this -- he is -- he gets up every morning, puts both feet on the ground, as my dad would say, knows what he's about to do, goes out and does it and seems unfazed by it.
KING: You recently swore in the new senator from Massachusetts --
BIDEN: Yes. I like him.
KING: -- the Republican, Scott Brown. And just after he's sworn in -- right after, he walks outside and he says this.
Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. SCOTT BROWN (R), MASSACHUSETTS: The last stimulus bill didn't create one new job. And in some states, the money that was actually released hasn't even been used yet.
QUESTION: It didn't create one new job?
BROWN: That's correct. We -- we lost, what, another 85,000 jobs again, give or take, last -- last month?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: OK, it didn't create a job?
You just told me you created -- what did he -- where did he --
BIDEN: Well, I -- I -- I don't know whether -- well, let me -- let me just say what the facts are. The facts are that this --
KING: Were you shocked at that?
BIDEN: Well, I'm not. Look, he's -- he's a new guy. He ran on -- on two things. One, that we're not handling the economy well and health care. And so I think that's part of the shtick.
I hope he doesn't really believe that. You can just go to Massachusetts and see the thousands of teachers that still have their jobs and firefighters and police officers, the new jobs created as a consequence of investments in new technologies and the like.
So, again, I don't know one single serious econometric model, from the conservative to the liberals, who would acknowledge anything other than we created a minimum of 1.6 million jobs to -- and the estimates from the CBO, which is really a, as you know, the gold standard -- no Republican or Democratic questions it -- that say we created or saved over two million jobs.
KING: How about, Mr. Vice President, all you spent to save them?
BIDEN: Yes, well, look --
KING: Is it $787 billion?
Is that what --
BIDEN: Well, we're about halfway there. We -- we -- we spent about half of that so far. It's a two year program. But, you know, it wasn't just creating jobs, Larry. A third of that money went to tax cuts. A third of that money went to tax cuts to businesses and to individuals. So everybody who collected a paycheck -- and people don't even know this. If they collected a paycheck and they had withholding tax taken out of it, they had $60 to $80 less withheld. So they had $60 to $80 more a month in their paycheck.
KING: In the last year?
BIDEN: In -- in the last year, from the day we came in. And that -- that was billions of dollars pushed into the economy in their pockets. They went out and spent that money for everything from a hair cut to helping pay for the electric bill. And that has impact on the economy.
Secondly, what we did was we made sure that we invested in not just tax cuts, but in the ci -- as they call it -- a fancy word -- countercyclical help. A lot of these states are in deep, deep trouble. So we provided significant help for the states in everything from making sure -- look, for example, all of those people getting health care, Larry, who -- the people who lost their jobs, lost their health care, got dumped into Medicaid, those states wouldn't have been able to provide that health care for them.
So a lot of it's not seen and a lot of it's misunderstood.
KING: You know, it's been one -- it's the one year anniversary of the Recovery Act next week.
BIDEN: Yes. Yes, it is. It is.
KING: Did it go fast?
BIDEN: Well, it did go fast. But I'll tell you what, I've spent most of my time making sure that there are no big boondoggles. If you notice, for all the criticism of the Recovery Act, no one has come up and said they wasted $50 million here, $100 million there, $90 million here. That dog never bit.
And so we -- I'm very proud of the way we've done it. And you can -- I've talked to every single governor now at least once -- most of them twice -- for a half hour at a shot. Once a week, I'm on the phone with five governors to seven governors and seven to 12 mayors or county executives. I've yet to have one say to me anything other than thank you for being responsive, thank you for the help.
KING: Next more on the economy.
And then later, the woman who wanted his job, Sarah Palin, has had a lot to say lately.
We'll see how he responds, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: In this economic back and forth, are you ever going to get bipartisanship?
BIDEN: Well, we met yesterday, Larry, the president and myself. We went and met with the Republican leadership and the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate. And I think there is a realization that we -- we -- we have to do something about jobs, for example.
There's an agreement. They said, well, by the way, OK, we support no capital gains for taxes for small business. We think the healthcare system is broken and has to be fixed. So there -- it's the first time any of that has occurred.
Do I think there's going to be the kind of bipartisanship I'm used to as all the years I served in the Senate?
Not likely. But I do think there will be some more movement, because there's a dual message being sent out there. It's not just that people -- that Massachusetts election wasn't just about Democrats, it was about Washington is not working. And I don't think that the Republican leadership is going to continue to conclude that the way they win is if the country loses.
KING: You're the majority party.
BIDEN: We are the majority party.
KING: You've got all of the balls in your court.
