>> i love being part of the army, the soldiers, the national guard. a lot of times you pay prices for what you want to do, but as long as you love what you're doing, then i think it makes it okay. tonight, fame, fortune and the fight for the white house. i'll take you inside george clooney's fund-raiser for the president. i'm going to talk to rob reiner. what happens when hollywood's heavyweights play politics. at the party. also, mothering or smothering, the battle of breast-feeding big kids. i'll talk to amanda peet about extreme parents and her controversial plan to have every child vaccinated. >> we're in church every sunday because we have a lot to be thankful for sdmril's ask him

about his faith, family and all those supposed wild nights. and rita wilson, the better half of tom hanks. the jacksons, a mother still grieving her son's death. will you ever get over this? >> never. every morning, every -- all through the day i think about michael. i just miss him. >> this is "piers morgan tonight." good evening. we begin with our big story and the bruising battle for the white house. it's not just the votes that count. it is the money president obama and mitt romney spent billions since announcing support for same-sex marriage. president obama raised at least $20 million. $15 million of which came from that big party in hollywood last night, hosted by george clooney. director and actor rob reiner was among the select few invited. tonight he joins me for this interview. rob, what was it like?

>> it was a great evening. i mean, what was wonderful about it is that even though we had raised that, you know, you mentioned $15 million, about 2/3 of that money came from small donors. there were about 15 tables, and the -- they had like a ralph, and if you, you know, were lucky enough to win a ticket, you got to come to the event. and the winners, which was a couple from florida, sat at our table. so it was pretty cool. and the president kind of moved from table to table. like i said, there were 15 tables. he moved from one table to the next, and so everybody in the room got a chance to talk with him. >> there are lots of people sort of moaning in hollywood that hollywood's sort of lost its love for president obama, and they feel a bit disillusioned. did the stand he took over gay marriage, do you think, get him back into the hollywood firmament in one big hit? >> well, i think there has been a lot of enthusiasm for

president obama before his position on marriage equality. but it certainly made things even more enthusiastic. i mean, what i noticed, and we look around the room, and we look around our party, we are a party of inclusivity. and this just makes it even more so. so what he was saying with that position is that we're all -- we're all equal, this is about equal rights, and we're all equal, and i think it did energize the hollywood community and the whole -- the whole party even more. >> critics of this event say, look, the president shouldn't be hobnobbing with celebrities in hollywood. you've got more than 80% of the country unemployed. it's the country that matters, not him rallying money from his celebrity mates. what do you say to that? >> well, i mean, i would say that if the other side decides that they're not going to spend

any money on the campaign, then i would say that he probably shouldn't go look for places to raise money, but we know that's not the case. so everybody has to compete. both sides have to compete, and, you know, one of the places that democrats have traditionally found as a place to raise money has been hollywood. >> you directed "the american president," of course, a terrific movie. you've been critical of president obama. how do you think he's done? if you're putting an overview on his performance so far, how do you think he's done? >> i think he's done remarkably well. i mean, initially, as, you know, people know that i was a hillary supporter during the primaries. once we had a nominee, and president -- and eventually president obama, i was supportive. but i must say that as the -- as his administration has progressed, i have become more and more impressed with how he's

handled things. i mean, first of all, he took on the worst economy since the great depression. nobody expected it to turn around overnight, and things are moving in the right direction. and, secondly, something we couldn't possibly have imagined. we understand that there's been tremendous partisanship in washington. there's been gridlock, but the extent, the -- of that gridlock has been unprecedented. and so given what he's had to face, the intractability of the other side, i think he's done a remarkable job. i mean, all you have to do is say, you know, bin laden's dead and gm's alive and note -- to know that obama has done a very good job. >> funny, rob, you're obviously a movie man. george clooney put on the event at his house last night. whenever i see george clooney, i always get a sneaking feeling that we may one day be considering him as a serious candidate for president. what do you think? >> well, i don't know what his thoughts about that are, but i

do know that if he ever decides to run for elected office, he would be terrific. i mean, he's obviously very articulate, knowledgeable. he's very passionate about issues, and he does walk the walk. i mean, you saw what happened in his being arrested with his father in washington. he has been a very deep and caring person when it comes to the issues. so, like i said, he's very articulate, he's not too ugly to look at, and i think he would do very well. i don't know that he's interested in running for public office, but if he decided to do so, i think he would do very well. >> i've got a sneaking feeling that he will one day. anyway, rob, thank you for joining me. the new movie starring morgan freeman, one of my favorite movie stars, is out on video on demand on june 1st and in theaters july 6th. rob reiner, thank you very much.

