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Piers Morgan Live
Interview with Ann Coulter; Interview with Man Injured in Boston Marathon Bombing
Aired October 31, 2013 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PIERS MORGAN, HOST, PIERS MORGAN SHOW: This is PIERS MORGAN LIVE. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. Tonight, the breaking news bombshells from the 2012 presidential election. Was Joe Biden about to be booted for Hillary Clinton? Did Obama despise Bill? Tonight, live from Washington with all the explosive details from the sequel to "Game Change." And joining me to talk about all that and much more, who else on Halloween, but Ann Coulter. Plus, I am curious to know what she thinks of this comment from Ted Cruz's father.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to send Barack Obama back to Chicago. I'd like to send him back to Kenya, back to Indonesia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: And Boston strong and stronger. The city vowed to bounce back after the bombings. I'll talk to the most injured man from the attack and find out that even if you're not a Red Sox fan, we all have a reason to celebrate.
(INAUDIBLE) our big story, the breaking news on the 2012 White House race. It was brutal, it was personal but we hardly knew the half of it. Tonight you won't believe what was going on inside both camps. New York Times report in with the new book Double Down reveals Obama was poised to replace Joe Biden with Hilary Clinton as his running mate. And that's just the starters. CNN's Candy Crowley has the very latest. Candy pretty explosive stuff in this book.
CANDY CROWLEY, NEWS ANCHOR AND CNN'S CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, if you're a junky and if you were there at the time and remember certain things going on. It kind of helps everything come together and you're right, the real lead of the story, at least according to the New York Times version of reading this book is that top aide to the President said, "We need to go and hold task up. But the President was sinking in the polls in 2011. And they were in low 40, they were kind about where they are right now and each were really worried about re-election.
And so they protested the idea of switching out Joe Biden for Hillary Clinton who obviously was a very popular person, Secretary of State. Her numbers were huge. And they did and ultimately decided that putting her on wouldn't gain the President enough to kind of overcome the sort of blow back there might be by replacing Joe Biden. Now, there's no evidence in fact that President Obama knew of this.
The report of the New York Times and certainly in a write up doesn't look as though this book found out whether the President knew and in fact I know, you've seen the tweet from David Plouffe who ran the first campaign, was heavily involved in the second, who said, there was never not any consideration of a VP and an HRC switch that is a Biden, Hillary Clinton switch. Not even entertained by the only person who mattered, or most of us back to Halloween.
So, that's David Plouffe who is pretty much -- David Plouffe pretty much running the show but, certainly an interesting talk. And remember at the time -- in the late, you know, fall of 2011 there was a lot of talk about, well if he switched out Joe Biden for Hillary Clinton.
MORGAN: And what about the relationship between Barrack Obama and Bill Clinton? It seems from his book, extremely testy but mainly from the current President's side, almost like he couldn't bear to spend too much time with Bill Clinton which seemed bizarre to me.
CROWLEY: Well no, I mean remember their history. Remember when Hillary Clinton ran against Barrack Obama in the primary season. Bill Clinton was so front and center. He took on Barrack Obama. The Obama campaign which I was covering at the time was severely offended by the former president, sort of suggesting they thought that President Obama then can Obama wasn't up for the job.
So, not surprising that their relationship was kind of going like this. I thought -- one of the really interesting things that caused some tension in the early parts of the campaign actually happened on your show, when Bill Clinton had this to say about Mitt Romney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, (FRM) U.S. PRESIDENT: Real issue ought to be, what has Governor Romney advocated in the campaign that he will do as President? What has President Obama done and what does he propose to do? How do these things stack up against each other? That's the most relevant thing, there's no question that in terms of getting up and going to the office and, you know, basically performing the essential functions of the office, a man who's been governor and had a starling business career crosses the qualification threshold.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: So, here we have the Former President of the United States, a Democrat, praising Mitt Romney's business record which the Obama campaign was basically trashing on the air. So it was a little counter productive when in fact, apparently even caught the attention of Hillary Clinton who suggested to her aides that Bill couldn't go there anymore.
MORGAN: There's also a couple bizarre insights into that relationship. What were they -- they played golf together but can't even finish the 18 holes. And when President Obama walks off, he says to one of his aides reportedly, Bill Clinton he can take into small doses. And another time when, it's portrayed that Bill Clinton almost hijacks the current President and keep sitting in the Presidential limousine physically dropping his arm and refusing to release him. I mean it all sounds very odd doesn't it?