BIDEN: Well -- well, that's true, Larry, except take a look at that. I was a senator for 36 years. I got there when I was 29 years old. So I've been through seven presidents -- eight now. And I've never seen a time when the operating norm to get anything passed was a super majority of 60 votes. No matter what -- no matter what the bill is, it's filibustered. It's required to get 60 votes.
You can't rule by a super majority. You can't govern if you require a super majority. And I think it's getting to the point where it's been abused, this idea of the filibuster or the threat of extended debate.
And I think the public is taking it out -- the -- the Congress as a whole, Republicans and Democrats, are -- are extremely low on the polls, in the Congress.
And -- and I hope it's sinking in to everyone that the American public sent us all here to solve certain problems. And everybody knows -- it's a little bit like the Middle East, everybody knows the outlines and the final settlement. It has to do with a two-state solution that's (INAUDIBLE). Everybody knows we have to change our energy policy. We have to change our education policy. We can't lead the world with the (INAUDIBLE) --
KING: Are you optimistic about a jobs bill?
BIDEN: Well, I am optimistic, I think now. The jobs bill, I think, will be probably less than is needed initially, but it will be very helpful. I think it should -- the House already passed a jobs bill. I think the Senate will pass a jobs bill. And I think -- Larry, look, by the spring, I think people are going to begin to have more confidence in the policies we've put in place. I think. You're going to see net creation of jobs every month. I think. You're going to see -- now it's not going to be seven million jobs in the next six months, but I think you're going to move from we lost 20,000 jobs last month -- I think you're going see it move to -- I'm making a number up -- 50,000 created or 12,000 and then 20,000 and then 100,000 and --
But I think what people need now -- when you're sitting at your kitchen table, Larry, in the neighborhoods I grew up in and you don't have a job or you're about -- the rumor is you're about to lose your job and your company is about to go under or you can't pay the mortgage on your house, let me tell you something, that's a depression for you.
And my grand pop used to have an expression, from Scranton. He'd say the guy up on Alophin (ph), when he's out of work, it's an economic slowdown. When your brother-in-law is out of work, it's a recession. When you're out of work, it's a depression.
Well, it's a depression for millions of Americans. And it's understandable why they're angry and frustrated and concerned. But we took this job knowing we were facing a gigantic hole we would fall into.
KING: Yes, you inherited it.
BIDEN: We inherited it.
And by the way, we can argue -- that old expression, the proof in the pudding will be in the eating.
KING: Yes.
BIDEN: We'll -- we'll find out if what we're doing makes sense.
KING:
vice president in 60 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Now let's rat-a-tat a bunch of things --
BIDEN: OK.
KING: -- while we have some time here in this segment.
Did the president waste too much time on health?
BIDEN: No. No, look, you cannot get control of the deficits unless you deal with entitlements. One of the biggest entitlements is Medicare and Medicaid. Forty-seven cents in every dollar is spent now -- for health care nationwide is spent by the government. The cost curve is going up like this. You've got to bend it. The only way you can do that is reform health care.
KING: Are you going to get a health bill?
BIDEN: I think we will.
KING: You really think so?
BIDEN: I really do. I think we will.
KING: You don't -- you don't agree with the Republicans, start from the beginning again?
BIDEN: Well, I don't care what they call it, as long as they -- it does three things. One, bends that cost curve so it doesn't go up 40 percent a decade and we -- it just makes it impossible to gain control of our fiscal house. Two, make sure there's a fighting chance for people who don't have insurance to get it. Three, make sure those who have it are not subject to the kind of thing Blue Cross out in California just announced, a 39 percent increase in health care costs. And four, make sure that there is a -- a circumstance where people are not able to be whipsawed by the insurance companies.
Imagine if you went through what you and I went through with our health problems and we were 40 years old and we lost our job. How do you get insurance, Larry, with a preexisting condition?
KING: We share that club.
BIDEN: Yes. No, we are part of that club.
KING: All right. All I have to say is say her name -- Sarah Palin.
BIDEN: I like her.
KING: She wanted your job.
BIDEN: Yes, well, you know, everybody keeps (INAUDIBLE) --
KING: Do you like her?
BIDEN: I do. I like her. She's an engaging person. She has a great personality. I don't agree with what she says and I think some of the things she says are not -- well, I -- I -- I -- I -- I --
KING: What were you going to say?
BIDEN: Well, you know, it's -- it's sort of like some -- some of the comments made are just so far sort of out there, I just don't know where they come from. But, she -- if you -- if you met her, she's an engaging person.
KING: I've met her.
BIDEN: I understand why people like her.