>> thank you so much for having me. and now to our other big story, extreme parenting. this is the very provocative cover of "time" magazine showing a 26-year-old mother proudly breast-feeding her 3-year-old son. that's part of the attachment parenting craze that is apparently sweeping the nation as is having the entire family sleeping in one bed. now, many people say it is the right thing to do. others, like me, think it is ridiculous and will lead to inevitable dysfunction down the road. so is it mothering or smothering? joining me now is the perfect person to ask, amanda peet, actress, mother of two of young children, ambassador to the u.n. shot at life campaign. for vaccinations. amanda, welcome. >> thank you so much. how are you? >> are you a mother or a smotherer? >> i hope i'm not a smotherer, but you'll have to ask my children in a few years, i guess.

>> so, look, what do you think of this? it is a very provocative cover. my wife gave birth to a little girl six months ago, her first baby. >> great. >> yeah, but she's just started weaning off the breast-feeding and she finds it very difficult. so i can understand that lots of women develop these amazingly emotional bonds with their young babies. and it is hard to stop. but you do have to stop at some stage. a 3-year-old boy suckling on his mother's breast is ridiculous, isn't it? >> you know, i think it is best to leave these decisions up to the individual mom, and it would be good if we didn't get overly zealous about these things, i think. parenting techniques and what have you. >> i know, but, look, sometimes you have to step in. i mean, this kid -- what's he going to be like in school, the poor lyle mite? >> if it were this easy to keep our children from being dysfunctional, don't you think we would all do it? if there were some recipe that would make all of our children really seen and civic-minded and hugely intelligent, i think we

would probably all do it. but i don't know that there is a recipe for creating that. i do know that i think children should be vaccinated because that affects the health of all of the other children. >> right, now, you are an ambassador for the u.n.'s foundation shot at life campaign. tell me about this. why are you so fixated on people getting vaccinations for their kids? >> well, the u.n. foundation came together with every child by 2 to start raising awareness and funds for vaccination campaigns in developing countries, which i do think is, you know, one of the great medical interventions of our time, and i, for one, want to be on the right side of history, and we're so close to being able to eradicate some of these diseases, especially polio. the door is just this wide open, and i just want to be able to know that i helped try to shut it.

>> now, i've noticed that having had children both in britain and then america, there are many more vaccinations that you go through in this country in a much shorter period of time. and i don't know enough about it really to say whether that is necessarily a better thing or a worse thing. but i'm happy to go along with good doctors' advice on this. how do you feel about parents like jenny mccarthy who have talked publicly trying to link vaccinations with possible autism and so on? i mean, do you feel these are dangerous statements by celebrities when they say that kind of thing? >> you know, if you look at the data and the science behind these studies, it seems fairly clear that vaccines are very safe. and i think, you know, i for one am happy to listen to the u.n. and gavi and the cdc and the w.h.o. and that mothers shouldn't have to walk 15 miles in order to get their child vaccinated for measles.

>> yeah, and i think it's a very important thing, and i think these vaccinations are vitally important, not just to third world countries where obviously they can save millions of lives, but also in america where ignorance means people don't do them for their kids. i think it is ridiculous. let's turn to another great invention of our times, george clooney, your acting buddy. you weren't at the big party last night. what happened? you didn't get invited? >> i'm really upset about it. >> are you on the same political side as mr. clooney? >> i think probably in most things, yes. i don't know -- i don't know all of his -- his political aspirations, but, yes, i love -- i love george clooney. and i'm a fan of president obama. >> will you be voting for mr. obama come november? >> you betcha. >> finally, amanda, how are you spending mother's day?

