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Campbell Brown
Gore Endorses Obama; California Gay Marriage Now Legal
Aired June 16, 2008 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome, everybody.
We have got a lot of news that is breaking while we're on the air tonight.
Vice President Al Gore, who has been mostly invisible during the marathon presidential campaign, is coming out to endorse Senator Barack Obama. Their joint appearance has insiders chattering tonight about whether Obama-Gore is the winning ticket. We are going to have the endorsement and the appearance live happening during our hour tonight.
And two minutes ago in California, the first same-sex wedding ceremonies got under way under a new law. You're looking at a live picture right now. We are live both in Beverly Hills and in San Francisco, looking ahead at the political impact this could have come November.
But let's start with Al Gore's big announcement with Barack Obama. It is happening minutes from now.
And CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley has been on the campaign trail with the Democrats all year. She has got new details about Gore and his message to Democrats.
Candy, what do you know?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, I am told by sources around Gore and Obama that, in fact, tonight, they expect Gore to, first of all, embrace the whole change notion.
Al Gore, as you know, has been out of the spotlight and certainly mostly out of the political world for some time. So, they think, in that way, that Al Gore can easily embrace the change message, which obviously is necessary for endorsing the Obama campaign.
You can also expect him to hit on two key issues, at the very least. One is the war. You will recall that Al Gore was an early and vociferous critic of the Iraq war. He became the darling of the anti- war wing of the Democratic Party, which wasn't very big at the time that he spoke out. So, Obama and Gore have that in common.
You can also expect Gore to talk a bit about what he thinks Obama can do about Gore's main passion. And that of course is climate change. This comes at a time, as you say, that is starting all kinds of speculation. But certainly Al Gore has gone along a long trail since he was a presidential candidate. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): He picked up an Academy Award in Hollywood, a Nobel Prize in Oslo. Next stop, Detroit. Here, Al Gore will endorse Barack Obama.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He has been a visionary, not just for the party, but for the country. And there are very few people who are more knowledgeable than he is about a whole host of issues and challenges that we're going to be facing in the years to come.
CROWLEY: Long time no see, Mr. Gore, on the campaign trail, and his endorsement might have had real punch had it come in the midst of this brutal primary season. But he did that once upon a time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm very proud and honored to endorse Howard Dean to be the next president of the United States of America.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: So, Gore sat out this primary for that reason and others, including a sometimes chilly relationship with the Clintons.
But now the Democrats have a presumptive nominee, and Gore steps up to the plate. It may be late, but it's not too little. In his first ever appeal on his Web site for campaign contributions, Gore asked his considerable following to give to Obama.
And he offered a promise. "From now through Election Day," he wrote, "I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected president of the United States."
And he can be helpful. Nobody can stir a Democratic crowd like Al Gore, a walking, talking reminder to Democrats who think they were robbed of the presidency in 2000. And over the years, Gore's reputation has turned platinum. His passion for the substitute of climate change not only won him prestigious awards. He is now a bit of a Democratic icon, at least a respected senior statesman who went global with his passion.
And he's a Washington politico born and bred with enough distance now to seem like a guy who embraces change. He knows a thing or two about governing, winning and losing, a trifecta of experience that could help.
OBAMA: Well, we have had ongoing conversations about a whole host of issues. A lot of them have revolved around issues of climate change and energy and the environment. But, you know, he's also provided good political advice. CROWLEY: The endorsement is likely to fuel talk about Gore as number two on an Obama ticket. After making millions, walking the red carpet, feeling the glow of Oslo, it's difficult to imagine Gore would be game. It's hard to keep them down on the ticket when they have seen the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: And, Candy, you just touched on this. But there's no question that the speculation will be out there of Gore as V.P. if Obama came to him and made the case. What do you think the odds are? Do you think there's really no chance?
CROWLEY: I think the odds are pretty long.
And I think, although we have heard this from some politicos, saying, hey, wouldn't this be a great team, he balances out Obama in the sense that he is a Southerner -- remember, he is from Tennessee. Again, he has lost that kind of Washington taint that voters don't tend to like, because he has been off the scene for almost a decade.
And, also, he has this foreign policy experience. But the problem really is, you know, not whether Barack Obama would want him, but whether Al Gore would be game. It certainly is a step down. And I think, in some sense, that a lot of the fervor for Gore being on that ticket is again that kind of yearning for what Democrats believe should have been.
BROWN: And, Candy, Senator Obama today announced some people, some big hires to his campaign. And one of the names raised some eyebrows today and also got the gossip mill going, and that was announcing the hire of Senator Hillary Clinton's former campaign chief, Patti Solis Doyle.
Tell us the significance.
