you. that is it for us tonight. "larry king live" coming up tonight. they'll continue tracking this story as well. see you right back here tomorrow night. >> larry: tonight, just revealed, the shocking footage of michael jackson with his hair on fire. we'll show you what could have started the king of pop on painkillers. the horrifying moment that may have changed his life. the never before seen images exposed second and third degree burns. are the injuries to blame for the purported drugs? and jess ventura calls sarah palin a quitter. what is he calls al franken and questioning of supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor. the former governor of minnesota sounds off next on "larry king live."

good evening. never -- special guest to begin things, jim moret. he's also an attorney. never before seen footage from the pepsi shoot which michael jackson's hair caught fire has been obtained and published by "us weekly" there's no audio but the raw imannuals tell the story. watch.

i see miko brando in there helping to put this out. you were covering that. >> i was the local reporter at abc station in los angeles. we've never seen that view before. nev only saw a grainy image from the front. realize for ten seconds perhaps michael jackson's hair was on fire, he didn't even know it. when people realize it, you see they came to his aid, but he had second and third degree burns, tremendous amount of pain. had to undergo surgeries, skin grafts. took demerol for the pain. >> larry: we knew about that. >> we knew about that. and knew later he became dependent on demerol. you look at that moment in the last days of his life and wonder if that marked his undoing, unknowingly. >> larry: that was a commercial for pepsi?

>> that was a commercial he was shooting with the jacksons. that was the sixth take. the pyre row tech nicks went off too early. they were supposed to -- when he was down the stairs but he was at the top of the stairs and they went off too soon and a spark hit his hair. he had hair product in his hair, it ig fighted. you see what happened. >> larry: did any of the flips ever become a commercial? >> there was a commercial. >> larry: that was an earlier clip. what were you thinking at the time? >> well, at the time. we realized it was serious, and you did see, i think -- you saw him coming -- he was fully bandaged but had his white gloves, sequins gloves and waved to the fans, as he was wheeled into the ambulance. you thought everything was okay. but you realize it was serious and he was sent to the burn center in sherman oaks, very famous facility. but now, you realize -- we never saw the footage with the scalp

that was revealed. >> larry: stories he was bald may be true then? >> they may be. >> larry: dermatologist alluded to the '84 fire when talking about pain killers last week on this show. watch. >> what about pain killing medications. did you prescribe any? >> i've used sedatives for when he had surgical procedures. don't forget, he had a lot -- he had the severe burn when he was burned on the pepsi commercial and severe hair loss when he contracted. so when you have to fix all these areas, you have shave a little bit. if you took all of the pills i've given him last year at once, wouldn't do anything to him. >> larry: what was the strongest medication uf gave him? >> i once on occasion gave him demerol to sedate hip that was the strongest medicine i ever used. >> larry: do you suggest maybe the fire incident played a role with michael jackson's seeming obsession with plastic surgery?

>> he did have plastic surgery a few years prior. he cheerily had most of that after that time. maybe he was so insecure with his looks after that that he just kept going. dr. klein said to you that michael jackson viewed his face as a work of art. first operation was in '79. first nose job. this was in '84 this particular accident but had the bulk of plastic surgery after that. it's hard to say but clearly you needed operations on his head, for sure. >> larry: he could have died. >> could have died, absolutely. clearly endured a great deal of pain. >> larry: what's the latest on the investigation, by the way? >> lapd is not saying whether or not this is an accident or hop side investigation. the door's open. the toxicology report could be released as early as friday but probably mid week. i think at that time lapd will announce it's homicide investigation. >> larry: tmz reports they were treating the michael jackson

case as a homicide. what do you know? >> they are saying they're not treating it as a homicide investigation but homicide detectives are investigating. you also look back if this was viewed as a homicide early on, they certainly didn't act on it. they didn't secure the premiseses as they should have. several days went by that's not to say they won't deem this a homicide investigation in the future. >> larry: when are the autopsy reports? when will it be all in? >> should have it by next week at the late e. >> larry: will that put a wrap on this? >> i don't know if anything puts a wrap on this. we talked about what's going on. there's so many questions. it will focus the investigation, which doctors they're looking at. what drugs were in the system as the time and where did he get them? >> larry: jim's coming back. don't go away. deepak chopra is among the few that said he knew michael jackson well and we'll show you the video again when we come back.

