some, those at the top, large companies, will be able to ride through an exciting and expanding new landscape. but many americans will need help to better prepare themselves to compete in this brave new world. don't forget, you can catch my regular show, "gps" on sundays at 10 a.m. eastern and pacific in north america. thanks to all of you for tuning in. the secrets of the rich and famous. >> most billionaires are actually pretty cheap. split down the middle, someone

republican and hard to work out what the other one is country duo big and rich on their music and their politics. >> we debate about as tough as any two guys can but which end it always with a cold beverage. >> the moment i genuinely never expected. this is piers morgan tonight. pawn stars average 6 million viewer ares per episode which i can tell you is tv golden. these guys know a lot about gold. joining me two men make the show tick, rick harrison and his son, corey harrison. welcome to you both. tell me the secret of your successome it because, in fact, ironically, america is suffering

economically? when that happens a business like yours tends to do well? >> that is a misnear. because an economy is bad doesn't mean a pawnshop does w all the things i buy, i have to sell. it is a catch 22. when the economy is well, not getting enough merchandise to do well and when the economy is bad, too much merchandise, not enough buyers. optimum time is when the economy is okay. people want to sell, you can get rid of it? >> probably t. >> who comes in? literally anybody? a dynamic of rich, poor, black, white? who comes in your store? >> it's everybody, especially our store. typical pawnshop is different than others, we are on the las vegas strip, we have had billionaires come in and shop, average single mom isn't getting her child support check and needs money. >> i get the second one. why the billionaire come to a

pawnshop? >> people don't realize, most billion flares actually pretty cheap. not gonna go to rolex and buy brand new, especially when they can come us to and get it half price. >> what has been the most surprised you have been? i know a lot of surprises, you look back what are the moments, go, wow, somebody broughting? in really knocked your socks off? >> that happens a lot. that right there, >> this sin he had krichblt brought stuff in you had brought into you this is the battle plan for iwo jima, right? >> grow. >> incredible. who brought this in? >> a person, his father had been on iwo jima, one of the boats that brought the troops in. this was the bat plan he was given. he thought it was really neat but add daughter who was having a very expensive wedding and figured let grandpa pay for t. >> what did you give him for that? how did you assess the value?

>> that was few years ago yoorks remember the exact price. that is a big problem for things like this when you have one-of-a-kind, nothing to compare it to if off coin, you can look up on the internet what the coin went for last time. >> do you remember even the ballpark? >> i think around $3500, something like that. >> what is it worth? >> i'm assuming, you know, 10, 12 grand. i'm not really selling it. one of the reason i get people in my pawn shop, i have all this weird stuff on the wall. right knew is one of the weird things on the wall. >> what would be the offer you couldn't refuse to get it off your wall? >> sell in a minute for eight grand. >> really? >> this is our difference in. >> the younger turk here talking, eight grand, coming off the wall, right? >> $8,000 or an iwo jima plan, i will take the eight grand. >> do you have any love for these things or money to you? >> what he taught me since i was a little kid.

this is just stuff, man, thank god these people had stuff they could sell to get the money they needed to get whatever they needed to do because this is just -- >> some of it is quite sad. these, for example, are olympic medals, they were from atlanta in '96, barcelona '92. joe green, who won two bronze medals for the long jump, he brought them in himself, presumably hit hard times, nobody would give up bronze olympic medals for nothing. do you remember his story? >> yeah, i think his story was basically that he, you know, he got injured, wasn't able to compete in 2000 and doing some other things. the way i look at it, thank god he had these to get him by the hard times and because a lot of people don't have things to get them by the hard times. in the end, i look at it, it is still just stuff. >> what were they worth? how do you quantify an olympic medal? >> that is a very difficult thing because they rarely, never, get on the market. being won by an american makes it worth more. we are in the american market,