CROWLEY: Well, you're right. It had tongues wagging, particularly among Clintonians, who feel that Patti Solis Doyle did not run the campaign well in the early months. She did get pushed out after New Hampshire.
So, there is this feeling that in fact putting her in, in the position she's been put in is to be chief of staff for the vice presidential nominee. So, some people around the Clintons looked at that and said, well, this must be a signal.
But I can tell you that I have talked to a good source in the Obama campaign who said: We know her. We like her. We didn't intend to send any signals.
But whether they intended it or not, the idea of putting Patti Solis Doyle into the position where she is chief of staff for a not- yet-named vice presidential candidate certainly raised a lot of eyebrows here in Washington.
BROWN: It certainly did. All right, Candy Crowley for us tonight -- Candy, as always, thanks.
So, just how significant is it, also, that Michigan is the backdrop for the Gore endorsement tonight?
Well, here's why the state matters so much for Democrats this year. Michigan is one of the 12 battlegrounds identified here on our CNN electoral map in yellow, if we can show it to you. It has 17 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. The economy is a huge issue in this state. In April, the unemployment rate was the highest in the nation at 6.9 percent, while the national rate was 5 percent.
And although Michigan is a swing state that's had narrow presidential margins, the Democrats have carried the state in each of the last four presidential elections. Michigan's Macomb County, as you remember, is also the birthplace of Reagan Democrats, the more conservative Democratic voters.
With me on all things to talk now about all things Gore and these other issues are three of our top political analysts, CNN contributor Roland Martin, who is joining us from Chicago tonight, senior analyst Jeff Toobin, here with me here in New York, along with CNN contributor and Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez.
And I want to go back to my favorite subject, even if Candy is pooh-poohing it.
Jeff Toobin, take a listen to this. A lot of people were surprised when, last week, James Carville started to push this idea of Gore as V.P. for Obama.
Let's listen to his argument.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CARVILLE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: If I was him, I would ask Al Gore to serve as his vice president, as energy czar in his administration to reduce our consumption and reliance on foreign energy sources.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: V.P./energy czar, good idea?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: It's a plausible idea.
And it is possible end the speculation tonight. Ted Strickland, the governor of Ohio, has really ended any speculation about him. Mark Warner, the Senate candidate, former governor of Virginia, he's ended all speculation.
Al Gore could simply categorically rule it out. And he may yet do that. My guess is that he will do that. I think he really is the been there/done that guy in terms of the vice presidency. But given his stature, given his popularity among Democrats, less so among independents, he's certainly a plausible Republican candidate.
BROWN: Leslie, what do you think?
LESLIE SANCHEZ, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: I disagree. I don't think it's big news that a Democrat endorses a Democrat. Had he come around for John McCain, just like his former running mate did, that might have been a bigger story.
And also look at who he appeals to, definitely the environmentalists, maybe your Atari technocrats back from the '80s. But other than that, he's not exactly appealing to that group of voters that are critical right now for Barack Obama, the women, the Hispanics, the Rust Belt, and the conservative Democrats.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: You don't think that Gore, that Al Gore has an appeal to Democrats right now?
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: I think he has an appeal to Democrats, but not the conservative Democrats that everybody is vying for or the independent conservatives who are very much looking at John McCain attractively.
BROWN: Roland, go ahead.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: OK.
First of all, in order to even get to the conservative Democrats, you need to deal with your base first. This endorsement solidifies the base, allows a major figure in the party who is not attached to the Clintons to come out and say, I'm behind this guy. I'm going to do everything possible.
And for Al Gore to say this is the first candidate he's made a direct appeal to raise money for, that is significant. And so it does help him. And not only that, Campbell. Remember, John Edwards, when he endorsed Obama, where did he do it? Grand Rapids, Michigan. You have got Al Gore, in Michigan.
They're clearly saying to the union workers in that state, they're saying to the white working class, the black working class, we want this state.
That's why they're doing there.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Well, there's no doubt about that. Al Gore won that state, critical. Campbell, you talked about those 17 electoral votes.
There's no doubt. But it's also a state that John McCain is leading in. It's also a state that is going to remember that Al Gore proposed this broad-based energy tax when he was running for office.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: It's also a state where you're losing manufacturing jobs. It's a state where three automakers also are falling back. So, obviously, you have got to have somebody talking some common sense in terms of moving forward. So, yes, it's a critical state.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Jeff.
TOOBIN: The recent polls I have seen, by the way, suggest that Obama's leading in Michigan, not McCain.
And I think we're talking about two different things here. Certainly, the endorsement is nothing but good news for Barack Obama. How could it be bad news to be endorsed by a prominent person? The vice presidency, that's a harder question. And, frankly, I think we overestimate the significance of vice presidents as electoral gatherers of votes, in any case.
But, certainly, tonight is nothing but good news.