KING: Do you fear her -- I mean fear her, in a sense, politically fear her?
BIDEN: No, I don't. Look, I -- I've not done as much the law of politics as I used to do when I was a senator. I mean, this job, I've been given big chunks of assignments -- Iraq this, et cetera. So I'm not up to being able to give you the poll numbers.
But my sense is that Sarah appeals -- Governor Palin appeals to a group of people who are generally frustrated, feel disenfranchised, are -- are very conservative -- not all of them and --
KING: Tea Party people.
BIDEN: Tea Party people, but beyond that. She has appeal beyond that, as well. But -- but I don't know that it represents a -- anything approaching a -- a significant portion of the population.
KING: All right, you mentioned Iraq.
BIDEN: Yes.
KING: That had to tick him off -- Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan.
What -- what worries you the most?
BIDEN: What worries me the most is --
KING: Of that group?
BIDEN: -- Pakistan. But you've --
KING: Pakistan?
BIDEN: Well, you've heard me say that for the last 10 years. I think it's the -- it's a big country. It has nuclear weapons that are able to be deployed. It has a real significant minority of radicalized population. It is -- it is not a completely functional democracy in the sense we think about it. And so it's -- it -- that's my greatest concern.
I am very optimistic about -- about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You're going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government.
I spent -- I've been there 17 times now. I go about every two months -- three months. I know every one of the major players in all of the segments of that society. It's impressed me. I've been impressed how they have been deciding to use the political process rather than guns to settle their differences.
KING: Iran, nuclear -- worry?
BIDEN: A concern. A -- a -- a real concern, not an immediate concern in the sense that something could happen tomorrow or in the very near term. But what I worry most about with regard to Iran, if they continue on the path of nuclear weapons and were able to gain even a modicum of the capability, then I worry what that does -- Larry, and you know the Middle East, what that -- what pressure that puts on Saudi Arabia, on Egypt, on Turkey, etc. To acquire nuclear weapons. That's --
KING: That's all you need.
BIDEN: That's very destabilizing.
KING: All right, terror. Last week, on terrorism, the heads of the major U.S. Intelligence agencies told Dianne Feinstein that another attempted terrorist attack on the United States is coming certain in the next few months.
BIDEN: Well --
KING: What do you make of that?
BIDEN: Well, look, let me put it this way. The idea of there being a massive attack in the United States like 9/11 is unlikely, in my view. But if you see what's happening, particularly with al Qaeda and the Arabian Peninsula, they have decided to move in the direction of much more small bore but devastatingly frightening attacks.
KING: Detroit?
BIDEN: Detroit. But I think what you're seeing morphing here -- and it's a concern to us -- is you'll see the -- the concern relates to somebody like a shoe bomber or the underpants bomber, the Christmas attack or someone just strapping a backpack on them with explosives that are indigenous and blowing up, you know, walking into (INAUDIBLE) --
KING: So that's going to happen?
BIDEN: Well, I -- I think there are going to be an attempts. I hope we've been -- I've been really impressed. As I said, I've been here for eight presidents, Larry. I used to be in the Intelligence Committee. I was chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. It's something I spent my professional life doing. I've been really impressed with the success we've had, building on the last administration, in dealing with these.
KING: We're running out of time.
Condolences on your mom.
BIDEN: Oh, thanks, buddy. Well, look, I was lucky. She -- you -- she --
KING: She loved watching me.
BIDEN: You were her favorite. Literally, there was not a single night you could walk into her living room and not have you on television.
KING: Great seeing you.
BIDEN: Good seeing you, buddy.
KING: Let's do it more often.
BIDEN: Thank you. I'd love to do it.
KING: We've got a prime time exclusive coming for you. Senator John Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz, on a personal crisis and how they're getting through it.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We welcome Senator John Kerry, the senior senator from Massachusetts, and Teresa Heinz Kerry back to LARRY KING LIVE.
He is, of course, as we said, the senior senator. He was the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee.
And Teresa was diagnosed in September with cancer in both breasts.
They've been married for almost 15 years. Here to share some of their personal challenges.
How did you learn?
TERESA HEINZ KERRY, WIFE OF JOHN KERRY: A routine mammogram.
KING: Who told you?
T. KERRY: My doctor.
KING: How did he tell you?
T. KERRY: She.
KING: She.
T. KERRY: She -- she looked at it with an ultrasound after the mammogram. And I know her well. She's been my doctor a long time. And she said, "Hmmm." And she made me look at the ultrasound.
And I said, "What is it? Is it another cyst?"
And she said, "No, I don't think."
So she was very matter of fact about it.