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>> larry: now welcome to "larry king live," debaepak chopra. physician, longtime friend of michael jackson. let's look at the footage from the 1984 commercial shoot and the accident he later admitted triggered his use of painkillers.

what are your thoughts as you watch this, die paeepak? >> it makes you understand why he would have required narcotics and painkillers. second and third degree burns can be extremely painful. >> larry: do you rescind criticism of getting painkillers? >> when you're a celebrity. you're such an important person, you frequently end up getting the worst care. it's difficult for a doctor to refuse you. the patient, whatever the demand the doctor submits to it. what happens ultimately leads to the addiction. >> larry: did michael ever talk to you, after that incident? >> he did talk to me after that incident. >> larry: what did he say? >> he was obsessed after that about his appearance. also about the fact that he was

disfigured. we had long discussions about the fact that i felt he had a lot of self-clothing. he had a lot of shame. >> larry: over what? >> mutilation was part of his childhood -- >> larry: he was disfigured or did he just lose hair? >> he had lupis, he had extensive patches of white that were very disfigures and vitilago. these diseases aborder psycho sm mattic medicine. children who were abused in childhood go on to see this 30 years later. >> concerning lupis. one of the word's leading experts on lupis, issued reports that michaelle jackson had the disease. he said, quote, reports that michael jackson had lupis, a localized form of lupis that

affects the skin and spares internal organs, included some misconceptions about the disease, particularly hypothesis lupis is linked to childhood traumatic stress. there's never been any evidence specifically linking the development of lupis to physical or psychological trauma in childhood. >> there's a write up in that in psycho psychosematic medicine. it's a study of over 2,400 patients. i'm surprised these experts have missed it. >> larry: you're saying the doctor it wrong? >> i'm sorry, he missed the study. >> larry: he's an expert on lupis. >> he hasn't kept up with the literature. >> larry: you were on my show and spoke about michael's drug

use. watch. did he take a lot of pills and stuff? >> not more than anybody else. if he had a headache he could took. wasn't like he was on a daily -- >> i know for a fact i saw bottles of oxycontin, i knew he was getting shots. i know his doctors were enablers. what can i say? i conn't frommed him many times. and when i did, he would stop returning my calls until we changed the topic. >> larry: lisa marie presley wrote that michael once toll her he would end up like her face. did he talk about that? >> he did. her father was also my friend. i used to go to his house all of the time and have indian food. but michael would say, particularly to my son. i would rather go out like elvis than marlon brando. >> larry: some people criticize you for tarnishing michael's image.

>> i love michael. he was one of my best friends. he was a tortured soul. if you understood the context of his life, you would feel only love and compassion for michael. i'm not tarnishing michael's image. i'm so upset by enabling doctors who write multiple prescriptions for the same patient with different patient's names. doctors who enable you to get prescriptions from other patients. a lost these doctors are c concierge doctors. you pay a monthly fee you get anything. if you really understood then conditions of his life. you're totally understanding what he's going through. is here and it's the best time to get some of the best deals. get in now and get the chrysler town & country with a generous cash allowance, or 0% financing for 60 months. the @%ail rated jeep grand cherokee also comes with a cash allowance or 0% financing for 60 months.

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his physical condition, you were violating some kind of code of confidentiality a physician would have? >> first of all, michael is not alive anymore. and we're trying to -- >> larry: even if you're dead, doesn't -- >> yeah, but every doctor you've had here has been discussing michael's condition. >> larry: they weren't his doctor -- >> except doctor -- i was not michael's official doctor, i was his best friend throughout his life. >> larry: you never helped him? >> i tried to help him as a friend. of course. i have a license in california. i have a senator cot is license. michael knew that, he asked me for a prescription. i said i wouldn't give it to you. >> larry: was it hard to turn him down? >> no, i said i love you, michael, i'm not going to give it to u. i said this could kill you. >> larry: what did he say? >> he said you don't under. >> larry: was he angry? >> he was angry.

he was very manipulative about it. he said you're a doctor, i said i'm not your doctor. >> larry: addicts are good at that. >> physicians have to be very careful that they do not -- they normally have to be careful. they don't know enough about -- >> larry: we're going to do some major programs on this coming. deepak remains, dr. drew pinsky joins us right after this.