>> well, on mother's day, i will be with my mother and my mother-in-law, and i don't know if there are that many women who can say that. >> you are a brave woman. i wish you all the very best with that one. >> i don't need any bravery. thank you so much. >> next, a father's point of view on this attachment parenting. the voice is carson daly. he's here to tell me what he thinks. sweet! [ male announcer ] the solid thunk of the door on the jetta. thanks, mister! [ meow ] [ male announcer ] another example of volkswagen quality. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the 2012 jetta for $159 a month.

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i want to talk about your ability to express opinion on cnn. it is not predictable. it is one of the things i find so interesting about you. i don't know where you're going to come from, and when you do, it is tactful, and it is usually -- i usually end up agreeing with it. >> carson daly, grilling me, which is the wrong way around, really. carson, 15th year in television, what better way to celebrate this momentous occasion than joining me on my show. >> that's the moment i fell in love with you, piers. that was it. >> let me say this about you off the top. i was very -- not pleasantly surprised. surprised in a good way about what a good interviewer you

were. >> thank you. that's quite the compliment. >> i hadn't seen enough of your interviews. >> nbc has me on the middle of the night interviewing celebrities. i entertain america when they're fast asleep. >> you're a good interviewer. >> thank you. >> you were well researched, you were probing. i thought you had a keen interest in your subject, even if maybe you had to create one, but it was impressive. do you like doing the interview? >> i do. our late night show has evolved in the ten years where i'm involved in more storytelling. charlie rose, mike wallace. those sorts of interviews now. and i think we have a boutique late night show that comes on after leno, after fallon, and we're a different show now, and i have the subjects that i have a personal stake in. that makes the interview process for me easier and a lot more fun. and i'm a big fan of yours. >> i enjoyed it. we'll come to "the voice" later. the finale, huge success, better than simon cowell, pleasing for everybody. i like to taunt him. let's talk about this "time" magazine cover. you're a father of one, another

one on the way, you have a 3-year-old boy, right? >> yes, sir. >> you see a 3-year-old boy suckling on his mama's breast on the cover of "time" magazine. what was your honest gut reaction? >> my first reaction was that must be like a european cover -- version of "time." i didn't think it was real when i first saw it. because it was a bit shocking. you know, the kid is on a stool like he's going to the cookie jar. he's put in a position doing something as if he shouldn't be doing it. >> i don't think that's actually how she breast-feeds him at 3 but the picture is polarizing. >> don't you just feel deeply uncomfortable looking at that picture. >> not deeply, because she's so attractive, but uncomfortable. >> that's my point. that's what we think as guys looking at it. that's so wrong. >> i agree. i agree. >> that kid, he's nearly 4 apparently. >> listen, you don't -- >> he goes to school -- >> you don't get in the business of telling moms what to do, number one. number two, i understand what you're saying, though, that the -- it is a heck of a photo. >> you're the second guest tonight to say you don't tell moms what to do.

i don't agree. i think broadly speaking that's true. but when you see moms doing that, and you also hear stories about, you know, kids staying in their parents' beds until their 6, 7, 8 years old, somebody has to say something. >> 6, 7, 8 is getting up there. i couldn't wait to kick jack out of my bed. when my son got into my house, he took everything from me. >> yes. >> he took my woman. he took my bed. >> your sleep. >> my sleep, so i wanted jackson out of the room quickly. >> there has to be limits. don't there? >> i don't think he should go into first grade and pull your kid out at lunch and breast-feed him. there is a line somewhere. be careful where you draw that. >> who draws it? have we got any rights -- >> mom, parents. >> have we got any rights to tell that mom on the cover of "time" how to look after -- >> i don't think so. i don't. i think you make your comment and say, hey, you know, looks a little strange. >> as a former newspaper editor, i got to say i think it was a brilliant cover. i mean it's got the whole of america talking. >> oh, yeah. >> it's a fascinating issue, and i applaud them for it. >> america is squeamish about attachment parenting beyond babyhood. and if this article is trying to