CROWLEY: Well, honestly when you look at these two men, former President Clinton was a very effusive, excessive guy. He loved to talk politics, he loved to talk strategy, he loved to have people listen to him talk about strategy and policy. President Obama is a little more removed than that. That's not kind of his thing, he's obviously with someone who he feels has said some insulting things about him, but in the end here's what matter. They found some accommodation because in the end the -- President Obama turned to Bill Clinton for advice particularly after his poor performance in the first debate and in the end after he won, one of the first people he called was Bill Clinton.
So, you know, politics can be overlooked, you know, bad friendships or bad feelings. If it leads to a victory then I think that's the pretty much were the end of it.
MORGAN: Finally and break to me if you don't mind Candy, I mean is he going to be rather icy when the Vice President arrives for his morning coffee at the White House tomorrow?
CROWLEY: Well I would think probably the happiest person tonight is Hillary Clinton, not to be sitting in the White House as Vice President because in they're in so many trouble right now. So, I think she's probably grateful. I don't think Joe Biden will be all that pleased. But let's remember the White House is already out there, at least former aides are already out there going, the President didn't know anything about this. Although, you know, when Daley did say, yes we did that because we thought it was due diligence.
But the President has his folks out there protecting and saying, he wait we didn't come close to this and the President knew anything about it. So...
MORGAN: having said that though Candy of course the President's answer to almost everything at the moment is to be, I knew nothing about it.
CROWLEY: I'm not sure that they agreed what to give out loud.
(INAUDIBLE)
MORGAN: Candy thanks very much indeed.
CROWLEY: Thank you.
MORGAN: So to talk to, it's another, my next guest, Ann Coulter the author of Never Trust A Liberal Over 3, especially Republicans, Halloween. I can't think of anybody more terrifying, scary than Ann Coulter to join me. How are you?
ANN COULTER, CONSERVATIVE, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, WRITER, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST AND LAWYER: Great this is so much fun, I know nothing about this book so you'll get my immediate, spontaneous reaction.
MORGAN: What I like about the situation is that last time I spoke to you literally a couple of weeks ago. The Republicans were on the rock (ph) your look was a villain for the peace. Everyone was piling into the GOP intake (ph) and there's been an almost complete full circle. Now it's over, Democrats on the right, the President, this book has a more ripping each others throats are, you must be distraught?
COULTER: It looks like Christmas everyday. No and boy Ted Cruz fighting against ObamaCare a few weeks ago is looking a lot better. I do not believe the Hillary story.
MORGAN: Don't you? I could believe that.
COULTER: I mean well somebody may have said, oh let's present this to the President.
MORGAN: But this White House is pretty ruthless, I can quite imagine some of those senior people sitting down, you know, what we're going to protect our guy, there's Jack Biden (ph) under the bus. I can imagine them doing it.
COULTER: I agree that they are ruthless, this I don't think...
MORGAN: ... would start daily has admitted...
COULTER: I know but I don't know...
MORGAN: ... he's admitted it it's one of his ideas.
COULTER: Sometime they put out claims that they are considering someone just to like do what the feminists, make them happy, we were thinking of a woman. For one thing it's always bad to switch to your Vice President mid stream, it looks like you made a mistake. Number one, despite the fact that Biden makes all kinds of crazy guess that would be career ending for a Republican, he actually does have a common man's touch that is generally absent from the Democrats...
MORGAN: I think he's very good for Barrack Obama. He sort of humanizes him.
COULTER: No and for example when Clinton was President and, well you weren't here then so you may not remember this but he kept nominating Attorney Generals, all of whom had nannies they were paying off the back (ph). And Joe Biden was the one who have to go to the White House and explain to Bill and Hillary.
Most Americans don't have nannies. He's like, you know, the regular touch guy.
MORGAN: What do you make of the Chris Christie stuff in the book? And just to sort of praise here, basically it looks like Mitt Romney considered him then didn't consider him then considered him again. And eventually they're trying to make out that somehow they were concerned about his background and so, suddenly Chris Christie's vehemently denied it, said he supplied all this other supply.
Would it made any difference to Mitt Romney if his running mate have been Chris Christie?
COULTER: I don't think so because the reason Romney lost, well two reasons. There was this surprise enormous vote from elderly black women, they want to keep Obama in the White House, first African American President. So, they're not going to change their vote, they're still coming out. The other one was a deficit of working class white males in the upper Midwest, the places hit by the auto bailout, I don't think it makes a difference to them that Christie is on the ballot.
I also don't believe that and I think these guys are great reporters so I'm sorry that I'm disputing both of...
MORGAN: The change was pretty well sourced and not really successfully contested. So, you got to say, they got obviously got very good sources there.
COULTER: Oh which reminds me of another reason I don't think they were considering Hillary Clinton. Among the things, Bill Clinton said about Obama when Hillary was running against him was to Teddy Kennedy. Well about Barrack Obama a few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.
MORGAN: Really?