MARTIN: Hey, Campbell.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Go ahead, Roland, on the vice presidential question, is there...
MARTIN: Yes.
Look, OK, Al Gore is not going to be the guy who is the V.P. Why would Al Gore want to be number two when he could have ran to be number one? Chris Rock reminds what he said -- people talked about Colin Powell should be Bob dole's V.P. He said, wait a minute. Colin Powell can beat Bob Dole. So, why would Al Gore do that?
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Exactly.
MARTIN: Now, on this whole issue of Hillary Clinton, she is not going to be the V.P.
We can sit here and play around with this and dance around it. She's not going to be the V.P. nominee. The Obama campaign, they are treading around this. The day after her speech on the night when he won the -- when he declared victory, they said it was highly unlikely. Look, she's not going to be the V.P. nominee. They can forget about it.
(CROSSTALK)
TOOBIN: Roland, stop pussyfooting around. Just tell us what you think.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Look, my sources in the campaign have made it perfectly clear in terms of where that stands. And, so, again, they're plays footsy here, but she's not going to be the number two.
SANCHEZ: I appreciate Roland speaking the truth.
I completely agree with Roland in this case. Don't want to be the contrarian here. I agree. I think that it would be a lead weight on the Obama campaign.
TOOBIN: I am less sure of that.
Hillary Clinton got 18 million votes. She's a power in this party. She's the most famous woman in America. I don't think she's necessarily out of running to be vice president or a bad choice.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: But the reason that doesn't work is what the Clinton campaign failed to recognize from the beginning, that her negatives were so incredibly high and how polarizing a figure that is.
That did ultimately play into the fact they didn't have the kind of prowess that people thought they had.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: They duped all of us.
BROWN: All right, guys, stay there.
When we come back, I want to get your take on Obama's surprising Father's Day message.
Also, we're standing by to bring you the Al Gore appearance and his endorsement of Barack Obama live.
And then later, one of this year's most interesting U.S. Senate races. Comedian turned candidate Al Franken is joining me live for an exclusive interview when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Once again, this is a live picture of the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Just minutes from now, Al Gore and Barack Obama will step up to the podium, and Gore will endorse Obama for president. You are going to see it here live.
The campaign trail also buzzing about Senator Obama's message for African men -- African-American men on Father's Day.
In a Chicago pulpit yesterday, the senator delivered a message about manhood, parenthood and family values. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: But if we are honest with ourselves, we'll admit that what too many fathers are also missing, missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities. They're acting like boys, instead of men. And the foundations of our family have suffered because of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: With me once again, we have got Roland Martin, our CNN political analyst, Leslie Sanchez, a CNN contributor and GOP strategist, and CNN senior analyst Jeff Toobin.
And, Roland, I know you spent a lot of time on the speech on your radio show this morning, and you got a very mixed reaction. What were the listeners saying?
MARTIN: Well, actually, most of the folks said they loved him.
You had some people who said, oh, he shouldn't have given this speech. He shouldn't have been talking about this on Father's Day. But you know what? There's enough sperm donors going out there who are not taking care of their children.
But, also, Campbell, one thing that people keep talking about and saying, he was focusing on black fathers. In fact, he said in the speech that 50 percent of White households also have the exact same problem. So, it's a broader issue.
And I have gotten e-mails from people who are white, Hispanic, black, saying, look, this is a major problem in our community as well. But there's no doubt it's an issue in the black community.
BROWN: And, Leslie, the speech was in a black church in Chicago. But let's talk about who the main audience was here, because when Bill Cosby made similar remarks or said similar things, it was a message that wasn't welcomed by the entire black community.
Is this a way, as some have suggested, for Obama to court white voters and social conservatives?
SANCHEZ: I can't speak to his intention there, but I can say it was a strong conservative message. He's talking about self-reliance. He's talking about taking responsibility, accountability, and even things like enforcement mechanisms for going after deadbeat dads. That's kind of paraphrasing.
But that's something I think a lot of people fundamentally agree with. Keeping family members together is stronger for all of society.
The problem is, he doesn't talk about the fact there's a lot of Democratic policies that put these kind of burdens on a lot of lower- income, disadvantaged families to begin with. And his solutions for making government bigger are not necessarily what's going to help these families.
(CROSSTALK) BROWN: So, I applaud him for talking about it. I applaud him for talking about it. I think a lot of conservatives appreciate that message.
And Campbell is exactly right. Bill Cosby was pretty much chased and criticized for talking about -- speaking truth to this. And I think it's important that some dialogue continued.
BROWN: Sorry.
Roland, did you have a quick response?
MARTIN: Yes.
The whole point is, the politics have nothing to do with this here. You don't need a governmental program to take care of your child.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: I agree.