speak to those issues and she was on the "today" show this morning and says, i get it. she said that's not how i actually breast-feed my kid. we do it in a more coddling way at home, private setting on the couch, doesn't stand up on a stool. but the photo is distracting from the issue maybe a little bit. >> let's move to the other big issue of the week. gay marriage. >> yeah. >> are you pleased? >> yeah, very pleased. was on with my -- i said on my radio show i was very pleased with the president. long overdue. i thought it was bold. >> what do you think it will do to the debate? i mean, california, you still can't legally have a gay marriage. >> i don't know. >> do you think this is going to force the pace, or could it actually cause more resistance in -- >> if you feel this way, you have to applaud the president for his bravery and coming out with his personal opinion. right? and stay there. then the next question is, is it enough? that gets into a whole other dialogue i'm not educated to speak on. but can certainly understand that legislation would be next. >> you study theology.

>> yeah. >> you nearly became a priest. you considered it seriously. >> well, i considered it. >> how close were you? >> piers, i considered it to the point where i -- faith is important to me. i don't speak about my faith too much in public. it is my -- my family, we're in church every sunday because we have a lot to be thankful for and we know that. and we look at the world and what we have in comparison to the world and i feel a need to give thanks for that. and that's what drives me and my spirituality. i came to a place in high school, my father was in the seminary, he did go to the seminary, i came to a place where i recognized that people who are willing to give up money, take an oath of poverty and celibacy in the name of service to others was something that i could relate to. and i'm cut from that cloth and had i felt the calling, i am of that order that i could do that because there is nothing more commendable to me than when human beings make a sacrifice for others. to me, the order was that. that's why i love the military so much and support the troops so much. >> don't take it the wrong way

but the words "carson daly" and "celibacy" aren't ringing that easily in my head. >> i didn't go down that path. >> not your current behavioral path. >> that was years ago. >> go back to your early rock 'n' roll years. you were a naughty boy. >> not at the end of the day. >> reasonably naughty boy? >> no, listen. i worked hard. i dropped out of college and i ended up, you know, broke and living in six cities in california and working in music, but, no, i was always sort of cursed with morals. i wish i didn't have them. >> i love that, cursed with morals. >> i could have taken advantage of my -- don't feel sorry for me, but i was raised, i think, properly. i'm proud of that now. >> let's take a short break. i'll come back and talk to you about "the voice." >> thank god. >> coming back to your cursed morals and probably your lack of celibacy. >> you know too much. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics...

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front and center where you belong. no more background for you. how are you feeling? congratulations. you did it, man. you did it. >> thank you. >> what's going on in your mind? >> i just want to say thank you to everybody that voted for me. all the years that i put in, my wife, my children. >> jermaine paul winning season two of nbc's megahit "the voice." 12 million viewers. back with me now is the host of that smash show, carson daly.

i've done talent shows. and you've been on various sides of this. you're now doing a pure talent show where your previous incarnation, mtv, you created many stars on that show, so i can't think of anybody better to put this in perspective. what do you feel when you host a show like "the voice," how attached do you get to creating a bona fide star? >> very attached. i've been lucky enough through nbc and mark burnett productions to be included and offered me a chair at the creative session to put a show like "the voice" on nbc. so i have a say on both sides of the camera crew, and it is important for me. none of us were really excited about doing the show in a crowded landscape of lots of these musical competitions shows, but nbc had such a commitment to make good quality family television. mark burnett makes cinematic television. we had a good spin on it, a heightened version of what was already working in the states. >> very good casting, i thought. >> excellent. >> i thought the casting and the judges on "the voice" was really good. >> piers, we had no idea.

we had no idea. me and cee lo and christina, we all knew each other pretty well. nobody knew blake shelton. he has gotten the biggest bounce from the show. the kid is a star. a movie star, really, and very funny. >> to me, there is more honesty than on something like "idol" now. i saw howard stern on "america's got talent," starts next week. he doesn't really like "idol" because they're all too nice. there is a slight element on that when i watch it. on "the voice" there is enough of an edge. they're all good singers. so you don't have train wrecks, but you do need to be what i would call constructively critical. >> two things. we didn't want to start a show that made fun of somebody's pursuit of their dream. that's just not what "the voice -- we didn't want to do that we wanted to start with really good talent. finding singers who are terrible and finding the good ones from that, that journey is not that difficult. starting your journey with really good singers and finding the few that are great, that's difficult.