COULTER: Yeah it's in my book.
MORGAN: That does mean it's true?
COULTER: It's in their book. It's from Ben Gage (ph).
MORGAN: Let me talk about Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama. I mean it's fascinating they're relationship. They clearly don't really like each other, well haven't gone for a long time. Maybe today they've learned to live with each other and actually to benefit from each other, in the sense that Bill Clinton I guess, having the current President, you know, on his arm is good for business. On Barrack Obama's side it's good for politics, good for elections.
COULTER: I think it's not friendly a relationship as it seems to be. As that clip from your show apparently pointed out. I think there are a lot of statements like that made. I think Clinton sort of wanted to be, one thing the only Democratic President in recent history, elected to a second term. And number one, Barrack Obama did something Bill Clinton never did and that's get more than 50 percent of the American people to vote for him.
MORGAN: ... very nasty between Obama and Hillary Clinton. And Bill was right in the middle of all that. So, it is his wife after all. So I can imagine that things we're testy. But let's turn to the President and ObamaCare because I got pretty angry yesterday, I must say. When I saw the -- there's a couple of things flying around social media just the repeated times of the President.
COULTER: Yes.
MORGAN: Told the American people, you're going to keep your (inaudible) plan, you can. No qualification.
COULTER: Right.
MORGAN: No -- is that plan, is it that she very good, it automatically gets replaced nothing like.
COULTER: Right.
MORGAN: And I though you know why, that is a bear faced untruth.
COULTER: Yeah.
MORGAN: Period.
COULTER: Yeah.
MORGAN: You can't -- you could spin your way out of it as much as you like. It's an untruth.
COULTER: No, that's right. I mean the best offense we hear now is, yeah but if have told the truth, they never would have passed it. He's doing it for they're good. You idiots we know what's better for you. We know what a good a health plan is. But you wouldn't believe us but we know. We went Harvard.
MORGAN: At what point, though, does if ObamaCare if he get the technology right, we say may well do the next few months. It starts to get big take up. It starts to even out the edges. And it begins to apparently work quite well.
At what point does the Republicans repeated targeting of ObamaCare in attempt to wreck it actually fly against the national interest.
COULTER: I think that -- I think it will not work. I mean exactly what...
MORGAN: But hypothetically if it does?
COULTER: It can't. Everything Republicans have said about it is now coming true. And by the way, Forbes had a report today it will be up on anncoulter.com later. In the Federal Register the White House knew that 94 million Americans would be thrown off their healthcare plans. And, you know, they can keep saying "Oh, no." But the health plans were forcing you into their really much better. Come on. Do two gay guys need maternity care and prenatal care and maternity leave? No they do not. Do Mormons need gambling addiction therapy? All of these things are required by insurance now.
94 million that's what the White House predicted would be thrown off insurance plans. They liked. They have shopped for. They had picked and all we got is we saw from Sebelius yesterday that, head of the Department of Health and Human Services who's issuing all these regulation is we know better. How dare you, you asked me all these questions. I don't work for you.
MORGAN: OK, let's see the whole thing goes to Hannah Hancock (ph). Barack Obama opinion poll ratings collapsed even further. And the Republicans get into path. Ted Cruz may will be the guy that is the nominee, we don't know but he might be. If he is, his father has come out with some incredibly inflammatory comments which I want to discuss with you after this break.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: No it's not uncle's bedroom. Given to run the White House wasn't scary enough these days. The President and the First Lady got the Halloween spirit and even personally handed out goodies to trick or treaters. But arguably even scarier were this coma made in 2012 by Ted Cruz's father, Pastor Rafael Cruz about the President watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL CRUZ, PASTOR: We need to send Barrack Obama back to Chicago. I'd like to send him back to Kenya, back to Indonesia.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: What does he mean by that, "We need to send Barrack Obama back to Kenya?"
COULTER: Three quick points, one is it's clearly a joke. I give a lot of speeches to Kenya references always kill. Point two...
MORGAN: Send him back to Kenya, what does that mean?
COULTER: It means nothing, it's a reference to Kenya people laugh because the birth (ph) or thing is crazy. And number two, who...
MORGAN: Is Kenya a joke because he think his birth (ph) thing is crazy, he's...
COULTER: Is it clearly a joke?
MORGAN: It's clearly not.
COULTER: I think it's a joke. We'll dispute that let me move on. You know who brought up the birther (ph) thing, oh another reason I think he wasn't picking Hillary, it was Hillary Clinton who first brought was he born in Kenya? Who shut it down? My news paper human events American spectator was never talked about on Fox News. I discussed this in my three books back Demonic. It was - You heard about it every night on MSNBC that maybe a few knots out there the conservative media shut it down. And point three, JFK's father was in off Houston (ph) nobody cares about what somebody's father thinks.