And she said, "Let's do a little needle biopsy." She did a needle biopsy, got out the liquid, sent it out to pathology and they said, "There's some unhealthy cells."
So I said, "So, tell me why you think it's not just a cyst?"
She's going, "You know what a cyst looks like?"
I said, "Um-hmm."
She says, "Well, look at this one." She says, "There's a tiny little -- a tiny little speck of white in the cirrhotic tissue."
KING: Did she use the word cancer?
T. KERRY: Well, she didn't -- well, when it came back I knew it was going to be cancer.
KING: You knew?
T. KERRY: I mean, I did. And then she said, "This, I think this is cancer."
I said, "OK. So we're going to do a bigger biopsy, the real biopsy?"
So we did the big biopsy. And she cleaned out and cleaned out and cleaned out. And she put it in a little jar. And I said, "All right, Doctor, can I look at my little bottle -- at my little cancer?"
She said, "Sure."
So I look at my little cancer. And it was very interesting. It kind of made it -- this is my -- my little part of my body and it's not behaving very well, but it's mine. And I looked at it and I wasn't frightened. I was analytical.
KING: How did you find out?
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE.: About her?
KING: Yes.
J. KERRY: Or me?
KING: No, your prostate --
J. KERRY: I mean I found out --
KING: This -- the cancer (INAUDIBLE).
J. KERRY: Well, Teresa told me. She -- she -- she called me and, you know -- actually I was there for one part of it, not the initial part of it. But she just told me. She said, this is what's happened, I have this and here we go.
KING: Your first reaction?
J. KERRY: Well, your first reaction is always one of -- one of fear and concern and -- and, you know, is it in the nodes?
Has it metastasized?
What's going on here?
And you kind of want to get as rapid a handle on what the possibilities are as you can.
Teresa was very calm and very matter of fact about it. And, you know, she's very -- her friends call her Dr. T. because she really --
KING: She knows all about this?
J. KERRY: She knows a lot. She knows more about medicine than a lot of doctors.
KING: All right, for the layman, how are they treating it?
T. KERRY: Um, well, I -- I -- you have choices, as you know. And I -- I hoped that I would be in a situation where I wouldn't have to do chemotherapy, if possible, because I have a hard time processing drugs -- all kinds of drugs. And I was lucky. So I have no chemo. KING: How did they treat it?
T. KERRY: Radiation on both breasts. And then they will probably give me --
J. KERRY: And lumpectomies on both breasts.
T. KERRY: Two. Twice lumpectomies, yes.
KING: Weren't you scared?
T. KERRY: Of the radiation?
KING: Of the whole thing?
T. KERRY: Um, whew, I wasn't scared because I'm very analytical about things like this and kind of, I guess, a little fatalistic. I knew that it was small. I knew it was stage one. I knew that I take good care of myself generally. My fear was -- was having to do chemo, because of my own personal situation.
KING: You had surgery for your prostate, right?
J. KERRY: Correct.
KING: That was serious, to -- to go that route.
J. KERRY: Well, it -- it you have choices, again. And -- and you've got to make them.
KING: I know.
J. KERRY: And, you know, now you have a robotic process for -- for surgery. You have the open surgery. You have seeds. You have wait and watch.
KING: You took the big deal, though, right?
J. KERRY: I did, Larry. I did it for a number of reasons. One, my father died of prostate cancer. And he started out with the sort of radiation, wait and watch and -- and then it caught up to him and got ahead of him. And I -- I didn't -- you know, I just had a sense I wanted it out of me.
Secondly, I was -- had just started a presidential campaign. And I also felt that, you know, if I was going to hold myself out to the American people as ready to be president, I had to be cancer-free.
KING:
Kerrys, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back with Senator John Kerry and Teresa-Teresa Heinz Kerry. Teresa, of course, Portuguese. Mammograms are important. Are you urging people, women, to get them?
T. KERRY: Yes. I think that preventive medicine of all kinds pays in the long-run, both in terms of the health of the woman and the prospects for longevity, as well as costs.
KING: What age should you get it?
T. KERRY: Well, that is debatable. For sure, 40-year-olds. Amongst good doctors, even, there is a difference of opinion on whether you should do it annually or not.
KING: What do you think?
T. KERRY: Well, if I hadn't done mine annually, it would have been further along. It might have been caught at stage two.
KING: By the way, they know what caused it?
T. KERRY: Estrogen, high estrogen. I have a very high estrogen positive breast tissue. Which, is about twice as much estrogen as in the rest of my body.
KING: Are you scared for her?