and that's where "the voice" lives in that area. if you ask most of the artists that come on the show who are serious about trying to make it in music, they want the constructive criticism. if everybody says you're wonderful, you're wonderful, they walk out, what did they just do? i have four of the biggest stars in music and they couldn't give me one bit of advice. off camera, i ask you about your interview. we all want to learn and grow and our artists do and our coaches, you're right, they did a good job this year of being warm and welcoming and offering their honest opinion. >> you shouldn't be in a position where you feel compelled to give somebody false hope. >> we're proud of the show. we had a great second season, and i'm so lucky to be on that show. >> life is good for you at moment, isn't it? >> i feel very blessed in a lot of ways, yes. >> i look at what happened to you in your career. you're in this show and you have your daily show. personally you probably i would imagine never been happier. right? >> never been happier. >> found the right woman for you. >> yes. >> second child. what have you learned about yourself on this crazy showbiz role you've been on? >> just how proud i am of myself really, piers. no, i'm kidding. >> we're all proud of you,

carson. >> you know, honestly, i thank my parents for just kind of putting, you know, a good head on my shoulders. you know, i just feel very lucky >> what do they tell you? what were the values -- >> the best thing about it -- i lost my father when i was 5 years old, he died of cancer. my mom remarried shortly after, an italian. an entrepreneur. we called him richie. i'm 8, my sister's 12. i hear footsteps going down my hallway, early, 6:00 in the morning. come to find out, that's my father, my stepfather, he's my dad now. that's him going to work. and he worked his ass off all day every day. the work ethic, i wake up and do a radio show out of my house at 4:30 every morning and i hope that jackson, my son, while he's sleeping, just hears my footsteps because if i can pass a little bit of the work ethic, don't be afraid to work, doesn't matter what you do, entertainment or otherwise, don't be afraid to work, be thankful for what you have, and take care of your family. that's what's important to me. >> and long before iphones came along, you chose a woman whose name is siri. >> i know. can you believe that? >> so you ask siri every day

presumably. >> unbelievable. nobody knew her name before. it's s-ir-i. and then you say what is your name, siri, now on the iphone. >> coolest name in america. >> she's the best. >> what is the next big ambition for you? >> shall goshgs you know, i'm -- i don't take anything for granted. my thing now is i'm -- i just want to -- i want to continue to work and save and provide for my family. i think about i've got another one coming and i just -- i'm always nervous about losing my job. you know, i'm just of that nature. >> do you have the empire building ambition of someone like ryan seacrest who you've often been compared with? >> no, i don't look at it as empire. i think of it as just employment. i want my feet rooted in the real world and earn and save. obviously you want to brand build and you want to be smart. ryan and i are different in those regards. our sensibilities are very different. i don't like the kardashian show personally. it's not for me. i love "sons of anarchy." >> you don't buy into the purity of the kardashian lifestyle. >> that's not the kind of show i would like to produce personally. i would like to do a show like

"homeland" or "glee" is a great music-based show. >> what do you think of britney spears joining "the x factor"? >> i think -- i'm excited. >> your old star you created. >> i created britney in the basement and o town. anyway, i'm excited. i'm excited to see what she's going to be like. we haven't really seen britney -- we haven't seen her communicate mass media in quite some time because of the conservatorship and various things she's been through rebuilding her life. these show, you know, you get into the live scenarios you can't hide and edit it. >> britney spears live and uncensored could be compelling television, whatever happens. >> we'll see. we'll see. >> maybe not as compelling as "the voice. >> i like "the voice." i'm really proud of the show. that's where my money is. >> great show. >> what a pleasure. come again. irenjoyed it. next, actress and singer rita wilson on fame, family on what it's like to be married to, i don't know, some actor guy. can't remember his name. we asked the furlow family to bring in their favorite dvds