MARTIN: This is not a conservative principle. OK? It's a called a parental principle.
And when I make the point about sperm donors, when you sit here and impregnate a woman, and then you leave, and you don't take care of your child, that's exactly what you're doing. As Obama said, it means more to be a father just to get something pregnant, then leave.
BROWN: All right. Hold on.
Jeff, talk to the politics of this. I heard somebody call this is his Sister Souljah moment.
TOOBIN: Well, that was the -- the idea behind that claim is him sort of proving to the white world that he's not a full captive of the African-American agenda. I think that's an unfair criticism.
This speech, he has given before, and not...
MARTIN: Yes.
TOOBIN: ... and for several years.
So, this is not something he just discovered, this concern about the need for intact families. I think it's just a message that any responsible citizen sends at this point. Bill Clinton had talked about it the same way. I don't think this is a -- sure, it's good politics to talk about this, because this is an issue that a lot of people care about.
But I think it's unfair to suggest this is something that Obama just came on and decided to exploit once he's a presidential candidate. MARTIN: I wish John McCain gave the speech. We need people at the bully pulpit, Campbell, who are speaking to these family issues, because when you look at crime, when you look at drugs, when you look at lack of education, there's a direct correlation between people raised in single-family homes and those who are raised in two-parent homes.
SANCHEZ: There's no doubt about that, Roland, but a lot of the policies that he has been talking about is bigger government, bigger -- redistribution of wealth to take care of some of these families.
MARTIN: Oh, Leslie, come on.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: So, I think, when it comes to finally putting these two things together, that is going to be a fair debate. But I -- again, I applaud him for the message.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: All right, guys, we have got to end it there. We're out of time.
But, Roland, Leslie and Jeff, thanks to everybody. Appreciate it.
MARTIN: Thanks a lot.
BROWN: And, remember, we're going to go live to Detroit, where thousands are waiting right now for their first glimpse of the Al Gore-Barack Obama moment, the big moment together.
Plus, we are going to have the latest on the Midwest flooding -- hundreds more evacuated today. Thousands still can't go to their homes. We will have the details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: We want to go now to the heartbreak in the Midwest.
We have got at least six people that have died due to those floods. And the damage is widespread, from the University of Iowa campus, to fertile croplands that have been saturated in heavily polluted floodwater.
CNN's Gary Tuchman is live in Iowa City tonight, where people and animals are spending the night in shelters.
Gary, what's the latest from there?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, a couple of days ago, this was just rolling prairie in a parking lot. Now, it's a murky lagoon, dozens of homes buried here.
Here in Iowa City, in the northern section of the city, about 600 homes have been destroyed or damaged from this flooding. Now, there are shelters set up in the area, shelters to help the people who are without homes.
We spent the day at the fairgrounds, the Johnson County Fairgrounds today. And people told us harrowing tales of being in their homes on Friday night, the flooding coming in their house and being rescued by police, getting out just in time.
There also, very interesting, is an animal shelter there. Dogs and cats that have been rescued are inside that animal shelter. But it's not just dogs and cats. We also saw mice and rats and hamsters and gerbils, all who have been rescued, or brought by owners who couldn't take care of them anymore.
Either way, the damage here isn't as bad as to the north in Cedar Rapids. But, for the people who live here and the people in the shelters, this is just the beginning of many troubles -- Campbell, back to you.
BROWN: And, Gary, we have also been hearing there is a lot of concern about what is in that water, right?
TUCHMAN: Yes, there's no question about it. And that's why we're in a special suit here where I -- where we don't get the water on us and I don't put my hands in the water, because that's always a problem. It was in New Orleans. It was 1993 back here in Iowa and Missouri Illinois. But there's all kinds of contaminants in these waters. And it's considered very risky, no question about that.
BROWN: All right, Gary Tuchman for us tonight -- Gary, as always, thanks.
CNN has discovered that, after Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, stockpiled tens of millions of dollars worth of essential household supplies to give away to storm victims. We told you about this story a couple of days ago.
And instead of handing it over to those still in need, FEMA somehow decided that the items were surplus and gave them all away.
Abbie Boudreau of CNN's Special Investigations Unit broke this story.
And, Abbie, I know now that, just yesterday, David Paulison, the head of FEMA, was on "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER," and said that these items were not all for Katrina victims. But you have found otherwise. Tell us.
ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, that's right.
According to e-mails from FEMA and the General Services Administration, all of those brand-new household items were meant for Katrina and Rita victims. And that's from an e-mail that we got from them before the story actually aired.
But, today, I talked to a FEMA official about those e-mails, and now they're going back to what they said originally, that, yes, these items were in fact meant for Katrina victims.
BROWN: OK. So, why didn't they ever get these supplies? What's FEMA saying about it now?