>> larry: what you're watching now, may be arguably the most shocking video ever shot of michael jackson. the newly revealed raw footage

of the 1984 pepsi commercial shoot during which fireworks ignite his hair. we're joined now, deepak chopra remains with dr. drew pinsky, vote of vh-1's celebrity rehab. author of the mirror effect. how celebrity narcissim is seducing america. some people think he might have altered his life, dr. pinsky, do you agree with that? >> i think the evidence suggests that. he took a turn after that experience. naturally, after a severe burn you would be exposed to opiates. in my opinion p-people are exposed for two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks are inadvertently addicted. >> what is the man to do? the man is in constant pain. >> there's something called hyper algesia. opiates, actually intensifies pain. i treated jeff conway.

because of opiates. because of the addiction -- >> in my world, my average patient today on opiates comes in complaining of a 20 out of 10. they always say it's above the scale. i take them off opiates and within two weeks they tell me it's 4 or under, almost without exception. >> why do you think, deepak, michael didn't want to get better? >> michael had a lot of emotional pain also, in addition to his physical pain. he did want to get better. who doesn't want to get better? but internal dialogue says if i don't get this drug, i'll probably die. especially at that stage, right? >> that is actually the biology. you have the normal survival systems. and that becomes consistent with the biology of the drug. on top of that. 90% plus of people that become chronic pain opiate addicted h have a history of trauma which we know michael had.

>> federal health authorities recalled some version of an et thetic d an aesthetic. diprovan. >> if he got that, somebody gave it to hip. given intravenously. if he got that. it was like a an overdose would have killed him. >> i read the reports what happened. the kind of side effects related to those lots were not related to the cause of death. however, i got to tell you i keep thinking diprovan plus. it's a medicine commonly used in pain which is methadone. he has a powerful one. >> he's switching one for another. i keep wondering if it's possible that methadone was part

of his treatment. you add something like diprovan. you see increasing indents of men over 30 of sudden death. >> he wouldn't be given a lithium -- >> a hospital procedure. >> i keep repeating that. >> larry: if you take diprovan. why would you need anything else? you go right to sleep. it knocks you out. >> correct. if you're on a maintenance medication. you can have other symptoms on top of that like anxiety, irity able and insomnia. there have been reports he was taking ben zo diaz peens like xanax, most come on feature insomnia. >> larry: did the family intervene? >> to my knowledge, yes, the family tried to intervene. >> larry: didn't work? >> they stopped. >> larry: why does an

intervention often fail? >> i mean it's a very complex issue. you have to have leverage, first of all. you have to have somebody -- >> larry: an employee, money, something that you can leverage the patient to cause them to get motivation. only thing a family has is their love. they can agree they can withhold that. when someone is intoxicated they may not feel -- they may not care. >> larry: what's the responsibility of the physician? >> we should talk about the role of the physician. >> deepak and i reflective about. one thing i told when interviewed. don't ever do this alone. when working with a very powerful individual who is an addict, make sure you have a team around them. >> larry: can licenses be taken? >> i'm not a legal expert. i feel sorry for these people who got themselves in these situation. i'm not sure they understood what they're getting into. maybe they did. maybe this is something

completely unrelated to these people's care. a lot of this -- >> is speculation. >> larry: we're surmisinsurmisi. suppose the autopsy said heart attack. >> that's too late. you know, the fact if he died from overdose of whatever, these drugs cannot be given unless there's a prescription, and i think it's very important for people listening to this program to realize that the number one cause of drug addiction in our country is not street drugs but legally prescribed physicians giving -- >> 250017-year-olds will abuse medication today. >> larry: doctors -- >> you're in complex territory. i would say these are effects of medication. we learn we can take away suffering and pain. one of the most gratifying things for a doctor to do. but if you don't train them about the identifying referring

and treating, what happens that subset that has potential for addiction, if you don't see it coming -- >> they're the expert. a number of doctors themselves have problems. >> larry: doctors are the biggest addicts they say. they have access. >> it's hard to treat. they have access and we know too much. >> larry: thanks, guys we'll have you back probably tomorrow. next the latest on the jackson investigation with the legal experts, mark garegos and o.j. prosecutor marcia clark. get a 2009 pontiac vibe for $13,708 after all offers. or get 0% apr for 60 months on most 2009 pontiac models! all are backed with the best coverage in america, including a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty. get some excitement while you still can, during the pontiac summer closeout. visit pontiacdealer.com