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now i'm in the presence of hollywood royalty. >> oh, stop it. >> the better half. i hate to say mrs. tom hanks. but he is mr. rita wilson, as far as i'm concerned. welcome. >> thank you. thank you for having me. >> a great pleasure to have you. >> thank you very much. >> you're here to promote this incredible album. i say incredible because this album cover of the inside is really fascinating.

the reason i like it, it has all these pictures of your parents, of your first car, of you through the ages, but the only men on here are not tom hanks, but three anonymous, as you put it before we started, dudes you met on a beach. >> that's right. >> is this true? >> yes. >> i love this. >> that's right. my parents, we would take driving trips, my dad was a bartender and i'm a first generation american. and every summer he would have about a week off and we would take driving trips. and they were either to las vegas or to lake tahoe. one of those two places have in common, casinos. so my dad really liked gambling. as a hobby, he wasn't an addict or anything like that. and lake tahoe was where i met those three fine young men. >> strapping beach surfer dudes. >> that's right. they are surfer dudes. >> is your husband aware that he's been airbrushed out of your history for this album, the

three dudes have made it. >> that's okay because he's in all the pictures at home. >> your family is absolutely fascinating. i watched the "who do you think you are" episode. it's obviously a show that originated in britain, and i'm familiar with the format. it gets into people's lives in a way that surprises them. i know you were completely taken aback by many of the discoveries about your family. what i really like -- we do a segment on the show called "keeping america great," there is no greater testimony to the american dream than your story, your father, your parents, coming here. your father, born in greece, he ended up in a bulgarian labor camp in europe, then he gets away, escapes, he gets to turkey. he gets on a boat, he comes to america, and now here he is, you know, very sadly he died two years ago, but he produced this daughter who is now hollywood royalty. it is the american dream. but it's a wonderful story, isn't it? >> first of all, that term hollywood royalty really, really scares me. like in britain, you have real royalty.

you know, we're just people doing a job. no, no, no. >> it is william and kate to many americans. >> i don't think so. i don't think so. we'll leave that to brad and angelina. how's that? we'll make them. >> tell me about your dad, though, because he was clearly a pivotal figure in your life. >> yes, yes. >> what would he have made? you know what he made of it. tell me about the struggles he had when he first came to america and what it was like for the family. >> the struggles really became what -- were actually what happened before he came to america. as you know, he was in a labor camp. he tried to escape from the country twice. if he had even -- if they had known he was thinking about escaping, then they would have shot him just for even suspecting that he might have wanted to do something like that. so his struggles that he encountered all before the age of 25 or 26, i think, once he came to america, that was the dream, that was the destination. and in the "who do you think you

are" episode, an uncle that i had never met before handed me a letter that my dad had written when he came to america. and i had never known the date that he came, i had really never known the circumstances or how he felt or what it was like for him. so in that letter, you hear the joy and the exaltation of being finally free. and my dad said every day of his life, god bless america, that he really, really -- that was it, that he could come here and stay here and be here and, by the way, raise a family of three, never have one minute of debt in his life. he was a bartender. we would get together on saturday mornings and count the tips out and put them in the bank rolls, dimes, nickels, pennies, quarters, and he would bring them home in a crown royal

bag because he worked at the race track. and i think the work ethic that he taught us was really, really strong. and there is something about hearing your parents say god bless america and realizing that it is a legacy that you have to really appreciate. >> when you look at what happened to america in recent years, does it frustrate you or sadden you that america's reputation has been dented? and what should america and americans be doing, do you think, to restore it? >> my gosh, that's a very -- that's a very heady question there. look, i think you're always able to find the greatness in america. you have to look for it. i think, you know, when you travel a lot or you are aware of the issues that people encounter in different parts of the world, it's difficult to take america for granted because we really still are great. i think, you know, some of my friends in europe question some of the decisions that our country made over the past few years. but ultimately people are still wanting to come here and wanting to live here as well as, you