people will want an american one. and also the atlanta is pretty neat, because it was an american game. i think it would be worth more. >> do you remember what you paid him for it? >> i gave him a loan on it and really not allowed to tell what i loaned somebody. more of that paperwork we were talking about. >> a question of he hopes to come back and -- >> he never redeemed them. he defaulted on the loan. >> he will never get them back? >> no. >> sad, isn't it? >> it's sad. >> do you ever feel sad? >> no not really. >> the lesson you handed to your son, country afford to get emotionally involved? >> one of the things is a pawn broker with a heart is usually a pawn broker out of business. >> your heart was -- >> you do have to look at it i hope it got him by the rough spot. >> a man with no morals and scruples for stuff, anything would you turn down? >> um, yeah. i mean, there's -- >> have you ever turned anything down? >> we won't take any german world war ii item she is in. >> really? >> i won't do it. it's just the creepy factor of it where you knee, people will come in the store and instantly

offended by seeing it. and it's not really a moral thing, a money thing if someone is mad the second they see something in the store, they are not going to spend any money. >> i just -- me, i just think it's got bad mojo and things like that. >> your interest really is more to do with the fact other people might be annoyed if they see it? just be honest, not your personal morals kicking in, you have gone soft. anything else? anything you feel strongly you wouldn't want to be party to? >> anything in that area. i wouldn't taking any from saddam hussein or anything like that. some disturbed people that collect things like that murder ability ya. >> gas mask from world war i for a kid you passed on that one, just way too creepy to have there. >> weird sort of things that come in. what is the most expensive thing you ever bought? >> buy and sell gold a lot. one of the places you can bring your gold bars down and give you cash for it.

>> people actually walk in with gold bars? >> oh, yeah, every day. >> what is the biggest chunk of gold you've ever had to deem with? >> i can't remember what it was, i just remember we gave him 500 grand for t. >> $500,000? >> yes. >> really? >> yeah. and believe me, i was in my car selling it to the guy i sell it to immediately after. >> what is the -- if you're smart what is the markup if you move quickly on something like that? >> in our shop, it's weird. we buy something like art, going to sit -- maybe sit around for years, we are gonna pay you a lot less. if you bring us a gold coin or something like that don't mind making 1%. so -- >> on that kind of thing? >> yeah. >> that huge amount of gold. >> make 1%, i'm happy w >> really? >> i mean, it's a lot of people i don't understand who are in business, i would never do that for 1%. 1% of 500 grand is $5,000. $5,000 is a lot better than no bucks. >> is that the attitude and strategy really?

>> yeah. >> take the cash when you can? >> yeah. you have to -- i mean, it's business. some things you're going to make a lot on, some aly. >> the worst thing for you is a fully stongd store presumably? >> a tough struggleful, because you are always wanting to buy stuff, but tough sell the stuff. we try to keep it level it never works out. >> a fascinating business, it is an amazingly successful show. congratulate both of you, it is a really interesting world and i hope it continues to thrive four. thank you both very much. "pawn stars" airs on monday nights on the history channel. i will be tuning in. i have a few dodge jim. here is my blackberry, given that it has been owned by me, worth more or less than if it hadn't been owned by me? >> i think worth more. >> what kind of markup? >> um, god, it is a black berry. >> i'll give you 50 bucks for t. >> just fothe record -- 220 bucks less than it costs. thanks. no wonder you are so rich. "pawn stars." we will be right back. o... [ gasps ] these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber.

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i declare every person under the sound of my voice is blessed. >> joel osteen in miami in 2010. he and his wife, victoria, speaking the language of millions of americans when it comes to matters of faith but how about politics? they are pastors of lakewood church in houston and the new book is "i declare, 31 promises to speak over your life." joining me exclusively, joel and victoria osteen. welcome back. i feel like we're old friends now. >> i know. good to see you again. >> the worse i treat you, the more you come back for more. i like that. >> everybody thinks you're mean.

i say he's the nicest guy. >> don't ruin my reputation. i know what you'll say to my first question. you'll say look, i never get involved in politics, it's your pat answer. but given the evangelical vote is so important to both barack obama and mitt romney, what do you say to your flock when they come and see you and say look, joel, i can't work out who to vote for, what do you say to them? >> well, piers, i just go back to a central theme of encouraging everybody to vote, to search their own heart, because it's interesting, good people of faith can read the scripture and interpret it differently. i have democrats and republicans in our church that love the lord, you know, that couldn't be any better people but they just, you know, different issues speak to them. >> the president, though, is a conventional christian. mitt romney is a mormon. and there are fundamental differences. the holy trinity definition in both is very, very different. the mormons beeve there are the father, son and holy spirit.