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>> larry: before we meet our next guest we have breaking news from michigan. right now a gasoline tanker explosion that forced a shutdown of an interstate highway in suburban detroit. a tanker truck carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline near or on i-75 apparently crashed or explodeded. when we have more details we'll get them to you. jim moret returns, we're joined by michael garegos and marcia clark, nice to have her back. former prosecutor, contributor to "the daily beast.com. we'll start with marcia. do you think this will lead to criminal prosecutions? >> it's looking that way so far. it's very clear, when you see recent footage of michael jackson. he was doing better than ever. seems very, very unlikely it was normal originally caused death. that means it's likely to be induced. that means it's some kind of

drug combination or cocktail that probably he shouldn't have had. that means somebody gave drugs he shouldn't have given. >> is that a crime? >> that's a crime. >> do you think criminality is coming here? >> it's a high profile case. a lot of public attention, given on the fact i think you're on day 39 of doing the coverage. you have those -- that combination with the dea, the doj, d.a., lapd. that's the formula. in fact a prescription -- >> you're not saying that doctors don't deserve some sort of punishment? you said before, we don't know anything -- >> that's correct. hypothetically. >> if you have a doctor who is giving somebody diprovan and that person is taking it in the home. i said it before, conceivably, i could see an aggressive prosecutor filing an implied malice, second degree murder case against that person. >> is this a long time for an autopsy result? >> i don't think so.

listen what mark just said. it's a very high profile case, you really need to do things correctly. family wanted a second autopsy. i think they're taking their time and should take their time. you don't want to come out with results piecemeal. that's for sure. we heard that from the coroner itself. i think it's a reasonable time, don't you think? >> it's not about the autopsy. that's done. it's about the toxicology. that takes a while and they had a lot of drug screening. >> right. they have to go backwards. somebody has to take the drugs. find out what the lot number is. find out where that got shipped to. fine out who had it and see if they connect the dots. >> you have to wait a second period of time for that organ to harden. >> it's waiting to bury, right? >> this is probably in the civil area. marcia, could the will be challenged if the person writing it was a drug abuser? >> you could challenge the will on the basis of him being not of sound mind. you have to come up with some kind of indication, some

evidence that shows at the time he signed the will and testament. he was not of sound mind. i sincerely doubting even with prescription drug abuse, it may be shown that at the time he signed the will which is 2002. he's under the influence to the extent he didn't have his own free will. >> how much affect will awe of this publicity, us, clouded. have on the case. >> as we discussed, on other cases, it poisons the jury pool. makes it virtually impossible to get a fair trial. there's all of these things that are out there. we don't know if they're true or untrue. but people view them as facts. and it's one of the reasons we should have contempt of court act like they have in england. >> larry: agree, jim? >> in england this would not be covered. to suggest you don't have a fair trial. you have a lot of high profile cases. i don't think it takes all the jurors. >> larry: do you think it does,

marcia? >> of course it can. a sequestered jury has family. >> larry: that's worse. >> it is worse. i've learned. i heard, i don't know by personal experience. family comes to visit jurors, they say what they've heard. you can't monitor everything. >> larry: the problem is what we call stealth jurors, they lie to get on the jury because it's high profile. i want to go on this trial, it might go 12 months. we'll be right back. don't go away. i feel like i have to wind myself up just to get out of bed. then...well...i have to keep winding melf up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the trouble concentrating, the lack of energy. if depression is taking so much out of you, ask your doctor about pristiq®. (announcer) pristiq is a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine.