MORGAN: Well, this is linked to Mother Jones, Senator Cruz gave the following statement to Mother Jones and left foot claiming magazine. "These selective quotes, taken out of context, mischaracterize the substance of Pastor Cruz's message. But many Americans he feels America is on the wrong track. Pastor Cruz does not speak for the Senator." Well I'm right but I don't mischaracterized, he said, "Send Barrack Obama back to Kenya."
COULTER: I say it's a joke you refuse to believe it. There are different rules apparently for jokes. There are definitely different rules for President's father...
MORGAN: Did you see why...
COULTER: And JFK's father...
MORGAN: You can say why somebody making a joke about sending a black man back to Africa because it's taken as offensive, potentially.
COULTER: I would think it would be much more offensive for a President's father to have been a Nazi sympathizer. Why are the rules so different with the Democrats?
MORGAN: I'm not talking about, I mean 50 years ago. I'm talking about right now somebody maybe the Republican nominee Ted Cruz...
COULTER: JFK is the most worshipped Democratic President in U.S. history. It's another with the....
MORGAN: He's not going to be the nominee for the Democrats next time. So it's irrelevant to discuss the matter.
COULTER: No irrelevant because he's a Democrat.
MORGAN: But what is this? Is there a nasty sides of the tea party which seeps through with comments like that?
COULTER: No.
MORGAN: Does he represent a mindset?
COULTER: It's a joke, this is the guy's father.
MORGAN: It's funny really?
COULTER: It always kills because it's silly.
MORGAN: Silly?
COULTER: No one...
MORGAN: Do you think people believe it.
COULTER: It is only liberals who talk about the birther thing as I just said, human events, American spectator, national view, Fox News, specifically one and produced the birth certificate within the first year of Obama's Presidency and who started that rumor? The Hillary Clinton campaign.
MORGAN: Let's move on, I have Bill Mont (ph) on the show this week and...
COULTER: I'm on his show tomorrow night.
MORGAN: I know you are and in fact we're going to re-interview with him, as what I like to see that such entertaining fair at least to which. What did he have to say about you?
COULTER: That's trouble. There will be arguments in a party of ideas that is one thing as I point out in this book, Democrats have the advantage. All they want is power. They spend their lives figuring out how do we get elected so can run other people's lives.
MORGAN: Now you might be even . What do you make of her argument?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL MAHER, COMEDIAN: It's always perfect, perfectly wrong, you know, right, it's the democrats who will make there about power. That's right. I mean look, every politician cares about power to a certain degree.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: I'm watching your face, watching Bill Maher talking about you. It went from smiley, smiley to -- I'm going to slice him up with a mincer. Could you ever imagine dating Bill Maher? I'm serious.
COULTER: If you were interviewing Margaret Thatcher would you ask her that? No, I think not.
MORGAN: Would you ever date...
COULTER: I am not discussing with you who I would date, no I think, it's like a dingy I regard.
MORGAN: So what do you make on what he had to say, he basically had a good point. Of course, Republicans crave power, of course they do.
COULTER: Well, as I recommend, at the beginning of chapter three of my book. I say, we have to site facts and my facts are. Lots of Republicans came out for say, Nixon's impeachment. Not one single Democrat voter for the removal of Bill Clinton. Lots of Republicans you see on both side of - for example, the Bush Tax guide, oh John McCain voted against him. When it came to ObamaCare, not one single Democrat voted against it, including the ones who were giving up their sits in order to vote for it. No, they enforce party discipline like an old communist cell. We're too busy arguing, they have of it, not half but a small portion of the Tea Party right now when I'm talk radio all the time saying, stop, stop focusing on our own, please could we get a majority in the Senate first, they're going after, you know, Republicans, they consider slightly impure. I'm thinking we go after Al Franken and Mary Landrieu, and Mark Begich, and Mark Pryor.
How about we flip some Democrats seats rather than purifying Republican as long as we're in a minority.
MORGAN: Your name also came up in the Bill Maher, when we discussed Dick Cheney. Let's watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, (FRM) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: There are some elements out there like Fox, like your show that I think are seriously objective and reflective of what I think a lot of Americans believe. I do find that the mainstream media often times is what I consider off base or has a biased.
MORGAN: So Fox is the voice of reason.
MAHER: Is that, you see the illegitimate father of Ann Coulter. He discovers so much.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Got to put the question to you, I mean he's not right? Dick Cheney isn't your...
COULTER: No, when I say our politics are slightly different but, yeah, I like Dick Cheney.
MORGAN: Do you ?