J. KERRY: Until we knew that it was-I mean, I tell you her doctor was terrific and her doctor was so reassuring about how early and really controllable. And I think that certainly me a sense of comfort. I don't know how it gave Teresa initially. But I think her diagnosis, her manner, instilled a lot of confidence. So, the answer is, once we knew it wasn't in the nodes, and that it was at a controllable stage, I think I was more confident. And I hope Teresa was too. I think she has been very confident about it.
KING: You talk to a lot of women about it?
T. KERRY: I didn't talk to almost anyone, for the first two months, except maybe three friends. Because I just couldn't deal with answering questions, or talking about it. I just had to process what I was doing and being quiet was the way to do it.
KING: Now?
T. KERRY: Now? And then I did make this op-ed. I wrote this op-ed for the Pittsburgh paper, when the mammogram issue came up. And I was quite angry when I read that. And I thought this is not right. So, I made it public. You know, that is how-
KING: The issue not to get them?
T. KERRY: Yes, 40-year-olds. And that was my, quote, "coming out". It stunned a lot of people.
KING: Sure did.
T. KERRY: I didn't want to do it until I was ready to do it.
KING: Have you spoke to Elizabeth Edwards?
T. KERRY: No.
KING: Do you plan to?
J. KERRY: I've spoken to her. I talked to her a number of times. And, in fact, I talked to her very recently. And she sent great best wishes to Teresa, and mentioned that she actually wanted to be in touch with her. And we talked just about general things. But --
KING: What do you make of this whole thing with John?
J. KERRY: Well, Larry, what can you make? I mean, honestly, it is a tragedy.
KING: Are you shocked?
J. KERRY: Yes, and obviously disappointed. But I think -- you know, I think everybody just feels awful about it, in terms of their family, the relationship that everybody saw publically, the promise, the hope. You know, obviously, a capable career. And --
KING: Have you spoke to him?
J. KERRY: I have not. I mean, I called their home. I didn't know who would answer. I certainly was ready and willing and hope to say a word.
KING: What do you make -- and you got very friendly with her when you ran together, did you not?
T. KERRY: I got somewhat. You know, we were in different ships, different-I was one part of the country, she was in another part of the country.
KING: What do you make of the bad press she is getting?
J. KERRY: Larry, I've got to tell you, truthfully, Teresa and I have reached a stage where we-we don't read it, we don't watch it, don't pay any attention to it. Whether it is about us or someone else.
KING: Why not?
J. KERRY: Because we're focused on trying to get some serious things done. And we just don't have time for it.
T. KERRY: And it hurts.
J. KERRY: I think a lot of people --
T. KERRY: To see that. J. KERRY: Yes, I think a lot of people in-in, in-there's too much of it in our politics. Our politics has become too celebrity oriented, too trivial, too superficial. We have some -- I mean, it is interesting.
I know this isn't the topic for the night, but I just came back from a security conference in Germany, last weekend. And it was fascinating to listen to people from so many different parts of the world talking about the ways in which the world is changing and we're missing a lot of it. China is moving forward in its economy, India, Germany, Europe, different places. We're stuck.
We are very stuck right now. And I have huge empathy for the president's struggle to try to get over this partisanship and find a way for us to make real decisions that are just critical to our nation. And if we don't, we're sliding backwards at a time when every moment counts.
KING: Lots more to talk about. We'll talk about John Kerry and the new senator from Massachusetts, more about cancer, too. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We are talking to Teresa Heinz Kerry about her breast cancer and her fight against it. To lick it. I guess you are going to beat it?
T. KERRY: That's what they say.
KING: You're tough.
T. KERRY: You never know 'until it is done.
KING: And Senator John Kerry about that and other things-life.
What do you make of Scott Brown's election, Ted Kennedy.
J. KERRY: Very understandable. Really very understandable.
KING: Really?
J. KERRY: Yes, I think it is. Honestly. If you were up in Massachusetts, as I was, and you could feel the anger and the frustration people have with Washington. With what is not happening here. The kind of thing I just talked about.
Scott Brown tapped into that. He, you know, presented a refreshing alternative in that regard. And I think all of us need to respect that part of it.
Now, I wouldn't over interpret what happened. It was still a close race. And certain things that happened, you know, campaign- wise, maybe it would have been a different outcome.
What is important is that all of us in Washington, Republican and Democrat, alike, ought to throw away the party labels and try to find some real solutions to big problems, Larry. I mean, you know, we are not doing health care because it is an ideological thing.
KING: How about jobs?
J. KERRY: Biggest issue on the table. We have to create jobs. We need-I happen to believe that, you know, the energy climate initiatives that we have staring us in the face have very little to do with climate and everything to do with the creation of jobs, with America's energy independence, with strengthening our national security, improving our health, and putting America into the next generation of competitive capacity.