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>> as far as i can see, they said, he can really dance, blanket. >> have you seen blanket dance? >> not yet, i'm trying to wait and see. >> so you think they might have a little bit of entertainer in them? >> they got a lot in them, just got to come out. >> larry: they're jacksons. >> of course. >> larry: do you think he might have an effect on this case? >> i think he will, but of course in a negative way. and it's one of these things in if anybody has been allowing him access to these children, that person should be the one excluded from custody. any consideration of custody. whoever does get the children, should have a condition put in he's never allowed to have unmonitored visits. never. >> larry: what do you think of

him? >> i like joe, i don't have a problem with him. i don't think there's any -- i don't think joe is, at any point, going to say i want custody of these kids. i haven't seen him or talked to him for years. my experience if katherine is there it's not a problem. >> larry: michael had bitter feelings. >> he saided he thought his father abused him physically and emotionally. i cringe when i see that. he speaks and seeps like he says things out in left feel. debbie rowe probably cringes too because she doesn't want her kids around him. >> what joe jackson is worried about, joe jackson having access. no one monitor visits. you don't go after money because you're earn canned about joe jackson visiting the kids. >> every family got inlaws that don't get along. >> larry: he's got maybe a deserved bad rap. >> he's getting a bad rap. i'm not here to defend -- joe is

joe, he is what he is. >> larry: where is it all going to go, jim? >> we haved this the other night, where does this go? will it end with the autopsy? >> no. i think it -- i think if criminal charges are filed it will just be beginning on that part. we have to see what happens to the kids, what happens to the estate. >> larry: i'm going a call. phoenix, hello. phoenix, are you there? >> caller: larry, how are you doing? >> larry: what's the question? >> caller: i have a question for the defense team. experts. if these doctors are found liable, and in fact, partially or fully responsible for the death of jackson, what kind of penalty or sense are they going to face? >> larry: what do you think, marcia? >> involuntary manslaughter. if it's implied murder, you're looking at 15 to life. if it's some other professions code it's 16, two and three.

>> larry: as a prosecutor would you come down hard if the evidence pointed at the doctor? >> i sure would. that's a bigger nightmare than going to the joint. i think, you know, part of the reason this case has life. it's an issue for our time. the issue of prescription drug abuse has become such a large issue in our society. it's always really bad -- usually framed when it comes to celebrities who have access that we don't have. irony is the case. >> find someone who is now be ing ionized. >> you and i can't get this kind of access to drugs. you have to be a celebrity to get ruined this way. if you go against the doctors, you go after them firmly, you discourage doctors across the board from doing it with anybody. that's worth it. >> larry: more with this outstanding group right after this. where will you find the stability and resources

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we're back, going to go back to the horrifying video, from the pepsi commercial, the incident that michael's hair caught on fire. marcia, what do you think as you see this? >> i can't watch it again. it's horrifying. it's painful. it hurts to watch this. it's a really frightening thing. i totally believe dr. drew when he said this is possibly the start of the prescriptive drug addiction. >> this is incredible to see him. really gives you chills to see that right there is the moment that could have sent him down the wrong path. >> mark, did he ever talk to you about it? >> no. >> larry: what do you think as you see it? >> i just don't understand why we keep playing it. i guess it's got for ratings. >> larry: it's rather gripping, isn't it? >> yes, but so are car accidents and beheadings.

>> larry: we stop and look at them -- >> but we try not to show beheadings. there is something to that, larry. >> larry: your whole thoughts on all of this. you know about celebrity cases. maybe the most celebrated celebrity case. where do you think this is going? >> i suspect it will land in a criminal prosecution. i expect there's one if not more than one doctor prosecuted. if it's combination of methadone and diprivan. there's no prescription for that. whoever provided that, if that's part of cause of death will definitely get prosecuted. >> larry: mark, where do you think it's going? >> based on nothing but speculation think there's going to be a criminal prosecution. >> larry: you heard doctors are being paid regularly? >> i talked to a director of a treatment facility who said he had celebrity patients who had doctors on retainer for $50,000 a month so they can get drugs

whenever they want them. >> larry: get a call on tuesday and -- >> they're there. >> larry: that's not a crime, isn't it? you can retain a doctor. >> you can retain a doctor but you can't get kripgss for drugs you've not been diagnosed as needing. in other words there has to be a real medical need for it. you just dial a doctor and ask for a drug that's not needed. however you're not the one prosecuted. the doctor is in control, right? >> larry: thank you all? you'll come back again. we like having you here. garegos, you'll be back tomorrow. would you vote to confirm judge sotomayor? that's tonight's quick vote go to cnn.com/larry king. let us know what you think. jesse ventura will tell us what he thinks, next. the same time. - ( thunder and rain ) - 3 million are using the simply everything plan. each is saving $1200