know, wanting to take us down. but i still have a lot of faith in america and i believe in the country. >> i think that's right. i think too many americans have been sucked into this kind of mindset that it's all doom and gloom. america remains the pre-eminent superpower in the world. this has been a very tricky decade, certainly since the millennium, you could say. >> yes. >> much of it governed by 9/11 and the terrible events there. but certainly i think there is a need, i think, for america to feel more confident again. >> yeah. definitely. >> don't you think? >> definitely. definitely. it is almost like saying sometimes you have to focus on what is really working and what is really good about the country as opposed to what is really wrong with it. and sometimes there is an awareness that has to happen like in 9/11 when we were all devastated, but we realized that, look, we love our country and i'll never forget going to church and the following sunday and after 9/11 and having the entire congregation, i've never

heard this before, sing "god bless america." that was powerful and really showed everybody, when they need to, they come together. >> it is very true. very true. a break, we'll come back and talk music and a bit of tom. >> i love that guy. i love him. >> let's get that halo slashed off his head. >> let's do it. >> he can't be as saintly as everyone thinks he is. >> you're so funny. ♪ until you come back and be mine ♪ ♪ oh no matter what you do or say ♪ ♪ i'm going to love you anyway on my journey across america, i found new ways to tell people about saving money. this is bobby. say hello bobby. hello bobby.

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go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. i'm don lemon. here are your headlines right now. the senate homeland committee will hold a hearing on the secret service prostitution scandal. mark sullivan will testify on may 23rd. it erupted last month just before president obama's trip to colombia. so far nine secret service employees have lost their jobs. president obama gave churches plenty of material for sunday's sermons. black churches in particular having a problem with his support for same-sex marriage. one black minister in baltimore even publicly withdrew his support for mr. obama but the president does have the confidence of several civil rights leaders like joseph lowry who sent him an open letter of support. scott thompson padded his resume and is now out of a job.

it officially stated he held two degrees in accounting and another issue. it's immediamedia chief will no named the new ceo. former senator john edwards, the judge refused a request to dismiss the case, the trial has been filled with testimony about efforts to keep edwards' then pregnant annapolis mistress hidden from the public. a legendary bass player died. his name is duck dunn. he played with some of the greats of rock 'n' roll. he played bass with booker t. and the mgs. also a member of the famed blues brothers and was in the original 1980s film of the same name. he performed recordings with eric clapton and neil young. dunn died in tokyo. he was 70 years old. here's him playing an instrumental of "green onions ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm don lemon.

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oh, so amazing when he comes to see her because he doesn't even notice that she doesn't get up to say hello. and he's very bitter. and you think that he's just going to walk out the door. and never know why she's just lying there, you know, like on the couch with this blanket over her shrivelled little legs. and -- >> are you all right? >> she's fine. >> that's funny. rita wilson in one of the ultimate chick flicks, of course, in "sleepless in seattle." everyone loves that scene.

can you cry on cue? can all actresses do that? shut down, cry in five minutes, could you do that like that? >> under the right circumstances, probably. and with the right info, input into the computer, probably. >> what do you tell yourself to make yourself cry? >> well -- >> terrible things? >> yeah, you can't go there. you just can't go there and i prefer not to go there, do you know what i mean? >> is that what you do? you literally think of awful things? >> well, no, most of the time it's inherent in the material that you're doing, and nora ephron wrote "sleepless in seattle," and she's a good writer, so it is kind of -- it is all about the writing, really. >> a fabulous film. let's get to your album. "am/fm." what i love, the dedication, really moved me. because you say, making this album has been an extraordinary gift. i thank my mother for playing all those a.m. song, telling me which ones will be hits. dad, you're always in my heart. god blessed me with a man that told me i didn't have to change

anything about me to be with him. thank you, tom, for the gift your love and your belief in me. i really like that. >> thank you. >> so many relationships flounder when the opposite happens, don't they? people get married and suddenly one wants to change the other from the person they fell in love with. >> that's right. my mom has a great expression which i just love, she says, my mom is greek, and she has an accent, you know, in the beginning of a relationship, when opposites attract, later opposites attack. and i was like -- >> that is true. >> that's genius. >> it is true. >> it is kind of true. you fall in love with someone, you're like they're so wonderful. i love everything about you, especially that little quirky thing you do that i love, and then, you know, cut to, i hate that quirky thing that you do. you know? >> what is he like, tom hanks? away from the -- i've got to say, i've met him three or four times, never interviewed him, which remains a terrible scar, a blot on my landscape. >> i'm going to have to talk to him about that.