BOUDREAU: Well, David Paulison of FEMA blames the state of Louisiana for not taking the supplies after FEMA offered them up.
But, Campbell, it's really not that simple, because FEMA's offer went to Louisiana's surplus agency, which turned it down. But another Louisiana agency, the one that is actually in charge of the overall recovery effort was never notified. In fact, it says it never even knew the supplies existed.
So, really, the big question is, why was FEMA just sitting on millions of dollars worth of supplies for the last two years, when there are so many people who are still in the need of them? And we have been asking that question for the last three months. Still no answer from FEMA. We will continue to push until we get that answer.
BROWN: All right, a lot of bungling, it sounds like, bureaucratic on both ends.
All right, Abbie Boudreau for us tonight -- Abbie, thanks.
BOUDREAU: Thanks.
BROWN: Now that he is running for the U.S. Senate, some of Al Franken's old jokes are coming back to bite him. He is in the ELECTION CENTER exclusively tonight. We're going to ask him if Minnesota voters can get serious about him and the issues.
And we're of course standing by live in Detroit, where Al Gore is about to throw his power and prestige behind Barack Obama by endorsing him.
We will bring you that live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: So, did you hear the one about the guy from "Saturday Night Live" who is running for the U.S. Senate? Well, it is no joke.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN (voice-over): Al Franken wants to be taken seriously.
AL FRANKEN (D), MINNESOTA SENATE CANDIDATE: I may be a comedian by trade, but I am passionate about the issues that matter to your family because they matter to mine, too. And I'm ready to work as hard as I can to help us build a better future together.
BROWN: He's serious about the issues and about replacing Republican Norm Coleman as the U.S. senator from Minnesota.
FRANKEN: There's nothing conservative about running up $250 billion deficits year after year after year. There's nothing conservative about lying the American people into war.
BROWN: But this is how you probably remember Al Franken.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: He won five Emmy awards writing and performing for NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Franken's satire always had a liberal's bite. He put it in books within your face titles like "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" and "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them," "A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right." In 2004, Franken joined the fledgling Air America network, trying to counter the influence of conservative talk radio.
FRANKEN: The Al Franken show starts --
BROWN: So how did that Al Franken end up here? Well, he grew up in Minnesota. His family moved there when he was 4. He left to go to Harvard and then New York. Political activism brought him back home.
Franken, who has never held elective office, is challenging centrist Republican Norm Coleman, who leads in some recent polls. He is emphasizing his ability to bring people together, leaving it to his fellow Republicans to make an issue of Franken's character. He owed and paid $70,000 in back taxes and recently, he apologized for much of a previous career in comedy.
Critics had especially zeroed in on a sexually explicit article Franken wrote for "Playboy" magazine in 2000, and in 1995 "New York" magazine profile of "Saturday Night Live," which quoted Franken as making a joke about rape. For Franken now, it's no laughing matter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: So is running for the Senate worth having every joke you've ever written looked at for political correctness? Al Franken is going to join me next for an exclusive interview.
We are also just minutes away from Al Gore's endorsement of Barack Obama. We're going to bring that to you live, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Senate candidate, Al Franken, joining me right now from Minneapolis. Al, welcome to you.
AL FRANKEN (D), MINNESOTA SENATE CANDIDATE: Thanks, Campbell.
BROWN: We just saw a moment ago in the piece that you have apologized for some of the things that you've written about, that you've joked about in the past. And now, some people, you know, at the time they have found that funny and edgy when you were a comedian but you're a Senate candidate, and you know the ground rules are far different. How do you overcome that history?
FRANKEN: Well, the Republicans are going to want to bring up about anything to distract from the issues and from Norm Coleman's record. I just won't let that happen. We're going to focus -- I just that after getting the DFL, which is our Democratic Party here in Minnesota, after getting an endorsement, I did a swing around the state of 20 towns and cities, and people want to know about how they're going to educate their kids, how they're going to pay for health care, how they're going to pay for $4 a gallon gas, and when we're going to get out of Iraq.
That's what they want to know about, and that's what we should be talking about. And that's what we will be talking about. Our campaign will.
BROWN: All right.
FRANKEN: And, yes.
BROWN: There is also the issue though of back taxes. You didn't pay taxes in 17 states where your corporation had income, and you since paid some $70,000 in taxes and penalties. But there are going to be people who say if you can't keep tabs on your own company and finances, how are you going to watch over theirs as a senator. So how do you respond?
FRANKEN: Well, look, I -- you should know and your audience should know that Franni and I, Franni is my wife, paid our taxes, paid taxes on every cent of income on state and federal. We just overpaid in New York and overpaid in Minnesota.