KING: Do you expect Senator Brown to be bipartisan?
J. KERRY: I do. I hope so. I think he will be and I think others are prepared to be. I think we need-you know, we need to just, you know, press -- the leadership on both sides needs to continue to press our ability to find a meeting point. And we'll all pay a heavy price if we don't.
KING: Do you like him, Senator Brown?
J. KERRY: I do. No, absolutely. And I know his wife from, you know, her role as a reporter in Massachusetts. We have sat together now, a couple of times and we are going to work for Massachusetts. We are going to work for the country. We are going to try to find a common ground and I think that is what he is interested in doing and we're going to work hard to do it.
KING: Were you disappointed in the election?
T. KERRY: I was in Massachusetts when that thing was going on from the beginning of January 'until, whatever, the 19, 18?
J. KERRY: Yes, 19.
T. KERRY: So, I had a craving to see the debate, to see the campaigning, to see all of that. And I wasn't surprised. Plus, he has an appeal -- he's an appealing figure.
KING: Yes, he is.
T. KERRY: We have a very bright, capable attorney general, who doesn't have that kind of appeal that he did. And a very different style of campaigning and I think that people liked that, for the reasons John said. You know the anger, the impatience, the this, the that. I think that was important.
KING: Talking about the division, what do you make of the Tea Party? That is from your neck of the woods, the Boston Tea Party?
(LAUGHTER)
KING: That's where it first happened.
T. KERRY: Without water.
KING: Without water, and dumping tea.
J. KERRY: Entirely understandable.
KING: Really?
J. KERRY: Absolutely. Are you kidding? I mean, we have enormous deficits. We have a huge trade deficit. People feel frustrated. They know what is happening.
KING: Are these people angry, too?
J. KERRY: Absolutely, Larry.
T. KERRY: Another form.
J. KERRY: I completely understand it. You bet. And none of us should, you know, presume that you can just sort of oppose things and have a strategy of obstruction, and not suffer consequences. I think that the American people sent us here to do a serious job and we need to get it done.
And there are real answers to these things. I mean this is not as complicated as some people want to make it. There are ways of reducing health care costs. Maybe we can't go quite as far, as fast to be, you know to reach as many people who don't have the insurance. But we could have insurance reforms. We could stop having people loose their insurance the minute they get sick. We could stop having people loose their-you know, not get insurance because of pre-existing condition. We could do a more effective job of paying and reimbursing and reduce costs, and put incentives in. We can do these things.
The question is, is there a will to do it? That is the test now. Frankly, there is a silver lining in what happened in the loss of 60 votes. And it is that the Republicans, now, are responsible for governing again; because if you are going to get 60 it requires some Republican to step up and say, yes. And that is the test now. Are they willing to help us deal with the many crisis we face?
KING: I want to talk -- ask Teresa about the costs of cancer. And ask Senator Kerry about Sarah Palin, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWS BREAK)
KING: A couple of other things with the Kerrys. Well, you mentioned jobs. Are you going to get the job bill?
J. KERRY: I think we'll get a jobs bill. I think the biggest jobs bill we could get is the combined energy climate effort, because if you're not sending $100 billion, $200 billion a year to the Mideast, you begin to spend it here in America.
If we begin to move on electrification of cars, if we use liquefied natural gas for some of our heavy trucks and things, we're going to create a lot of jobs here in America.
KING: They're in the bill?
J. KERRY: Yes. These things will be in it.
KING: How much did you have (INAUDIBLE), Teresa, would cost -- you didn't pay for it, right, in insurance?
T. KERRY: We paid some. But I have insurance. And --
KING: How many people have what you have and don't have insurance? We don't know.
T. KERRY: Well, I don't know that. But --
J. KERRY: About 50 million people who don't have insurance -- 47 million.
T. KERRY: Yes. And -- but one of the things they're trying to do with a women's health bill -- I mean, the women's portion, which Olympia and (INAUDIBLE) wrote, is to cover all women for mammograms and --
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Right now they're not covered?
T. KERRY: Not all women, no.
J. KERRY: Not necessarily. It depends on your --
T. KERRY: No. Now there are free clinics and even buses in places in -- where you can go in and get it done. I mean, I like the Bernie Sanders community health care, he wanted $10 billion for community --
J. KERRY: Community centers.
T. KERRY: -- centers.
(CROSSTALK)
T. KERRY: And I've visited a lot of those in Iowa, in Washington, and all over. And Louisiana had an amazing community health centers. And they are a very intimate, good personal place where local people can go for very --
KING: We still have a long way to go, though.