>> thank you. i was just hoping you would do that. but he's always been effortlessly charming, very funny, very self-aware, very how i imagine he would be, which is unusual. >> he really is that person. and the reason i had that dedication on the album is because i'll never forget we were standing on the corner of 57th and 5th in new york or 58th and 5th, and we were holding hands and we were waiting for the traffic light to change. and he looked at me, and he said, you know, i just want you to know that you never have to change anything about who you are in order to be with me. and literally a wave of -- if love is a feeling or -- a cellular thing that happens to your body, it went through me, and that's pretty much who he is and how he's been. >> that's good to hear. >> pretty great guy. >> this album, tell me about music. we know you as a great actor. we know you for many things.

but now you're taking this -- i guess it's a risk, isn't it? you're plunging in, a big album. a beautiful cover but in the end, people have to buy into you as a great singer. tell me about that. >> well, yes. it was, i think, definitely a risk, and it was one of the things that when it came up, it was almost making the decision to sort of expose yourself to your most kind of -- that most secret vulnerable space because i've always loved singing. i have many, many musical friends. we have musical instruments in our house. we have our kids play music. so i knew that it would probably be something that would encounter a, oh, yeah, right, now she's going to do an album. but i guess my feeling about it is, look, there are so many people that have things that they want to do, and they never do.

and i guess i'm here to say, when you figure out what it is that you want to do, you can find a way to make it happen. >> further proof to me that you are the one with the talent in the family. sorry, tom. but she's done it again. she's a better actress. better actor. she's a better singer. funnier. >> that's so funny. >> it's a great album. honestly, it's going to surprise people. >> thank you. >> you can really sing and move with your voice. and i think it's going to do really well it's been a pleasure to meet you. >> thank you. it's great to meet you. >> rita wilson, "am/fm." it comes out in may. i wish you all the best with it. >> this was fun. >> it was fun. come back and do it again. bring the old man. let's tease him for now. i'd love that. rita wilson. >> coming up next, "only in america." sweet!

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for tonight's "only in america," an american family, the jacksons. this week i had my exclusive interview with michael's brothers. on monday his mother, katherine jackson. she's never spoken out about the loss of her son michael until now, and she's haunted by his death. >> every morning, all through the day, i think about michael. if i wake up through the night, my mind is there. i just miss him, but being a

christian and believing in the resurrection, i feel that i'll see him again. i'm sorry, i just -- >> it's perfectly understandable. you're his mother, you know. it's -- i can't imagine a worse thing. i'm a parent myself to four kids. i can't even imagine how horrendous it must be to lose a child. >> i know. >> it's so unnatural, isn't it? >> yes, it is, and i've -- and it should be. >> it's a seeringly powerful emotional interview. her other sons are about to go on tour without michael. >> look at michael as the big superstar, but to him he was just our brother. >> that's how he was. >> our brother. >> and surprisingly they don't all agree about the man accused of causing his death, dr. conrad murray. what do you feel, tito, about conrad murray?

>> well, i feel that like we're supposed to have forgiving hearts. it doesn't mean i have to forget, have forgiving hearts, yes. i forgive everybody. >> do you forgive him? >> sure, i forgive -- i'm supposed to according to the lord. >> do you all feel that way? >> no. >> you don't? >> no. >> i don't feel that way at all. >> what do you feel? >> i feel like it's just negligence, not on his -- it's on his part plus others, and -- and we're yet to know what really, really happened, but i'm not -- i'm -- i'm a forgiving person but not when it comes to that. >> tito, how can you forgive him? this was your brother. >> well, i'm not saying that i'm not upset about what happened, but i can't go around angry and upset and want to get revenge on all these things like that, you know. things happen, and i'm made to forgive, so i have to forgive. it doesn't mean i have to forget. i haven't forgotten what happened. it hurts me dearly.