You know, tell your husband, Dan. I'm sure Dan does lectures. If he goes to a different state, you have to pay a tax there. Our accountant made a mistake. We made good on it and in fact, we assessed ourselves the penalties and interest. The states weren't asking for the money, so I found this myself and we took responsibility.
BROWN: But this is politics today. I mean, you had to have known going into this campaign that every joke that you've ever written, every joke you've ever told would be examined, would be looked at, that every tax return would be investigated. So why is someone who has had great success in one part of their life, why put yourself through this? I mean, what are you really hoping to accomplish?
FRANKEN: I'm hoping to change the direction of this country. I'm hoping to fight for the people of Minnesota.
Norm Coleman has been in the Senate for 5 1/2 years and he has taken money from insurance companies, and the oil companies and the pharmaceutical companies, and voted with them. He's given billions of dollars, voted to give billions of dollars to tax subsidies to the oil companies. He has voted to prohibit Medicare from negotiating with the pharmaceuticals on Medicare part D. It cost our seniors billions of dollars a year. He voted just last week to block a renewable energy and jobs creation package that would have helped Minnesota farmers and businesses, but it would have been paid for by closing a loophole for hedge managers -- hedge fund managers who get their funds from overseas, who get income from overseas. He doesn't vote with the people of Minnesota.
I want to change that. I want to change the political culture in Washington. I want us to go in the right direction. He just said today, Norm Coleman said today, if he knew then what he knew today, that he would still support going into Iraq. That amazes me.
BROWN: Let me ask you, though, because people know you as the guy on "Saturday Night Live." Most people do.
FRANKEN: Yes.
BROWN: Do you think that's going be hard for people to take you seriously?
(CROSSTALK)
FRANKEN: It hasn't -- it hasn't been --
BROWN: Forget about Norm Coleman for a second, to look at you as a serious candidate?
FRANKEN: It hasn't been so far. You know, last week, I won the DFL endorsement at the convention in one ballot, and I got it by unanimous acclimation. And they saw me.
This is a process. This endorsement process takes place over a year and a half. Those delegates knew that I'm serious, and they got to know me and they got to know Franni, and the people of Minnesota are going to get to know me and know that I'm real serious about this.
I'm serious about having an Apollo program for renewable energy and energy efficiency. I'm serious about getting to universal health care, and I'm serious about getting early childhood education for every kid who needs it.
BROWN: All right. Al Franken for us tonight, from Minnesota. Al --
FRANKEN: And Campbell, you can see how serious I am by going to Alfranken.com.
BROWN: All right.
FRANKEN: All your viewers can do that. Alfranken.com. See, I'm serious.
BROWN: Plug that Web site one more time.
FRANKEN: OK, thank you. Alfranken.com. Thank you, Campbell.
BROWN: All right.
FRANKEN: You want it again?
BROWN: No, no, no, no. No.
FRANKEN: You sure?
BROWN: Thank you for your time.
FRANKEN: Visit Alfranken.com.
BROWN: Good to see you. We appreciate it.
FRANKEN: Good to see you, Campbell.
BROWN: All right, Al Franken. We'll be back.
We're just moments away now from Barack Obama's rally and Al Gore's big endorsement. We're going to go there live. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Earlier this hour, same-sex couples in California began saying, I do. The marriages tonight are the first since the California Supreme Court legalized gay marriage last month. It was a wedge issue, of course, in 2004, but this year it's barely been on the political radar.
The presidential candidates aren't frankly too far apart on this issue. John McCain opposes same-sex marriage and he opposes passing a constitutional amendment to ban it. He favors letting each state decide whether or not to legalize civil unions.
Obama shares McCain's opposition to same-sex marriage and a constitutional ban on it, but here's a big difference. He does support civil unions. Civil unions are legal in four states, but same-sex marriage is only legal in Massachusetts and as of tonight, California.
Ted Rowlands is live at San Francisco's city hall where couples have just exchanged their marriage vows. And Ted, you know, we've seen this before. It was just four years ago thousands of same-sex couples were married in California only to have those marriages then invalidated. So tell us how likely is it that this decision is going to stay.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Campbell, the difference between '04 and this year is significant and that legally, this has been given the rubber stamp by the California Supreme Court, and there's really no other avenue legally in this state itself to change this. However, looming in November there is a ballot initiative that voters will vote for here in California, which would change the state constitution defining marriage as between a man and a woman. If that passes, it is very likely that all of these marriages that we're going to see, starting tonight and going up until November, would be void between same-sex couples. Tonight, there are a handful of counties that are open but in earnest, these will be taken -- these ceremonies will be taking place tomorrow. Here in San Francisco, we saw the first marriage in the state between 87-year-old Del Martin and 83-year-old Phyllis Lyon. They met in 1950 and tonight, they were married by Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco.