obviously, the christian faith believes they're all the same thing. how do you deal with that? surely your natural leaning would be towards the guy that believes the same that you do. >> i think you're right in that instance. i think also, though, you look at the whole totality of the person and not just their faith, although their faith is important because it tells me their values and their characters, but i think as practical americans and as practical followers of christ, you look at their business experience and other areas as well. i like that saying that we're not just -- we're not electing a pastor of the nation, we're electing a leader and who can best lead. >> victoria, who do you prefer more? who is more charismatic to you? >> i think they're both amazing men. that's just going to have -- to people who are undecided, i would say to them watch the debates, learn as much as you can, and then vote. and i would definitely say vote, because everyone needs to vote.

that's what makes this country a great country. i will definitely be voting. >> are you undecided? >> am i undecided? no. >> you have decided? >> well, i'm going to really enjoy watching the debates, because i think -- >> what a couple of politicians. come on, joel. it's obvious he's a republican. what are you? >> i give you the same speech. we're trying to reach the whole group. to come on here and say we're democrat or republican, 50% of the people will say -- >> let me pin you down about leadership, because you alluded to business leadership. mitt romney clearly has a standout record of being a very successful businessman. but with that came allegations he was too ruthless, too hard, that bain capital in particular broke up companies, they tossed people on the woodpile, if you like. what do you think of his record as a businessman? are you concerned about that? >> well, you know what, i just

see the ads and what i read, i think a lot of what we see on both candidates, not just him, are tainted, are inflated. i think when i look at president obama and mitt romney, they are hard working, good people that, you know, i don't fault mitt romney for his success. >> do you think it's wrong in modern day america that someone like mitt romney, who has made hundreds of millions of dollars and probably not quite as much as you have, joel, but he's done okay for himself, that he gets lambasted for his success, for making that money, that somehow it's become a bad thing to be rich and successful in america? >> i do. i don't think we should look down on people that are successful. i don't think that's healthy. you know, i see somebody like mitt romney helping others and things so i, you know, the goal is not going to happen but it's for everybody to be successful and everybody to be blessed and healthy, not just with money but i don't think we ought to look down on somebody that's been successful. i want somebody successful

running the country. president obama went to harvard and doing pretty well. you see mitt romney as well. >> i have interviewed him a few times now. he seems a perfectly nice, kind, well-intentioned guy. i think on the principle front, a little bit flip-floppy. you're not quite sure what he really stands for. but the real problem comes with what he says when he doesn't think the cameras are on him. we saw this yesterday with this video that came out, when he was pretty harsh. 47% of americans, half the country, are victims, living off the state, not paying tax, and completely disingenuous. most of those people do pay payroll tax or they are the elderly or veterans. it was a very clumsy thing to have done. you must feel offended when you hear him say something like that, don't you? >> here i go again, but i'm for mercy, i'm for seeing the best in people. >> being merciful towards mitt romney? >> in a presidential election, every sentence is scrutinized. they were knocking president obama the other day for the "you didn't build it" or whatever it

is. that's not the heart of what they meant. you know, i probably have way too much mercy than some people but i just, i look at him and say it's admirable that they're trying to win this election and do good for our country because that's not an easy job. that's getting raked over the coals every day. >> we'll be right back. but she loved it so much... i told her it was homemade. everyone tells a little white lie now and then. but now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] she's right behind me isn't she? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup.

heavenly father, we thank you for this time with mr. president. lord, we just ask for your peace, for this nation, for your strength, for your wisdom, for the leaders. >> joel osteen with israeli president shimon peres. certainly as i went back to london all i could see was your grinning mug everywhere with copies of your book everywhere. how many have you done? >> this is my fourth major book. >> how many tens of millions of copies have you sold? >> i don't know. i sold a lot, though. >> you're not denying tens of millions, i noticed. >> i don't know about that. >> the first sold ten million. >> it did. it did.