COULTER: You're not on everything. I think he was, I think he was more -- I don't know, we don't know what he would said about Syria. I was totally for Iraq, I was for Afghanistan at least the way, Bush handled it.
And but not forward generally going into wars without thinking them out or without a clear plan for victory, yes, there was in Iraq, I mean they have -- we had a democracy, they had votes. We didn't get anymore terrorism out of them and I object to Obama pulling troops out of Iraq and pointlessly stemming them into Afghanistan.
MORGAN: Let me ask you this, there is clearly a big battle raging within your part. Right? Senator Cruz who, I mean critical off the middle (ph), so I can see a guy with plan, a guy with a brain, what he's doing, he's getting support. He is a good talker. Adam Dosh (ph) told me he was one of those brilliant students he'd ever had at Harvard. So, not to be underestimated and even Bill Maher said to me, I think he could win the nomination. Could he win the nomination of that? Is it technically possible for a guy like Ted Cruz to be the Republican nominee?
COULTER: Sure, I hope so, I mean it's very hard to make prediction this far out. I've gone back and looked at who was being talked about as both the Democrat and Republican likely Presidential nominees, 18 months out, and there are always people who never end up either even the primaries or one month into the primary.
So it's kind of crazy they're speculating about that now but, yeah, sure, senator, governor, articulates.
MORGAN: What kind of Tea Party represents it such a vocal one. Can he do it with his current policies as he espouses them or will he inevitably have to move more to the center?
COULTER: Not on the things he's been talking about, I mean ObamaCare is falling apart right now. He is probably make -- yeah.
MORGAN: Was is it worth shutting down the government with all the pain that cost?
COULTER: Well, we didn't shut it down. Reid and, Harry Reid this Democratic leader in the senate ...
MORGAN: Ted Cruz and his renegades shut it down.
COULTER: No, they kept passing bills funding the government, simply defunding ObamaCare, simply delaying ObamaCare which, oh, by the way, Democrats want to do now two weeks later, and then a final offer, OK we'll fund everything even ObamaCare, we just want Congress to live on under it. No I think he's been quite well vindicated and specially as ObamaCare as more and more people are thrown off their plans and they're finding out gosh, everything Republicans is told us about this was true.
MORGAN: How will you be celebrating Halloween tonight? Are you going out tonight?
COULTER: I usually, it's my favorite holiday. I usually go to the Halloween parade in New York and it's the only bad thing about being in this lovely city that I cannot go to be granted.
MORGAN: Are you going to dress up and go down to Sunset Boulevard in some wacky custome?
COULTER: I'm on a book tour, I'm going to home and going to bed. But tomorrow night, I'm going to a party right after I take Bill Maher, I'm going to borrow one of his jackets, and I'm going to go with Bill Maher.
MORGAN: Really? So you are having a date with Bill Maher. See told you. Ann Coulter, lovely to see you.
COULTER: Good to see you.
MORGAN: Coming next the survivor story of Boston Marathon hero said to be the most injured in the attack, shows all of us what Boston Strong really means. That's next.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID ORTIZ, DOMINICAN AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER: This is our big city.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Big Puppy David Ortiz and telling it like it is after Red Sox won the World Series, the team and city coming back through the worst attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. People returning to the site of the bombings paying tribute to the lives lost and the hundreds wounded, which is the symbol of course of Boston strength and a message that they are stronger than ever. With me now is Marc Fucarile, who lost one his legs in the bombing. He underwent another operation last week, and if you want to help with medical bills go to fundme.com.
Welcome to you Marc. Let me ask you first, what was your reaction when you saw the Red Sox winning the World Series in this outpouring of love for Boston Strong?
MARC FUCARILE, BOSTON MARATHON VICTIM: It's great, I mean the Red Sox were behind all us victims, the whole time. In my ICU room, four came visited me after they were visiting children on the floor above me at Mass General Hospital and they asked if there's any other bombing victim still in the hospital, and of course, I was still there. And they came down, paid me a visit, autographed the ball, hang out, chatted it out, I mean this team is the real deal. They're really, really right behind us.
You know, I had (inaudible) Shane Victorino (inaudible) and, you know, now, we're actually in my room and they hang out with the family, like they were just guys that support and really -- they were really concerned.
MORGAN: It certainly felt like they were all playing for all of you guys, everyone who got injured, or the families of those who were injured and they've lost their lives. And for the 60th Sovereignty for America, how are you doing, Marc? I mean you lost a leg in this appalling terror attack and there have been theories about your other leg. What is your condition at the moment?
FUCARILE: Sort of really sorry. Like you said, I did just have surgery on my right leg. They re-cut it off, didn't want infection in my bone. But I'm doing good, you know, my spirits are up. I'd have another surgery coming in January on my left foot, trying to save that, still.