Similar situation down at Los Angeles, where the plaintiffs in the case of the Supreme Court heard here were also married. But again, in earnest, this will take place tomorrow and we'll have to wait to see what the voters say in November as to whether or not these will end up being valid.
BROWN: So what does this mean for other states around the country that don't recognize same-sex marriage?
ROWLANDS: Well, that's a great question because what's going to happen here in California, unlike Massachusetts, you can come from anywhere in the country, get married, have your marriage recognized in the state of California, and take that marriage certificate back. What is most likely going to happen is somebody is going to come here, get married, or move from here to another state and ask for the same rights.
When they're not afforded those rights, that could send it into the court systems, at least spark local debate at different states. Eventually, most folks say this is going to get to the national stage again and most likely eventually to the U.S. Supreme Court.
BROWN: OK, Ted. Ted, let me just ask you, you know, the wedding industry in California is gearing up for this uptick in marriages. Talk us -- talk to us about the economic impact, if any, that is expected to have on the state of California.
ROWLANDS: Well, absolutely, because they are inviting people from across the nation to come here and get married, they are expecting a huge financial boost. They expect at about half of the 100,000 or so couples that identify themselves as same-sex couples will get married in the state and another 68,000 or so over the next three years. So a considerable financial boon to the state of California, but the big story, of course, the national debate, is expected to follow soon. Soon, in a matter of years because of what is happening here in California.
BROWN: All right. Ted Rowlands for us tonight from California. Ted, thanks.
We are following a breaking political story at this hour, as Al Gore formally endorses Barack Obama. The impact and the excitement in Detroit, when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: "LARRY KING LIVE" is coming up at the top of the hour, and Larry went to the office to find tonight's special guest -- Larry. LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": But Campbell, first, Tim Russert's sudden death has many people asking, can it happen to me or someone I love? Russert's doctor and other medical experts are here to answer all the questions.
Plus, as you mentioned about the offer -- office rather, a dose of humor we could all use, Campbell. Steve Carell -- Steve Carell rather is with us and he is hysterical in "Get Smart." You must see this movie, Campbell. You need a laugh? See "Get Smart."
BROWN: Yes, we do need a laugh.
KING: All coming up next.
BROWN: All right, Larry. Thanks for that. Appreciate it.
We are going to continue to follow the big political story of the night -- Al Gore's endorsement of Barack Obama. But first, Erica Hill is with me right now for a briefing of what's happening at this moment -- Erica.
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's something and it answers a lot of people want to question to what is causing the salmonella outbreak in tomatoes.
Well, a possible break here. The FDA, we've learned, is now FDA, of course, now looking at nine people who ate the same type of tomatoes, all ended up being infected by salmonella. They're hoping these cases could lead them, give them a trace as to the cause of the outbreak. In all, more than 200 people have fallen ill. The FDA will reveal the variety of tomato they pinpointed or where it was grown.
Police in Virginia arresting Roger, Roger -- I'm having trouble tonight. It's clearly a Monday, Campbell. They arrested Robert William Custer who is accused of kidnapping his 4-year-old son and the boy's mother. An AMBER Alert was posted in the Carolinas. And in Virginia, police found the boy's mother locked in a gas station bathroom. After she got away, she told police the ordeal began on Sunday after a court ordered visit. Tonight that little boy is safe.
And two months after knee surgery, Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open today. But it wasn't easy. It is considered, of course, the toughest test in golf and it was extra tough for Tiger. Each step was a burden. After the 91-hole competition, Tiger admits, this was the best victory ever. Quite a long U.S Open this area.
BROWN: Yes.
HILL: One extra round today.
BROWN: All right. Erica Hill for us tonight.
And they're are on the same stage at the same -- and have on the same political page. I'm having the same problem apparently.
We're following Al Gore and Barack Obama. The former vice president's Democratic Party endorsement when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A natural disaster can be a natural setting for campaign stagecraft as long as you don't get in the way, and Erica Hill is here with an example that you may have missed over the weekend -- Erica.
HILL: Yes, Campbell, this happened on Saturday in Quincy, Illinois, which also happens to be the home state of Senator Obama. He was there doing some campaigning.
And here in Quincy, because you can see, this blue line there is, of course, the Mississippi River.
BROWN: Yes.
HILL: So he is there to help do some sandbagging in the area of Quincy. But if you look at all of the states around Illinois, of course, we are talking about Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin. Three of the states the hardest hit when it comes to flooding. So it doesn't hurt that he's in the area, of course, of those states as well.
He wants to let folks know that he is there to help. So Senator Obama arrives in Quincy on Saturday, ready to work. As you can see here, well, there they just went.