but you know, i write the books to hopefully help people and people get inspired behind them. there's a lot of things pushing people down so our ministry is about lifting people up, saying hey, don't get bitter, don't get discouraged, you know, stay in faith, stay positive. people are drawn to that because there is a lot of negativity. >> you do have this effect on me. every time i interview you, i go away and i feel happier. i feel better about myself although i feel deeply resentful you're selling more books than i did. what i wonder, when you do a book called "i declare" which is a smart premise, sort of a statement for every day of the month, and it's very positive driven, very get up and be glass half full, not glass hf empty, but people will say it's a lot easier for you, mate, you're selling tens of millions of books, you're making hundreds of millions of dollars, you are married to this beautiful woman. life's pretty damn good for joel osteen. what about if i've lost my job, my house, my car, i can't feed my kids, as tens of millions of americans right now are going

through that. what do you say about that? how do you convince them to take your lead? >> well, i think the big part of the ministry is that you know, we faced difficulties, too, but our hearts go out to people. americans are hurting, people all over the world. the important thing is if you get up in the morning, saying life is lousy, there's nothing good in my future, i don't want to go to work, i don't feel well, you will negativity. it's hard, i'm not saying it's easy, especially when things are coming against you. you got to find something to be grateful for. >> when i saw the video there, it was pretty controversial because this is a very sensitive thing out there, isn't it, mitt romney himself got into more trouble when more of that video came out. it was basically him saying he doesn't think there can be peace and pretty well blaming the palestinians. you obviously interviewed peres. did you get flack from the palestinians? did you worry about dipping your

toe into a very hot political situation? >> you know, i didn't, because piers, the foundation of our faith is based out of israel and the scripture tells us to pray for peace in jerusalem. i went over certainly not as a political leader but as a friend to the people. we don't shun somebody, the palestinian people or anybody else, but just happened to be there holding an event there so i felt very honored to pray with him. >> we got a picture of joel on a beach which we thought we would show victoria. there we are. pretty damn impressive. is he into this p-90x thing? >> let's see. >> the paul ryan -- >> it's just all natural. >> really? >> he works out. >> i work out. >> every day? >> no, i don't work out every day. i like to work out. i grew up playing sports. i like to run, lift weights, play sports. it's natural to me. >> not bad. another reason to hate you. >> well. >> if you weren't such a nice

bloke, it would be easy to hate you. >> thank you. >> when people go to vote now in november, what is the key message? if you had barack obama and mitt romney here, you wanted them to declare things, what do you want them to declare truthfully to the electorate to make a decision about them? >> well, i don't know if i can give them advice. the book is about declaring, declare god's faithfulness in my life, declare god's wisdom in my life, declare that i have favor from god to make the right decision. >> those are great things for them to declare. >> sure. but when you see them taking out ads, for example, which are deliberately negative, often flagrantly untrue, just really unpleasant, nasty attack ads, do you think that should stop in this country? you think it's just poison? >> i would love for it to but it seems as long as i can remember, it's always happened and from what i hear, the negative seems to work. it's a shame -- >> would you like it to stop? >> i would love it to stop. i would love it to stay on a higher level. i don't know if that's practical

but i think it would be great if it would. i think things are taken out of context and you know, amplified and it's not necessarily like you said the full truth. >> it's been a pleasure to see you both again. unfortunately, i have to declare this interview over. i'm sure we will meet again very soon with the next book or whatever it may be. "31 promises to speak over your life." i will read this tonight, i know i will feel better tomorrow, so tomorrow night's interviews will be a lot happier all around than today's have been. lovely to see you. ♪ t can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. >> announcer: meet tom, a proud dad whose online friends all "like" the photos he's posting. oscar likes tom's photos, but he loves the access to tom's personal information. oscar's an identity thief who used tom's personal info to buy

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♪ ♪ my next guests are side by side in the country music charts, but when it comes to politics they couldn't be further apart. they're big and rich, close friends and polar opposites, one liberal, the other conservative. >> whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. >> yes? >> where you coming from? how do you know that? >> are you or are you not? >> that's a lot to assume.