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>> larry: before we meet my friend jesse ventura. let's go to my friend anderson cooper. what's up, anderson? >> what could have been the turning point in michael jackson's life an death a fiery spent while filming a pepsi commercial. we'll tell you the tape. also answers and many more questions, brutal murder of a success floridaful businessman and his wife. the sheriff charged in the investigation, a new arrest was just announced. we'll give you details on that. and michelle obama's family roots. we'll show you the south carolina plantation where michelle obama believes her great, great grandfather was born into a life of slavery. >> >> larry: thanks, anderson.

joining us, best selling author of "don't start the revolution" without me. jesse ventura. you appointed 70 juns while in office. how does judge sotomayor impress you as a nominee? >> first of all. larry, she already held numerous appointments. appointed by president george h.w. bush, i believe to the federal bench. this is a woman with a vast amount of experience. you know, when they get to these hearings, it's more about political posturing of the two political parties, in my opinion. it's almost laughable. because if the appointment's a democratic appointment if it's republican the democrats attack and the litmus test is always roe v. wade. they all wand to know how are you going to vote on roe v. wade. abortion. that's how it comes to the wash

to me. she's totally qualified and in my opinion should be appointed to the bench. >> larry: al franken final ali got into the united states senate from your state. what do you make of that whole election? >> it's the process. the election was so close it required the recount regardless of lawsuits and court or anything like that. when the recount was completed, they did it slowly and hopefully correctly. then senator coleman had his option of challenging to the court. he took it to the minnesota supreme court, lost, and it ended there. what i find more disturbing is this, larry, there's letters to the editors here in minnesota now. saying how embarrassing it is that we now elected a writer, comedian, just as before we elected a pro wrestler. well, i think that minnesota truly is following what our forefathers had in mind of a citizen government. i am more disturbed that people think we should elect career politics and lawyers. you know?

what this country was founded upon, larry was people bringing their life experience, be a citizen government and the one positive thing i can say about al franken over norm coleman, at least this is his first time. senator coleman has been cashing government checks for 35 years and i find that very strange out of a republican. >> larry: by the way, senator franken questioned judge sotomayor today. here's an excerpt, we'll hear your comments. >> what was the one case in perry mason that -- >> i wish i remembered the name of the episode, but i don't. i just was always struck that there was only one case where his client was actually guilty. and -- >> and you don't remember that case? >> i know that i should remember the name of it, but i haven't looked at the episode. >> larry: didn't the white house prepare you for -- for that? >> that needed a little humor, didn't it, jesse?

>> i suppose, total nonsense. i wouldbilliosi only lost one case, too. he was -- >> larry: prosecution convictions. by the way, did you consider running for that senate seat? >> yes, i did. it came down to a flip of a coin. it came up tails and i said heads i run, tails i don't. everywhere i go in the twin cities, people come up to me all the time and say to me we wouldn't have had this problem if i would have ran but that's neither here nor there. >> larry: all right. let's moou to soon to be former governor palin. >> she's a quitter. let me put it to you this way, larry. she could never make it as a frog man or knave sy s.e.a.l. because if you utter the words in training, i quit, you're gone. i don't remember one person in my class that quit. i remember every person i

graduated with. it offends me over the fact that she told the people of alaska she wanted to be their governor. and she wanted -- and that's a four-year commitment. and now right in the middle she quits? well, if she's got plans of running for higher office, i would never vote for her because if it gets too hot in the kitchen, she is liable to quit. >> larry: do you think there's an underlying reason maybe we don't know? >> well, i don't think she was put under anymore scrutiny with the media than i was as an independent. my children were attacked in minnesota. everything i did was put under the microscope but the point is, larry, you don't quit. when you make an obligation and you take an oath, doesn't it mean anything anymore? >> larry: we'll be back with more of jesse ventura and the book is "don't start the revolution without me." we have two web exclusives for you on the sotomayor confirmation hearings.

go to cnn.com/larryking to read both takes on the issue. one by maria cardona and terry holt. sotomayor and the political divide at cnn.com/larryking and more with jesse when we get back.