There were his gloves. He's got his work gloves. He's got a shovel with him as well. He did though when he was speaking in Illinois, take time to mention the folks in Iowa, who really have been hit. You might say hardest by all these flooding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRES. NOMINEE: When you look at what's going on in Iowa, this is a catastrophe for a big chunk of the Midwest. What we really need right now are more volunteers over the next couple of days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Of course, when you're a volunteer/presidential candidate, you don't just show up to fill some bags with sand. You also make sure you got plenty of people to record the moment for you. And there you go, all the photographers, as you can see, taking shots of Senator Obama filling these sandbags with some of the other folks, some of the folks in Quincy, making sure they don't miss a shot, Campbell.
BROWN: Yes, but looking at that shot and in the context of stagecraft, was this just a photo-op, or did he actually get any work done?
HILL: He did actually do some work. He stayed for about an hour, filled about 15 sandbags, we're told. And he lucked out because he didn't plan this. But we actually have the shot which for him was the money shot of the day. He is seen here -- you can just see this kid right here. This is really for Senator Obama, this is the shot of the day because this young boy is a 10-year-old boy scout, Dylan Muldoon (ph), from Quincy, standing next to the mayor.
And there we go. We have the shot of Senator Obama bagging, helping to bag the sand with the 10-year-old boy scout who had been there for two days, by the way, with his dad. It just happened this way. So Senator Obama got lucky and hopefully for him, what he wants is voters in November to remember him in the trenches like this.
BROWN: All right. Erica Hill with our stagecraft for the night. Erica, thanks.
And at this moment, Al Gore is just about to endorse Barack Obama. We're going to go live to that rally in Michigan when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: And breaking news, right now, Al Gore just about to endorse Barack Obama. You're looking at a live picture of that rally. That's the Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, introducing them or about to introduce them. I got dubbed.
The panel back with me for a quick moment here. Jeff Toobin, how big a deal is this to have Al Gore in the game? Do you think he's going to be out in the campaign trail? What are we going to see from him?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I think it's a medium big deal. You know, he's a Democrat so it's kind of a dog bites man story that a Democrat endorses a Democrat. But he's an icon.
It's a sign of the party coming together. It's a chance to fund raise for Obama, off, of course, the least, it's certainly good news.
BROWN: Roland, how much can Gore do, do you think, at this stage of the game?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, again, Gore can speak to those hard core voters who remember 2000, who backed his campaign, who still believe that he was the president who beat George W. Bush. And so, again, he represents that wing of the party. And so, it's critical Gore also has been advising him a lot over the past three months and this now takes what was private, public.
LESLIE SANCHEZ, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, it's interesting, the one thing that Barack Obama does not need is more enthusiasm among the Democrats. Yes, he needs more unity but not necessarily enthusiasm. So I don't necessarily agree with that.
And I think when you're talking about tying yourself to Al Gore, don't forget he was the one pushing for broad-based energy taxes. He's the one that casts -- he casts the tiebreaking vote in 1993 to raise the federal gas tax. I mean, these are things that's going to be interesting to see if he wants to talk about that today.
TOOBIN: Leslie, boy, you know, I couldn't agree more. One thing candidates never want is too much enthusiasm for their supporters.
MARTIN: Oh, yes, yes.
(LAUGHTER)
TOOBIN: It's read as poison.
MARTIN: Right.
SANCHEZ: But the way you talk about enthusiasm -- let's be fair. Politically, you talk about an enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans. I mean, that's why this is such a non-issue.
Al Gore, yes, good for party unity. He's endorsing a Democrat.
MARTIN: Come on, Leslie.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: I don't really know where you want to go.
MARTIN: And you know what, Obama has got to have --
SANCHEZ: He's going to help you with environmentalism.
MARTIN: Campbell, Campbell, it's very simple.
SANCHEZ: I don't know that we were going there.
MARTIN: Campbell, it's very simple.
BROWN: Quickly, go ahead, Roland.
MARTIN: Enthusiasm will drive voter registration. Voter registration gets you swing states in November. That's critical, trust me. John McCain would like to borrow some enthusiasm from the Democrats.
BROWN: All right. Jeff, you've got 15 seconds.
TOOBIN: You know, another crowd with 15 or 20,000 people, what a disaster for Obama.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: No, but look at --
TOOBIN: I don't see how he can survive this.
SANCHEZ: Does it help him with women? Does it help him with Hispanics? I don't think so. Does it help him with Rust Belt conservatives and Catholics?
BROWN: All right. SANCHEZ: I don't think so.
BROWN: All right, guys. All right, the rally is running a little bit behind so we're not going to get to see the endorsement live in this hour, but you will see it on CNN. Thanks, guys, appreciate it.
That's it for me from the ELECTION CENTER. "LARRY KING LIVE" starting right now.