>> we'll come to it in a minute. haven't started the interview yet. >> we're from the great state of texas, a man from virginia -- >> mr. rich has done the show before. you clearly haven't. this is my gig, my stage and i will finish the introduction. >> okay. okay. finish your introduction. >> after going their separate ways for several years, they're back together, musically with a new album, "hillbilly jedi." they join me now. welcome, gentlemen. >> okay, now, whoa, whoa, whoa. where do you get off? >> let me ask you a direct question. are you or have you ever been a liberal? >> i don't know what that is. >> that may cause the confusion. >> what i know is i'm a farm boy raised in virginia to a dad who was a hard-working man and a mother who taught me music and gave me great lessons in life, and i feel like the sky's our ceiling, the ground is our floor

and the world is one big happy home. we ought to just love everybody. how about that? yeah! >> there's no room for that kind of thing in this world. >> people say that about john and i constantly and we debate about as tough as any two guys can, but we end it always with a cold beverage -- >> are you a conservative? >> yes, i'm a conservative. >> would you categorize him as more of a liberal? >> i would categorize kenny as an independent. >> i like the word statesman. >> do you vote? >> yes. absolutely. i think everybody should vote. >> who do you vote for normally? >> i have always voted for the best person. the one that moved me, that i felt would inspire me, would inspire everything else around me.

>> i feel we're getting off on the wrong footing here. >> hold on. hold on. hold on. you look like you need a hug. >> piers needs a hug. >> i don't think it is proper of you to ask that. >> what? >> you need to go back and go back and go back. you can't make an index based on one thing. >> but in all fairness, piers

>> but in all fairness, piers can't vote >> exactly. >> a little aggravating to you. >> as a matter of fact, let's see the card. >> that was good. >> huh? let's see that card you got. >> careful. >> why do i feel i'm losing control of this interview? >> ladies and gentlemen, piers morgan receives a hug. my god, is that the first time anyone's hugged you in your life? >> is it time for a commercial break? he cries out desperately. let's talk politics. ♪ >> you're on cnn, not mtv. >> i love yourself. you rock. >> you rock, too quite literally. .you be you u let's talk politics. i want to talk to you about this for a moment because the interesting part of your dynamic i think is the fact that you do disagree about politics. you're not afraid to express opinions. parking who you actually vote for to one side, what are the issues you really are divided over, would you say? >> i can tell you the issues that -- we tour like crazy, 60 some odd cities this year, all over the united states, so the people that come to our shows, what's really great about making music is 20,000 people out there, it's not a political crowd. these are music lovers so you got every walk of politics out there. what we're hearing across the board is i'm going to vote for whoever i think can get my job back. just these real basic principles that people i think are firing on right now is how do i get my

job back, what gets our country back on track, how do we make this a better situation. i think to kenny's point, you got two completely different ideologies as to how to do that. everybody knows that. barack obama's got his way of doing it. romney's proposing a different way to do it. everybody's in the middle going okay, what are we going to do. i actually think people that voted for obama are really being hardcore with him about where he's coming from and people that voted for republicans in the past are going i don't know, i got to really take a look at this. to be honest with you, i'm ill, ill and wary of politics. to turn on the tv -- >> we agree. we agree. >> it just almost gives me a headache to think about turning it on. i'm just weary of it. i think americans in general are, no matter what your affiliation. honestly, i can't stand most of them regardless of the party. >> you can take subjects that you would think would start out as john and i are completely far apart, and then once we start discussing it, then you find out how much honestly we both kind

of are saying the same thing. >> i kind of come from the theory of no one man can handle so much in their mind, that many details and be responsible for that much although that is that calling but it's up to each and every one of us. you know, john and i, you know, one of the things that's been really important to both of us

is children, making sure children everywhere get something to eat, making sure they got a little health care, st. jude, places like that make sure they get an education if we focus right there, the future becomes the better future it's supposed to be, we believe in better days, brother, we believe in better days. you got to believe in better days, man. >> a short break and come back with even better days after the break. i want to talk about guns and gun control. >> so do i. >> 'cause i reckon we disagree about that. we shall see. @p@p [ male announcer ] if you believe the mayan calendar,