T. KERRY: And they pay for your drugs for almost -- almost completely, because they're subsidized by the government.
KING: One more --
T. KERRY: But we have a long ways to go, yes.
KING: One more political thing. Are you concerned about Sarah Palin?
J. KERRY: Concerned?
KING: Yes.
J. KERRY: No. No, why would I be concerned?
KING: What do you make of her?
J. KERRY: Well, she is -- I mean, look, she is interesting. She represents some of the transformation in American politics into entertainment. And I think, you know, if you come up with a phrase like, how do you like that hopey-changey stuff, that's a pretty good phrase, to be honest with you.
But it's more on the hot-button, push-button side of politics than it is, I think, on the real answers side of where we're going to go. I have a feeling that as we go through the next year, Larry, I think American politics is going to change a little bit.
It's never static. And no election is where you think it is today. That I know for a certainty. So as we come in to the fall and go into 2012, I think we're going to go through a transformation. Maybe I'm a little old-fashioned, maybe I'm actually getting older in the system, but I still believe that accomplishment and ideas and thinking and sort of a record makes something of a difference.
And I don't see a lot of that --
KING: For the better.
J. KERRY: -- there.
Yes, for the better.
KING: Oh, did you get Senator Kennedy's office?
J. KERRY: No. I have a terrific office that's underneath where Teddy is, which I wanted to be in. It was Senator --
KING: Who gets Teddy's --
J. KERRY: -- Warner's.
Right now, Scott Brown is temporarily in the office. It will be a matter of seniority and it will be up at the end of the year. But what I did get, which I am very excited about, is Ted Kennedy's desk, which was held previously -- it was the desk that Jack Kennedy had and Daniel Webster. It's sort of a Massachusetts treasure, if you will.
T. KERRY: You didn't tell me.
KING: You didn't tell her?
T. KERRY: You didn't tell me.
J. KERRY: Just got it yesterday.
KING: Teresa, good luck to you. Thank you.
T. KERRY: Very nice, thank you so much. Thank you.
KING: Thank you, Kerrys.
J. KERRY: Thank you, sir.
KING: Hey, they know everyone in the music business, brought many of them together to help Haiti. The men behind "We Are the World": Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Welcome back. Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie are two of the biggest names in the music business. And they created "We Are The World" in 1985. And are working on a second version that will benefit the people of Haiti. It debuts this Friday during the opening of the Olympics.
Here are the -- just some of the more than 70 -- yes, more than 70 superstars taking part: Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, Miley Cyrus, Nick Jonas, Josh Groben, the Black Eyed Peas, Pink, Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jeff Bridges, Jamie Foxx, Harry Connick, Jr., and Tony Bennett. I'm so excited. Quincy, how -- how did you put this all together?
QUINCY JONES, SINGER: Art Linkletter is an extraordinary (ph), and he says to me every day, "Quincy. Do you want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans." You know? And you -- you just have to let go. Aim -- aim carefully.
The diversity, and whatever, you know? And aim carefully, and -- and really let go. You have to let God -- God -- give him that room. I would say there's a sign that says "Leave some space for God to walk through the room."
LIONEL RICHIE, SINGER: Exactly right.
JONES: And it really happened.
RICHIE: It was divine guidance this trip, Larry. It was absolutely divine guidance. And I'll tell you what was happening the most -- was to see the enthusiasm on so many of the people's faces there, because they -- of course, 25 years ago, they weren't old enough or some of them weren't even here -- around to be in this. So the enthusiasm of having the next generation wanting to be a part of this was just -- was just mind blowing.
KING: So Lionel --
(CROSSTALK)
KING: -- none of -- none of the people in this one were in the last one, right? RICHIE: That's exactly right. What we wanted to do was pass the baton on to the next generation, and -- and empower them.
JONES: Exactly.
RICHIE: To give them an opportunity to -- to understand their social awareness, and to give them a chance to be a part of history. I mean this is -- this is wonderful for them. And of course I -- I was inspired to see again my -- my daughter -- five years old -- came to me, and she said, "Dad we just learned a brand new song in school. 'We Are The World.' I understand you wrote it with Michael Jackson, and I fell out laughing. At that point I realized if there's going to come a time when we have to pass this wonderful legacy on to the next generation.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Quincy, how -- how did -- Quincy?
JONES: -- it happens automatically.
KING: Quincy, how did -- how did you get all those egos to be nice to each other, and work together, and sublimate the ego?
JONES: Well the -- the artists were pretty cool, you know? We -- we had some problems. And I was ready to bring my sign back out. But I decided check your ego at the door.