>> larry: let's take a call for governor ventura. sante, california, hello. >> caller: hi. how are you? >> larry: fine. >> caller: i wanted to ask, does he have any other future plans of running for, you know, governor or such state senator or something beyond that? and i like his stand on average people getting more involved in their citizenry. >> larry: will you run again for

something? >> i have no plan to do that right now. i did six years in the navy. six years as a mayor and four as a governor. i like private life a lot right now. it is my birthday today and only for you would i come out and do an interview on my birthday. i played golf today at the tournament players' club in minneapolis where we had the 3m championship of the tournament and come on on my birthday. >> larry: i'm honored! >> only for you, larry. >> larry: thank you. >> nobody else. >> larry: you have been a critic of media in your time. what do you make of media coverage of michael jackson? >> well, i think it's overexposed by far. you know, michael was a great entertainer, one of the biggest the world's ever seen but, you know, to me enough is enough. you know, our media's gone far too much to the entertainment side and to the ratings side as opposed to the information side and the knowledge sides. honor michael. do a tribute to him but it should not last for weeks going

into months. >> congressman peter king of new york who shared the view of overcoverage called michael a low life, a pervert and criticized the society for glorifying him. >> what was he talking about, a few of his republican colleagues? you know? who are they to talk? i mean, you got republicans cheating on the wives left and right. you got them, you know, in the bathrooms at the airport here in minnesota and these are all the people that supposedly run on family values. you know, unless you got a clean closet, keep your mouth shut. >> larry: what part of a politician's private life is our business? >> i think none of it unless they run on a family value platform. if they tell you that they're for this quote family values, larry, then that opens up the box of worms on them on the moral issues. i liked it better in the days of john f. kennedy. people talked that he had affairs, this and that. you know what? it wasn't brought out to the

public. they stuck to the issues and to governing. look at it this way, larry. they spent $100 million to discover bill clinton cheated on hillary when on 9/11 they only allocated $4 million to find out who killed 3,000 people. >> larry: another area. ultimate boxing has now replaced boxing in popularity. >> ultimate fighting. >> larry: they don't wear shoes. kick, fight, jump on each other. >> yep. >> larry: what do you make of that sport? >> i think it's tir isk because i have been to them and i think it's very professionally run. i was ashamed of the behavior saturday at the end of the fight but for the most part, for the most part, they're honorable, respectful. they volunteer to do it. the referees are very good. i've been there. i think boxing's really more dangerous because in ultimate fighting, the moment the guy is stunned, the referee jumps in and stopped it. wherein boxing, they give you

standing eight counts and let it resume again and again and again. i think this is less dangerous than boxing. >> larry: why do you the public likes it so much? >> because it's something new and they call it the ultimate martial arts. you combine wrestling. you combine jujitsu, judo, boxing. it is combined and all legal. yet, you can't hit to the groin. you can't do eye techniques or anything like that but i think that's what draws it is it's the ultimate fighter. when all the arts are allowed to go, this is the ultimate winner. >> larry: in your younger days, would you have tried it? >> no. i don't think so. as my instructor terry moi told me in the s.e.a.l.s. asking about hand to hand combat, he said with a stoner machine gun, no one should ever get that close.

>> larry: how's obama doing? >> i think it's still in my opinion too early to judge. i will withhold judgment until he's been in office at least one year and then at that point in time, i'll look back at the first year and make some judgments. right now, he is getting his feet wet and doing a heck 0 of a lot better than the predecessor did. >> larry: do you think he's overexposed? >> i never believe any president in the united states is overexposed. you know, they're the leader of the free world and the leader of the united states. and we need to know what they're doing at all times. >> larry: so you don't mind a speech a day? >> no. because you can turn the channel. you don't have to watch it. you know? >> larry: you're right. >> that's your option. >> larry: hey, jesse. thanks for doing this. happy 58th birthday. god, he's 58. happy 58th birthday to jesse ventura. >> thank you. because i was bud's class 58th and now i