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generations of my family's been on this -- stewarded this farm in virginia. but in my home there is a large chest in this little 1500 square foot house that has every gun in it starting from a bb gun to a pell tote a 22 short to a 22 long, to a rifle to a 410, all the way up. i want my children to grow up understanding how to handle those -- those firearms. >> why? >> because i want them to understand the safety of it. one day they might like to enjoy the outdoors, grow up to hunt, like you grew up, hunting and fishing. >> a member of your family rent went to virginia tech, right? >> yes. >> where there was a notorious massacre. >> my parents actually met each other at virginia tech from an extension service meeting both their fathers are part of. my -- my father went there before he was drafted. my brother was there. >> right.

>> when that happened, it broke my heart. i remember the day. >> came on my bus crying. he was crying on my bus. >> i remember -- it is not the gun that hurts. >> it's the person. >> hey, listen, could i take -- >> i hate this argument. >> these are concealed weapons right here. put them in my pocket. >> a joke. the reality is this i have a lot of debate about this on this show, my position is i don't understand why when you have, as we saw in colorado, a young deranged guy, able to get the kind of ammunition and armory that he could get, perfectly legally, without any checks picking him up and all and go the lawary load of americans, the worst ever single gun incident in the country, nobody wants to change that. >> i don't think we can stop that. >> back in the mind. >> but john -- >> fire. >> but worse than that. in colorado, a 44% spike increase in gun sales as a result of it, because people

bought in to this theory, if everyone in the movie theater been armed, one with have shot him, rather than my theory, more carnage, pull out and start shooting each other, the wild west. i respect constitution and the second amendment. i respect the right of an american to defend themselves in their own home he is. i don't respect the right of americans to go into movie theaters and blow people away. >> absolutely not. who respects that? >> that's not a right too do that. that's a crime. >> don't do anything to tighten -- >> not a crime until he does it. >> i would like than to an underaged person that scores some alcohol and drink a five of vodka, gets behind the wheel and drives into a bunch of people and kills them. you going to outlaw cars? >> 16 years old before i know my name was go get wood. hadn't been for a 22 we wouldn't have ate. >> a guy that has a 2 1/2-year-old son and an

11-month-old son and a guy who is high profile like me, a lot of people know who i am, and i have people following me down the road sometimes, putting gas in my car and shadey people come up and go you know who that is, i hear them talking, i can tell if you anybody ever eached my home and came in, they -- i would be unloading on. they i would never apologize. >> shoot them dead? >> absolutely. i would unload on them out of protecting my family, protecting what's most important to merck it is my right, my duty as their daddy to protect them from evil and violence. >> how do you stop the kind of thing? >> you understand me, i will never apologize for that tore defending my family either. >> tell me keep your limey brit nose out of it. here is the problem, i love america and american people, when you have 11 to 12,000 on average murder evidence year, compared to 35 in britain from guns, i say come on, wake up, smell the coffee, do something

to at least try and stop the explosion in the number of firearms. >> the total murder rate -- is the total murder rate that different? total? >> from guns. they are killing each other with knives and bats? >> well, they are not though, they are not. >> a drastic difference? what would you suggest here? >> i think that you've got to bring in new gun laws which prohibit the purchase of assault weapons, for example, the purchase of 6,000 rounds of ammunition on the internet, as that colorado assassin was able to get perfectly legally. most of the gun owners, since i have been doing this show on cnn, in america, have been perfectly legally purchased guns even though most are clearly mentally disturbed. >> yeah. >> and i say you have got to try to do something. >> i would like to dig one level deeper than what you said, i'm glad you brought it up, things out there like that massacre in colorado, you just -- i don't care what your politics are, views are on anything you shake your head at the inhumanity of what that s and so the song that we have out called "that's why i