But, you know, like, you know, there's the World Series and stuff like that, and Halloween and the holidays. You know, it takes my mind off of it, you know. And like I said, the Red Sox, they've been great to not just me. They've been great to all the victims. You know, they've had quite a bit of the victims out there on the mound, throwing out of those first pitches and, you know, doing the center piece out there in the outfield, (inaudible).
I think they've been, you know, and those guys are the real deal. That team is -- they have this chemistry in the other team, and they play with their hearts.
MORGAN: What does being -- or what does the phrase, "Boston Strong," mean to you?
FUCARILE: I mean, to me, it means -- the first responders, the people in our city, I don't take it as -- for us, the victims, I don't feel it fits us. I mean the victims are strong, don't get me wrong. But I feel more of the city, the people that support us, the victims. That is Boston Strong.
That's the backbone behind us, that teams, you know, all the teams, local teams here in Boston, all, just the Bostonians and is to everybody across America, that's, you know, it's just not Boston Strong. You know, that the nation is strong and everybody that has been supporting us. And that's what I feel that Boston Strong is about.
MORGAN: Well, Marc, you completely ...
(Crosstalk)
Yes, I mean I think you're right. I think there's been distinct (ph) extraordinary wave of support from everywhere in Boston towards people such as yourself. But I think they are inspired by your courage and your determination and your refusal to be beaten by what happened to you.
And I want to wish you all the very best with your own game recovery and congratulate you and everyone in Boston on that fantastic World Series win.
Thank you so much for joining me.
FUCARILE: Thank you very much and thank everybody.
MORGAN: I certainly will. A brave man.
Coming next, Boston photographer, John Tlumacki, he took that iconic photo at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. When he was back at the big game last night, John has made a really powerful voice from the city.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ED MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: They gave us so much more than entertainment. They gave us hope, something to cheer for, and something else to talk about at a time of deep sadness in our region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Senator Ed Markey on what the Sox wins means for Boston and beyond. Before the break, you've heard from the most inured survivor from the bombings.
Now, I want to bring in Rev. Liz Walker of the Roxbury Presbyterian Church and Boston Globe photographer, John Tlumacki. It's most of -- one of the most haunting and iconic pictures from the bombing.
Welcome to both of you.
Rev. Liz Walker, very inspiring interview just then with one of the survivors, one of the worst injured of the survivors. So that typifies to me the spirit of everyone connect to with Boston, following that appalling attack.
REV. LIZ WALKER, ROXBURY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BOSTON: Absolutely. And we certainly wish Marc and his family the best as he continues to struggle with his recovery.
But it is that spirit. It's that spirit of not giving up. It's that spirit of community. It's that spirit of hope. And that's what keeps us going here in Boston. And this is a great time to be in the city. It is just electric.
MORGAN: John Tlumacki, you've spoken many times since that dreadful day. You were there last night, a very day. What was the atmosphere like for you personally, to be there? It's such a great moment for Boston.
JOHN TLUMACKI, PHOTOGRAPHER, BOSTON GLOBE: To me, it was magical. It was an amazing night to be where I was, to cover, you know, I consider it a historic event for the Red Sox to win the World Series and, you know, such a terrible year that we had as a city.
And what amaze me the most was to see the fans standing for -- probably for the last three innings on their feet, you know, rooting for their team. And then there was this moment after the game was over where the fireworks went off. And this cloud of smoke just descended onto the field and obscured everything. And as the smoke dissipated, all you saw was, in the grass, the curved Be Strong that was curved into the grass. And for me, it just was very emotional to see that.
And it was almost like, you know, Hollywood planned this (inaudible) the way the wind took the smoke in the air. And the last time, you know, there was smoke like that, for me, it was at the marathon finish where it was, you know, a totally different end.
MORGAN: We're actually looking at the pictures that you took. An amazing pictures, the one you're just describing, and as you said, very different end to a similar kind of atmosphere in the air there.
There was also a very poignant moment for you, John, I believe, involving your coat. Tell me about that.
TLUMACKI: Well, you know, it's cold at these games and I'm in the outfield, in centerfield, and I found a coat in my closet that I haven't worn since the marathon. And when I put the coat on, I reached to my pocket and there was a medal from the Boston Marathon, the University Medal that was given to members of the media.
And I almost felt, you know, I look at it and I felt that was an omen of what things are going to happen. And I think it brought good things and it was, you know, just a touching moment for me to feel that medal, which I totally forgot about what's in my pocket.
MORGAN: And, Rev. Walker, what does this say about America? America has been through the worse, quite literally, in the last two years, financially, militarily, just being through a dreadful series of crisis in Washington, D.C. with selfish politicians putting their interest before the country. Here, with Boston, in the last six months, you've had this extraordinary spirit, very much to me, as an outsider, perhaps, the very best of America.