RICHIE: No. You know what it was though? I think once they all got in the room, and -- and realized that it's really not about us as we said in the first one. It's not about us. It's about the people. And once you see those images on the wall, those kids standing out there in the middle of nothing, and the families completely lost with everything --
JONES: Yes.
RICHIE: -- you know, it's that -- at that time your ego shrinks to a point where you understand what your mission is.
KING: By the way, some of the students from Haiti actually shot the video of "We Are The World." Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Quincy, who decided who would do solos?
JONES: Well it was a mixture of planning, and -- and -- and circumstances, you know? Some people didn't show up. And some other -- other people showed up. And so you have -- that's why it's good to have been a jazz musician. Because a Jazz musician's mind is wide open. And you can roll, and turn on a dime. RICHIE: Exactly right.
JONES: It's very important.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: How long does it take -- how long does it take to edit this thing to get it all ready for Friday night, Lionel?
(CROSSTALK)
JONES: Longer than it does to record it.
RICHIE: Yes.
JONES: About three times as long as recording --
RICHIE: Well you know -- you know what, Larry? This particular time around was interesting, because think about it. We started out with four cameras on the first "We Are The World." And this time around, everybody had a cell phone. Everybody had a cell phone. Everybody was My Space, Your Space, Her Space, Their Space. It was -- it was streaming before we even got to the second verse. So it was actually quite magical to see how much technology was in that room while we were trying to record this thing.
By the way, a secret this record was not going to be.
KING: Did -- did you involve Michael Jackson in any way, Quincy?
JONES: Yes.
RICHIE: Yes.
JONES: At -- at his mother's request, and our desire.
RICHIE: Our desire. Yes.
JONES: We -- we -- we kept Michael's -- Michael -- when we did the last one, we requested him to be there right after the AMA's at 10:00 o'clock, to be on the mic, to sing the lead as a demo for the rest of the people.
RICHIE: Right.
JONES: He was there right on time. And he did it. And he -- he doubled it. Now we've got Janet singing with him on it.
RICHIE: Right. But to have -- but to have his voice in there -- I must tell you, to have his presence, I was -- I must admit, he was missed last night just in -- in body. But I must tell you, to have his voice in there was just inspiring.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: And what about -- Quincy -- Quincy, what about having rappers instead of rockers.
JONES: We got all of them.
RICHIE: Well -- just the funny thing that --
(CROSSTALK)
JONES: We had -- but, we had everything this time. But we have also -- we're going to put in -- in -- on the -- on the back of the record is a fantastic poem that was requested by Michael's mother that -- written by Miya Angelo. And it is incredible. And it ends with, "We are, you are, we are the world."
RICHIE: Right.
JONES: And it's so organically connected. So as I say, again, there is -- and Lionel says, there's a lot of design intervention there.
RICHIE: Yes.
RICHIE: Lionel, there were 88 people involved in this. I understand there were half of that some years ago. Was that more of a problem having more people?
RICHIE: I don't know whether we had too many artists in the building, or too many film crew. I'm telling you technology we have now -- this on -- on -- what is it three-D, Pannovision (ph). We had every imaginable -- every imaginable kind of camera filming this. And so the visual on this is far greater than it was the first time around. But it's -- it's just incredible. We're going to make cuts where the kids in Haiti will be singing along with us on the video. It's brilliant.
KING: And the benefits all go to help Haiti, right Quincy?
JONES: Absolutely.
RICHIE: Absolutely.
JONES: And we are putting all of the organizations -- I will call no names -- that deal with those 30 and 40 percent operation overhead. We have a -- we have a very good friend who -- this is the Ambassador of Columbia, Melissa Moreno (ph), that knows how to aim. He's the head of energy development bank -- World bank now. The 31 countries in Latin America. And we will take the advice of absolute experts of where to aim.
RICHIE: That's right.
JONES: Because for the -- lots of things like power generators -- we've been -- have -- people have submitted power generators, and -- and just some amazing --
KING: Wow.
JONES: -- giving.
KING: Salute you both. Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, "We Are The World." It's going to open the Olympics Friday night. All the proceeds when it goes on sale will go to help Haiti. We mentioned Celine Dion is one of the singers. She'll be a guest right here Monday night.
And before we go, American Idol fans, check out our blog tonight. We talk to the lead make up artist about what goes on right before the contestants perform. You won't see it anywhere else at CNN.com/Larry King.
Tomorrow night, hopefully back in New York with Governor David Patterson addressing rumors about womanizing and drug use. AC360 and Anderson Cooper starts right now.