pray" and it talks about all the things that we are talking about right now, how off the chart they are, as human beings, you can't even get your head wrapped around it, so big, all doug is pray for better days and the power of prayer is real. we believe in it. we pray. we pray for better days and hope that other people do too. that's what -- that what's this song that's out right now, why we are talking to you this song has taken off across america because of the message of it, because of exactly what you are talking b >> your album "hillbilly jedi" i have no idea what you were on when you came up with the title. >> do you know what a hillbilly is, piers? >> i know a hilly lil bit. >> and jedi? thank you, george lucas. god bless you you piers. >> thank you, john, thank you, kenny, thanks for the hug and the kiss. "hillbilly jedi" drops on september 18th.  matt's brakes didn't sound right... ...so i brought my car to mike at meineke...

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when things really began to change, it was the social culture changes. i think "will & grace" did more to educate the american public than anything anybody else has ever done so far.

>> that was joe briden on "meet the press," and credited "will & grace." what a moment that must have been. i was watching it live, and i thought i wonder how the writers of "will & grace" felt? >> personally, i nearly fell out of bed. i heard -- >> it was 2:00 in the afternoon. >> you know, we heard the vice president talk about this at a private fund-raiser about a week earlier and thought that was the end of it, and then to turn on the television in the morning as we do to watch "meet the press" and see that he was still talking about it, i couldn't believe it. >> it was an amazing moment, wasn't it?

>> i wanted to hire his speechwriter quite frankly. >> it was never something that we had set out to do to change any conversation, we just wanted people to like the show. >> i wondered that. what do you feel about president obama's position on this? he came out with this big statement and everybody went, wow, that's incredible, endorsed everything to do with gay rights, and he hadn't really and it was language, and at the end of it, does it come to legislation? >> i feel like we made this happen -- no. all i can hope for is partners does for president obama what "will and grace" did for the vice president, because it's amazing to hear such a high profile figure talk about a television show. i mean, you know, it was -- it was similar to listening to dan quail talk about "murphy brown." to think about the comedies that

we're writing in the valley are getting the kind of eyeball on them and it's a remarkable thing for us. >> talk matters. it does. it's more than just lip service because it's coming from the mouth of the president of the united states, but ultimately, yes, legislation is what really counts. there's a man married to another man in a state that that recognizes that and cannot get a tax break. it's a little thing. but it's a thing, you know. and if there was federal legislation in place, he would not be talking about that. >> and with a republican administration, with mitt romney and paul ryan, they made their opinions clear, and are you nervous? >> oh, it scares me quite a bit.

>> the good work that is being done could just evaporate. >> they are in the process of trying to take away rights. that's what scares me about that ticket, you know. they are very clear, you know, about wanting to put something into the constitution that would limit rights, and i feel like when you go into that booth and you vote, you have to think about that, and you have to think about your son or your doctor or you are a postman, and are you comfortable with the idea of bringing in a group of people that want to take away their rights. i'm concerned. >> it's been six years since "will & grace" was airing new shows. you have been away and have come

back. >> we, you know, we wanted to do a story about our relationship. it was a gay guy and a straight guy and we have been friends since we were kids. >> 30 years. >> yeah. >> more than that, actually. >> probably about 35 years. >> and we're only 37, and so -- >> amazing. remarkable. >> but we not even thinking of it in terms of the next step, because it's not the next step. it was an interesting dynamic and one we had not seen on television before. >> i any it's out there and exists, and it's just that nobody has written about it yet, and so we live it and why not -- >> let's take a little clip. >> out of nowhere, she tells me

she wants to get married, and she wants kids now, and it's play me or trade me on the table and i'm not ready for that. >> it's got that great rhythm. i loved "will & grace," and it's a different kind of show and a different premise to it. given you have led the vice president on your last show making the comment of the effect you had on the american society, and is there anything on the show where there's a point to it that could really resonate? >> my hope would be that it actually -- that society is so receptive to the idea that it doesn't make a point, you know. in ten years, if this is not