WALKER: Absolutely, the very best of America. But also, like you said, a city that has gone through the very worse of the world. And we have been strong and persevere. And I think the message to everyone and the reason this is such a wonderful story is it has a message for everybody. It's a message for a little kid who's in school. It's a message for poor people. It's a message for people struggling, trying to survive, as we all are these days.
It is that you can believe. You can have faith. You can keep persevering. You can rally against all odds. I mean this team was, you know, in last place last year and to the -- it's a stuff of fairy tales. It's a stuff of bible stories. It's what gives us hope. And people, definitely, we need inspiration and we need hope. Particularly in times like this when things are very difficult for all of us.
And when we -- were so easily kind of pitted against each other, this gives us a message that, "No, this was a team that won." I love what Papi said the other -- I think I have heard so many interviews about this team not being necessarily the greatest individual players but a team that wanted to work together and had heart and worked in detail. That message is for all of us. That's stuff we can all use. That's why the city is so amazing because this is a city that has mythic proportions. This is a city of legends. And here's another one. And it makes us all feel good.
MORGAN: Was there something great about a guy called Big Papi, John Tlumacki? It's still a great name as we lead in the charge in all these. Let me ask you, John, about the New York Marathon because it's going to be a very moving occasion for many reasons since the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. It's a major marathon coming out to Boston. What do you think the message will be? (inaudible) red ribbons in memory of those who died at Boston or who were injured. What message would you like it to send, the New York Marathon, to the world if you like?
TLUMACKI: Well, I think the message is that, you know, any city can be strong. And Boston is strong and Boston is getting stronger.
I think the New York Marathon is one of those great races in this country and I think there are going to be, you know, runners there who are running from -- who ran in the Boston Marathon, also, who maybe didn't finish. I think they'll be running for causes, you know, for the under-privileged and for different charity, organizations, just similar to the Boston Marathon. And it's a great cause.
And I think, you know, if there's one thing to remember about the Boston Marathon is that, you know, people will cross the finish line. And I think President Obama said it when he visited Boston after the Boston Marathon bombing was, you know, people will rise and get up and cross that finish line. I think that would be the goal of everybody at the New York Marathon.
MORGAN: I think you're right. John Tlumacki and Rev. Walker, thank you both very much indeed.
TLUMACKI: Thank you.
WALKER: Thank you.
MORGAN: Coming next, I'm joined by Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield. Who (inaudible) orbiting the earth in over 17,000 miles an hour. But (inaudible) expected this, of 18 million views on YouTube. He's really (inaudible) volume pressure.
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MORGAN: As an Astronaut, Col. Chris Hadfield has logged (ph) nearly 4,000 hours in space. His new book, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, his story as he's breaking to the International Space Station with a Swiss army knife and temporarily blended, loving, and (inaudible) Colonel Astronaut and Author, Chris Hadfield, welcome to you.
COL. CHRIS HADFIELD, ASTRONAUT AND AUTHOR: Thank you very much, Piers. Thanks for having me on.
MORGAN: You are one crazy fascinating guy, well, over five minutes. I want to spend an hour with you. So, just try and cram (ph) what we can to five minutes.
But here is the great thing about you, is that most people associates astronauts with very dramatic glamorous thing. But when they get there, it's not much interesting stuff going on. You decide to do a cover version of Space Oddity.
Who told you to do that and how did you feel when you did it?
HADFIELD: You know, I was against the idea, originally, because it just seem like kind of a weird psychedelic song from the '60s where the astronaut dies at the end. But it was really my son who was really key in the social media handling of the flag. Who said, "Dad, everybody wants you to record this and you've got to do it." So he rewrote the words so that the astronaut live. I recorded it on board. I had a musician friend of mine named M. Bryner (ph) and Joe Corcoran (ph) who put that fine instrumental underneath and then it was released through Heaven (ph) when they put together the video. And I was dumbfounded at the reaction. I mean you should listen to your children. Evan (ph) was right. But you said, what, 18 million or 19 million people, it's ...
MORGAN: It's amazing.
HADFIELD: It is amazing, yeah. And I'm really pleased.
MORGAN: And David Bowie -- we also think that David Bowie himself quote it, "The most poignant version of the song he had ever heard."
HADFIELD: I didn't know he said that. Really? That's -- I heard ...
MORGAN: Yeah.
HADFIELD: I got an e-mail from him but I hadn't heard that. That's lovely to hear. That's ...
MORGAN: Well, what does his e-mail say?
HADFIELD: Just -- yeah. He said he really liked it. I think he said, you know, "Brilliant space boy," or something like. But that's delightful to hear that because I'm really proud of it. I think it came out really nicely and it kind of took an old idea reapplied it to what really should've been recorded in the first place. But it also showed people that the space station is more than just a laboratory. It's also kind of an extension of humanity, kind of an interesting new perspective. And so, it really was a lovely thing to be able to be part of.
MORGAN: Now, talking of lovely things, you were able to be part of, you went to see Gravity the other night and I think -- I heard that things didn't go well (inaudible).
HADFIELD: No that's from a satire (ph) side of the candidates. It's so funny to read those articles. I was actually -- I think the first astronaut to see the movie Gravity after it came out -- I was at the Toronto Film Festival. And they actually had me down on stage with the director and with Sandra and the writers and such. And you're showing clips of it now. It is the most visually beautiful and accurate space movie ever made.
If you want to see what it looks like to be out on a spacewalk, Gravity is phenomenal. You know, the plot is very Hollywood and not, you know, it's not a technical manual but Sandra does a great job and it was a lot of fun and I mean everybody agrees. It's a fun movie to go watch.
MORGAN: (inaudible) for the viewers -- the viewers, you won't get them a joke there. There was this hilarious satirical site, which as you're going to see Gravity, and storming out and (inaudible) being removed by security guards, screaming, "That isn't right. What's the matter with you," which is very amusing.
HADFIELD: Yeah, it was a funny ...
MORGAN: Well, actually I (inaudible) -- I'd (inaudible) the other day. And he actually was quite critical about it. He said that you can see there's a piece of theater, that's fine. Maybe I should get into the detail, you know, I've heard other top scientists and astronauts say that, "Shouldn't we be doing that with a movie like Gravity," or, "Should the fact that it inspires people to want to be astronauts or want to be in space?" Does that over-ride any of the technical things?
HADFIELD: Well, I mean I was really inspired by 2001 Space Odyssey. And if you want to take a whole stretch of bizarre and strange occurrences, it really does that based on a great novel by Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick's vision. It was really inspiring for me. I wasn't inspired because it was a training film for what I was going to do as an astronaut. It was just something that stretched my mind and showed me maybe a perspective I haven't seen.
I agree with Mark and all the experts. Of course, it's -- "Gravity" is not a astronaut training film. It's not supposed to be. No one goes to X-Men and says, "Oh," or, you know, that couldn't possibly happen -- or Spiderman.
It was a really entertaining film and the visuals were so compelling that I think it helps people see what it really looks like. And if it inspires some kids somewhere that say, "You know, I'd really like to see that for myself," then, you know, job accomplished.
MORGAN: And you flew three space missions, conducted two spacewalks, spent a total of 6 months in space, you were Chief -- the International Space Station operations in Houston, you're the Chief CAPCOM Commander, basically, the George Clooney figure, who communicates directly with astronauts in orbited mission control.
I mean this is every little boy's dream that you have led, isn't it? I -- was it only it was cracked up to be when you dreamed of this?
HADFIELD: It was this little boy's dream too, Pierce. I dreamed. I was inspired by the first astronauts. It's specifically by Neil and Buzz walking on the moon when I was almost 10. And it was one of the -- you know, I asked myself that question, you know, "Is this actually going to be like one of those things you hoped for and then it's a disappointment?" It is, especially space life, it is one of the few things that is better than you dreamed it would be. It is such a fascinating combination of things that are barely possible of the view of the world that is so unfathomably beautiful, the colors and textures.
As you go by it five miles a second, and with just everything else, the emptiness of the rest of space right there below you, in between that. It is just an amazing new human perspective that these inventions have allowed us to see. And yes, all the little kids tonight that are dressed up in Halloween costumes walking around as astronauts, the things that are putting them into those costumes, those dreams really were -- absolutely came true for me. And I love the whole experience. I was 21 years in astronaut and just an amazing human adventure to be part of.
MORGAN: OK, fantastic. The book is called An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. It's a riveting read. I can't believe we've just have minutes. So, what I'd love to do, we've been in the same city, I'll see you some time soon and have an hour-long show talking about space because Gravity has got the whole country talking about it. Let's do it properly (inaudible).
HADFIELD: Piers, I would love to. I'd love the opportunity. There is so much to talk about and so much opportunity. Yes, I'd love the chance. Thanks for the invitation.
MORGAN: Great. I'm going to make that happen. Chris Hadfield, thank you so much for joining me.
HADFIELD: Nice talking with you.
MORGAN: We'll be right back.
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MORGAN: Tomorrow, Bill Maher joins me for the hour. He called President Obama a liar. He has some surprise and things to say about Ted Cruz. That's all for us tonight.
But AC360 Later starts right now.
